An interview with Professor Emerson W. Baker, part 1
A student interview with Professor Emerson W. Baker on the triumph and tragedy of the 1692 Salem witch trials.
Category: History
Outcast: Eunice Cole of Hampton
Goody Eunice Cole of Hampton, New Hampshire, spent years in prison on suspicion of witchcraft and familiarity with the devil.
Salem Ancestry Days Planned for May 1-4, 2020
PRESS RELEASE Celebrate genealogy and ancestral connections to Salem, Massachusetts, during a weekend of lectures, tours, and research November 8, 2019, Salem, MA. Residents and visitors are invited to celebrate their ancestral and immigrant connections to Salem, Massachusetts, during the …
Wicked Salem: Exploring Lingering Lore and Legends
Wicked Salem by Sam Baltrusis covers 300-plus years of history and people in three categories: the Witches, the Murderers, and the Cursed. The book includes stories about Bridget Bishop, George Jacobs Sr., and Mary Estey; self-confessed Boston Strangler Albert DeSalvo, …
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Who was accused witch John Howard?
Though visibly part of his Rowley community, John Howard remains somewhat anonymous in Salem witch trial research. On August 25, 1692, Ephraim Foster of Andover and Joseph Tyler of Boxford submitted a complaint to John Higginson, justice of the peace, …
Tituba, Indian Servant of Mr. Samuel Parris
From the 1692 Salem witch-hunt records, we know Tituba was “the Indian servant of Mr. Samuel Parris,” the minister of Salem Village. But we know very little about her life and her background. When was she born and where did …
Unwavering faith: The testament of John Proctor
As the first man accused of witchcraft at the 1692 Salem trials, John Proctor’s position was unique. Born in England in 1631, his family had lived in the Bay Colony since 1635. Proctor was a well-known yeoman farmer, with property …
Giles and Martha Corey at Crystal Lake
Once part of acreage owned by Giles and Martha Corey of Salem Farms (now Peabody), Crystal Lake filled with sediment over time. Neglected and overgrown, the property was revitalized through a multi-year project completed in November 2018. The city of …
Capitalizing on seasonal interest in the Salem witch trials
Every October it’s inevitable that new publications on the Salem witch trials are published. It’s odd because the witches of our Halloween imaginations have nothing to do with the innocent people hanged in 1692. This time one of the new …
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Misconceptions about the 1692 Salem witch hunt
If your ancestors lived in Massachusetts Bay Colony during the 17th century, at some point they were affected by the Salem witch trials of 1692. Perhaps they were one of the accused witches, one of the participants (afflicted “girls,” accusers, …