A Guide to the Primary Sources of the Salem Witch Trials
People Accused of Witchcraft in 1692
What is this? Home
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: Rebecca Nurse, of Salem VillageReturn
No. 23: Warrant for the Apprehension of Rebecca Nurse, and Officer's Return √                
No. 28: Examination of Rebecca Nurse   √              
No. 29: Examination of Rebecca Nurse, as Told by Deodat Lawson   √              
No. 30: Deposition of Ann Putnam Sr. v. Martha Cory & Rebecca Nurse, and Testimony of Ann Putnam Jr. v. Rebecca Nurse, Martha Cory & Sarah Cloyce       √ √        
No. 31: Statement of Daniel Andrew, Peter Cloyce, Israel & Elizabeth Porter for Rebecca Nurse       √          
No. 32: Deposition of Edward Putnam v. Rebecca Nurse       √   √      
No. 35: Statement of Samuel Nurse & John Tarbell for Rebecca Nurse       √          
No. 47: Council Record Pertaining to Sarah Cloyce, Martha Cory, Dorothy Good, Rebecca Nurse, Elizabeth Procter, & John Procter     √            
No. 61: Statement of Samuel Parris Concerning Abigail Williams & Mary Walcott v. John Procter, Elizabeth Procter, Sarah Cloyce, Martha Cory, Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Good & Dorothy Good       √          
No. 95: Examination of Deliverance Hobbs in Prison       √          
No. 216: Census of Prisoners and Dates of Prison Transfers     √            
No. 217: Mittimus for Martha Cory, Rebecca Nurse, Dorothy Good, Sarah Cloyce, John Procter, & Elizabeth Procter     √            
No. 244: Testimony of Abigail Williams v. Rebecca Nurse & Sarah Cloyce       √ √        
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. 254: Petition of Israel Porter et al. for Rebecca Nurse       √          
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. 259: Summons for Witnesses v. Rebecca Nurse, and Officer's Return         √        
No. 267: Deposition of Ann Putnam Sr. v. Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Cloyce, Sarah Bishop, & Elizabeth Cary       √          
No. 271: Physical Examinations No. 1 & No. 2 of Bridget Bishop, Rebecca Nurse, Elizabeth Procter, Alice Parker, Susannah Martin, & Sarah Good         √        
No. 285: Indictment No. 1 of Rebecca Nurse, for Afflicting Ann Putnam Jr., with Memorandum by Stephen Sewall Concerning Nurse Trial Papers         √        
No. 286: Indictment No. 2 of Rebecca Nurse, for Afflicting Mary Walcott         √        
No. 287: Indictment No. 3 of Rebecca Nurse, for Afflicting Elizabeth Hubbard         √        
No. 288: Indictment No. 4 of Rebecca Nurse, for Afflicting Abigail Williams         √        
No. 289: Deposition of Johanna Childen v. Rebecca Nurse       √          
No. 290: Deposition of Elizabeth Hubbard v. Rebecca Nurse       √ √        
No. 291: Deposition of Ann Putnam Jr. v. Rebecca Nurse       √ √ √      
No. 292: Deposition of Mary Walcott v. Rebecca Nurse       √ √        
No. 293: Deposition of Clement Coldum Regarding Elizabeth Hubbard, in Support of Rebecca Nurse       √          
No. 294: Statement of Rebecca Preston & Mary Tarbell for Rebecca Nurse       √          
No. 340: Petition of Rebecca Nurse         √        
No. 343: Deposition of Sarah Stephens & Margery Pasque v. Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Cloyce, & Faith Black       √          
No. 357: Deposition of Sarah Bibber v. Rebecca Nurse       √   √      
No. 358: Deposition of Sarah Holton v. Rebecca Nurse       √   √      
No. 359: Deposition of Nathaniel Ingersoll & Hannah Ingersoll v. Rebecca Nurse       √   √      
No. 360: Deposition of Samuel Parris & John Putnam Sr. v. Rebecca Nurse & Martha Carrier       √   √      
