How many witches actually died in Salem?
According to The Boston Globe, 25 people were killed during the witch trials in Salem. "All 19 who were executed through a hanging died at Proctor's Ledge. Five others died in jail, and one was crushed to death," the paper reports.
In the end, 25 people died as a direct result of the Salem Witch Trials. Let's break down that number: Nineteen victims were hanged. Most of the people found guilty of witchcraft were sent to Gallows Hill to meet their fate.
About 30,000–60,000 people were executed in the whole of the main era of witchcraft persecutions, from the 1427–36 witch-hunts in Savoy (in the western Alps) to the execution of Anna Goldi in the Swiss canton of Glarus in 1782. These figures include estimates for cases where no records exist.
Hanged were Martha Corey (her husband Giles Corey was pressed to death three days earlier), Mary Easty, Alice Parker, Mary Parker, Ann Pudeator, Wilmot Redd, Margaret Scott, and Samuel Wardwell.
Janet Horne (died 1727) was the last person to be executed legally for witchcraft in the British Isles. The Witch's Stone in Littletown, Dornoch.
| Dorothy Good | |
|---|---|
| Born | ca. 1687/1688 |
| Died | after 1721 |
| Other names | Dorcas Good |
| Known for | Youngest accused of witchcraft in the Salem witch trials |
Salem Witch Trials Last Executions: Sept. 22, 1692 | Time.
On September 22, Martha Cory went to the gallows along with seven other convicted witches, in what would be the last hangings of the Salem Witch Trials.
Several accused witches did escape from jail and survive the 1692 hysteria. They included Philip and Mary English, John Alden, Hezekiah Usher, and Mrs. Nathaniel Cary. However, all these accused persons had either money or influence that made their escape possible.
- No One Was Burned at the Stake.
- Most Accusers Were Girls Under Age 20.
- Courts Allowed Spectral Evidence.
- Witch Tests Were Impossible to Pass.
- The Prison Basement Was Known as Witch Jail.
References
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Good
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Horne
- https://famous-trials.com/salem/2060-flee
- https://actiontourguide.com/2021/10/27/how-many-people-died-as-a-result-of-the-salem-witch-trials/
- https://www.history.com/news/notable-women-executed-salem-witch-trials
- https://salemwitchmuseum.com/locations/path-from-jail-to-execution/
- https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/19/538163000/salem-memorializes-those-killed-during-witch-trials
- https://reference.yourdictionary.com/facts/salem-witch-trials-real-facts-that-will-haunt-you
- https://time.com/3398176/salem-witch-trials/
- https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/eight-witchcraft-myths/