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: Martha Carrier, of AndoverReturn
No. 221: Complaint of Joseph Houlton & John Walcott v. Martha Carrier, Elizabeth Fosdick, Wilmot Redd, Sarah Rice, Elizabeth How, John Alden, William Procter, John Flood, Mary Toothaker, Margaret Toothaker, & Arthur Abbot. √                
No. 222: List of Accused and Accusers       √          
No. 223: Warrant for the Apprehension of Martha Carrier, and Officer's Return √                
No. 235: Examination of Martha Carrier   √              
No. 236: Deposition of Elizabeth Hubbard v. Martha Carrier       √          
No. 237: Deposition of Mary Walcott v. Martha Carrier       √          
No. 328: Summons for Witnesses v. John Willard & Martha Carrier, and Officer's Return, Copy         √        
No. 360: Deposition of Samuel Parris & John Putnam Sr. v. Rebecca Nurse & Martha Carrier       √          
No. 397: Indictment No. 1 of Martha Carrier, for Afflicting Mary Walcott         √        
No. 398: Indictment No. 2 of Martha Carrier, for Afflicting Elizabeth Hubbard         √        
No. 443: Summons for Witnesses v. Martha Carrier, and Officer's Return         √        
No. 444: Summons for Witnesses v. Martha Carrier, and Officer's Return       √          
No. 448: Deposition of John Rogers v. Martha Carrier       √          
No. 463: Testimony of Benjamin Abbott and Deposition of Sarah Abbott v. Martha Carrier       √          
No. 464: Deposition of Phoebe Chandler and Testimony of Bridget Chandler v. Martha Carrier       √          
No. 465: Testimony of Andrew Foster v. Martha Carrier       √          
No. 466: Statement of Samuel Preston v. Martha Carrier       √          
No. 467: Deposition of Thomas Putnam & John Putnam Jr. v. Martha Carrier       √          
No. 468: Deposition of Allen Toothaker v. Martha Carrier       √          
No. 745: Statement of Francis Dane Sr., Regarding Some of the Andover Accused       √          
No. 897: Petition of Thomas Carrier Sr. for Restitution for Martha Carrier     √     √ √ √ √
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. 936: Order of Thomas Carrier for Payment                 √
No. 959: Receipts for Sums Paid in Restitution           √ √ √ √
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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