No. 361: Deposition of Samuel Parris, Nathaniel Ingersoll, & Thomas Putnam v. Rebecca Nurse       √   √      
No. 362: Deposition of John Putnam Jr. & Hannah Putnam v. Rebecca Nurse, Mary Esty, & Sarah Cloyce       √   √      
No. 363: Deposition of Thomas Putnam & Edward Putnam v. Rebecca Nurse       √   √      
No. 364: Testimony of Joseph Fowler Regarding Sarah Bibber, in Support of Rebecca Nurse       √          
No. 365: Testimony of Thomas Jacobs & Mary Jacobs Regarding Sarah Bibber, in Support of Rebecca Nurse, and Testimony of Richard Walker Regarding Sarah Bibber, in Support of Rebecca Nurse       √          
No. 366: Testimony of Sarah Nurse Regarding Sarah Bibber, in Support of Rebecca Nurse       √          
No. 367: Testimony of John Porter & Lydia Porter Regarding Sarah Bibber, in Support of Rebecca Nurse       √          
No. 368: Testimony of James Kettle Regarding Elizabeth Hubbard, in Support of Rebecca Nurse       √          
No. 369: William Bradford, Rachel Bradford, & William Rayment Jr. Regarding Mercy Lewis, in Support of Rebecca Nurse       √          
No. 370: Testimony of Robert Moulton Sr. Regarding Susannah Shelden, in Support of Rebecca Nurse       √          
No. 371: Deposition of Joseph Hutchinson Regarding Abigail Williams, in Support of Rebecca Nurse       √          
No. 372: Testimony of John Putnam Sr. & Rebecca Putnam for Rebecca Nurse       √          
No. 373: Statement of Nathaniel Putnam Sr. for Rebecca Nurse       √          
No. 382: Deposition of Stephen Bittford v. Rebecca Nurse & Elizabeth Procter       √          
No. 416: Declaration of Thomas Fisk, Juryman           √ √    
No. 417: Appeal of Rebecca Nurse           √ √    
No. 418: Warrant for the Execution of Sarah Good, Rebecca Nurse, Susannah Martin, Elizabeth How, & Sarah Wilds, and Officer's Return             √ √  
No. 420: Docketed Cover Paper Used to Contain the Warrant for the Execution of Sarah Good, Elizabeth How, Susannah Martin, Rebecca Nurse, & Sarah Wilds.           √ √ √  
No. 497: Testimony of William Rayment Jr. for Elizabeth Procter       √          
No. 612: Account for Payment Submitted by John Arnold, Jailkeeper     √            
No. 862: Account for Payment Submitted by Nathaniel Ingersoll, Innkeeper     √            
No. 876: Petition of Francis Faulkner et al. to Clear the Records of Rebecca Nurse, Mary Esty, Abigail Faulkner Sr., Mary Parker, John Procter, Elizabeth Procter, Elizabeth How, Samuel Wardwell, & Sarah Wardwell                 √
No. 882: Petition of Isaac Esty Sr. et al. for Restitution for Mary Esty                 √
No. 921: Petition of Samuel Nurse Jr. for Restitution for Rebecca Nurse                 √
No. 929: Recommendation and Authorization for Compensation Claims and Amounts Allowed                 √
No. 930: Summary of the Amounts Requested by the Victims & Their Relatives                 √
No. 931: An Act to Reverse the Attainders of George Burroughs et al. for Witchcraft           √ √ √ √
No. 933: Request for Copy of Act for Restitution                 √
No. 934: Order for Payment of Damages by Governor Joseph Dudley                 √
No. 954: Order of John Nurse et al. for Payment, Case of Rebecca Nurse                 √
No. 958: Summary of Receipts of the Relations & Sufferers                 √
No. 959: Receipts for Sums Paid in Restitution                 √
No. 964: Order of Benjamin Nurse for Payment, Case of Rebecca Nurse                 √
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

Home Page | Manuscript Archives | Rare Books | Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt | Salem Witchcraft Papers | Woodward | Godbeer | Levin | Search