A Guide to the Primary Sources of the Salem Witch Trials
People Accused of Witchcraft in 1692
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For each person accused during the Salem witchcraft trials, you can access a large number (not all!) of the primary sources on-line, detailing what happened to them, as available in the original legal records and contemporary accounts. This is not an absolute definitive list, but it will get you started. The columns on the right will give you an idea of what kinds evidence exists in the case of each person as found in Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt.
Help using these primary sources
If you are trying to understand what happened to a specific person, please download this helpful guide concerning what sort of information you can find in the primary sources in each of these categories.

Accused: Bridget Bishop, of SalemReturn
No. 62: Warrant for the Apprehension of Giles Cory, Mary Warren, Abigail Hobbs, & Bridget Bishop, with Summons for Witnesses, and Officer's Return √                
No. 63: Examination of Bridget Bishop, as Recorded by Ezekiel Cheever   √              
No. 64: Examination of Bridget Bishop, as Recorded by Samuel Parris   √              
No. 116: Examination of Deliverance Hobbs in Prison       √          
No. 146: Mittimus for George Jacobs Sr., William Hobbs, Edward Bishop Jr., Bridget Bishop, Sarah Bishop, Sarah Wilds, Mary Black, Mary English, Alice Parker & Ann Pudeator     √            
No. 164: Statement of Susannah Shelden v. Philip English, Sarah Buckley, Mary Whittredge, Bridget Bishop, Giles Cory, Mary English, & Martha Cory       √          
No. 230: Testimony of Samuel Gray v. Bridget Bishop       √          
No. 231: Deposition of William Stacy v. Bridget Bishop       √   √      
No. 243: Deposition of Joseph Safford v. Elizabeth How & Bridget Bishop       √ √ √      
No. 253: Letter of Thomas Newton to Isaac Addington, with Mittimus v. Sarah Good, Rebecca Nurse, John Willard, John Procter, Elizabeth Procter, Susannah Martin, Bridget Bishop, Alice Parker, & Tituba     √            
No. 255: Deposition of Abigail Hobbs, Deliverance Hobbs, & Mary Warren v. George Burroughs, Sarah Good, Sarah Osburn, Bridget Bishop, Giles Cory, Rebecca Nurse, Elizabeth Procter, Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator, Abigail Soames, John Procter, & Lydia Dustin       √          
No. 258: Testimony of Sarah Churchill v. Ann Pudeator and Testimony of Mary Warren v. Bridget Bishop, Elizabeth Cary, George Jacobs Sr., & Ann Pudeator       √          
No. 271: Physical Examinations No. 1 & No. 2 of Bridget Bishop, Rebecca Nurse, Elizabeth Procter, Alice Parker, Susannah Martin, & Sarah Good         √        
No. 273: Indictment No. 1 of Bridget Bishop, for Afflicting Mercy Lewis         √        
No. 274: Indictment No. 2 of Bridget Bishop, for Afflicting Abigail Williams         √        
No. 275: Indictment No. 4 of Bridget Bishop, for Afflicting Elizabeth Hubbard         √        
No. 276: Indictment No. 5 of Bridget Bishop, for Afflicting Ann Putnam Jr.         √        
No. 277: Testimony of John Cook v. Bridget Bishop       √ √ √      
No. 278: Testimony of John Louder v. Bridget Bishop       √ √ √      
No. 279: Deposition of Samuel & Sarah Shattuck v. Bridget Bishop       √   √      
No. 280: Testimony of John Bly Sr. & William Bly v. Bridget Bishop       √   √      
No. 281: Deposition of John Bly Sr. & Rebecca Bly v. Bridget Bishop       √   √      
No. 282: Testimony of Richard Coman v. Bridget Bishop       √   √      
No. 283: Deposition of Susannah Shelden v. Bridget Bishop       √          
No. 313: Warrant for the Execution of Bridget Bishop, and Officer's Return             √ √  
No. 481: Testimony of John DeRich v. George Jacobs Sr. et al.       √          
No. 612: Account for Payment Submitted by John Arnold, Jailkeeper     √            
No. 889: Letter of Nehemiah Jewett to Stephen Sewell             √ √ √
What kind of primary source evidence does a check in each column indicate?
  • Complaint or Arrest - Either a formal complaint or an arrest warrant against this person exists.
  • Examination - An account of an examination (interrogation) or confession before local magistrates or in prison exists.
  • Imprisonment - A mittimus to move this person to/from jail, a recognizance or bond to release the person from jail, a reference in a jailer's bill, or a request for compensation for time spent in jail exists.
  • Evidence Entered - At least one deposition, statement, testimony or petition from any proceeding (preliminary hearing, grand jury or trial) for or against this person exists.
  • Grand Jury or Indictment - A deposition, statement or testimony sworn before the grand jury of inquest, a physical examination of the body of this person, or an indictment brought before a grand jury exists.
  • Jury Trial - An entry in a court record book or a contemporary account of the trial exists.
  • Conviction - A death warrant indicating that the person was convicted, a notation about the case in a record book of the conviction, a statement that the person was convicted in either a request for reversal of attainder or for compensation from the Crown exists.
  • Execution - The return of an officer on a death warrant, a statement that the person was executed in a request for reversal of attainder or for compensation from the Crown, or an entry in Samuel Sewall's diary exists.
  • Restitution - Accounts submitted for restitution, orders for payment to survivors, acts for reversal of attainder or for payments of restitution, proclamations clearing the accused

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