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: Elizabeth How, of IpswichReturn
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. 225: Warrant for the Apprehension of Elizabeth How, and Officer's Return                
No. 241: Examination of Elizabeth How                
No. 242: Deposition of Sarah Bibber v. Elizabeth How            
No. 243: Deposition of Joseph Safford v. Elizabeth How & Bridget Bishop            
No. 256: Deposition of Samuel Perley & Ruth Perley v. Elizabeth How, and List of Witnesses v. Elizabeth How              
No. 257: Deposition of Timothy Perley & Deborah Perley v. Elizabeth How              
No. 266: Deposition of Sarah Andrews v. Elizabeth How                
No. 284: Testimony of Samuel Phillips & Edward Payson for Elizabeth How                
No. 316: Deposition of Deborah Hadley for Elizabeth How                
No. 317: Testimony of Simon Chapman & Mary Chapman for Elizabeth How                
No. 318: Statement of Daniel Warner, John Warner, & Sarah Warner for Elizabeth How                
No. 321: Deposition of Isaac Cummings Sr. v. Elizabeth How              
No. 322: Three Depositions of Mary Cummings v. Elizabeth How                  
No. 325: Statement of Joseph Knowlton & Mary Knowlton for Elizabeth How                
No. 327: Testimony of Isaac Cummings Jr. v. Elizabeth How                
No. 341: Statement of James How Sr. for Elizabeth How                
No. 346: List of Witnesses v. Elizabeth How                
No. 347: Indictment No. 1 of Elizabeth How, for Afflicting Mary Walcott                
No. 348: Indictment No. 2 of Elizabeth How, for Afflicting Mercy Lewis                
No. 376: Testimony of Nehemiah Abbot Sr. v. Elizabeth How            
No. 377: Deposition of Jacob Foster v. Elizabeth How              
No. 378: Testimony of John How v. Elizabeth How              
No. 379: Testimony of Francis Lane v. Elizabeth How                
No. 394: Testimony of Martha Wood v. Elizabeth How                
No. 396: Deposition of Thomas Andrews v. Elizabeth How                
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. 520: Examination of John Jackson Jr.                
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. 885: Petition of Mary How & Abigail How for Restitution for Elizabeth How              
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. 934: Order for Payment of Damages by Governor Joseph Dudley                
No. 948: Order of Mary How & Abigail How for Payment, Case of Elizabeth How                
No. 958: Summary of Receipts of the Relations & Sufferers                
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

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