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: John Willard, of Salem VillageReturn
No. 132: Warrant No. 1 for the Apprehension of John Willard, and Officer's Return √                
No. 156: Warrant No. 2 for the Apprehension of John Willard, and Officer's Return √                
No. 162: Return of the Coroner's Jury on the Inquest into the Death of Daniel Wilkins                  
No. 163: Testimony of Susannah Shelden v. Elizabeth Colson, Mrs. White, John Willard, Philip English, Mary English, George Jacobs Jr., Rebecca Jacobs, Elizabeth Procter, Sarah Buckley, Mary Whittredge, & Elizabeth Hart.       √          
No. 165: Statement of George Herrick & Benjamin Wilkins v. John Willard & Sarah Buckley       √          
No. 173: Examination of John Willard   √              
No. 174: Examination of John Willard, Second Version   √              
No. 175: Deposition of Elizabeth Hubbard v. John Willard       √          
No. 176: Deposition of Samuel Parris, Nathaniel Ingersoll & Thomas Putnam v. John Willard       √          
No. 177: Deposition of Thomas Putnam & Edward Putnam v. John Willard       √          
No. 178: Testimony of Susannah Shelden v. John Willard       √          
No. 179: Statement of Susannah Shelden v. Elizabeth Colson & John Willard       √          
No. 180: Deposition of Mary Walcott v. John Willard       √ √ √      
No. 181: Testimony of Benjamin Wilkins & Thomas Flint v. John Willard & Sarah Buckley       √          
No. 182: Testimony of Benjamin Wilkins & John Putnam Jr. v. John Willard & Sarah Buckley       √          
No. 183: Testimony of Abigail Williams v. John Willard       √          
No. 184: Deposition of Mercy Lewis v. John Willard       √          
No. 185: Deposition of Ann Putnam Jr. v. John Willard       √ √ √      
No. 197: Deposition of Elizabeth Hubbard v. Mary Esty, John Willard, & Mary Whittredge       √          
No. 204: Deposition of Samuel Abbey and Testimony of Sarah Trask v. Mary Esty, John Willard, & Mary Whittredge       √          
No. 206: Deposition of Abigail Williams & Ann Putnam Jr. v. Mary Esty, John Willard & Mary Whittredge and Testimony of Ann Putnam Jr. v. Mary Esty       √          
No. 216: Census of Prisoners and Dates of Prison Transfers     √            
No. 238: Statement of Susannah Shelden v. Giles Cory, Elizabeth Procter, Sarah Buckley, & John Willard       √          
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. 260: Summons for Witnesses v. John Willard, and Officer's Return         √        
No. 269: Testimony of Ann Putnam Sr. v. John Willard, William Hobbs, & Martha Cory       √          
No. 270: Deposition of Henry Wilkins Sr. v. John Willard       √          
No. 272: Physical Examinations of the Bodies of John Procter & John Willard         √        
No. 295: List of Witnesses v. John Willard       √          
No. 296: Indictment No. 1 of John Willard, for Afflicting Mercy Lewis         √        
No. 297: Indictment No. 2 of John Willard, for Afflicting Ann Putnam Jr.         √        
No. 298: Indictment No. 3 of John Willard, for Afflicting Susannah Shelden (Returned Ignoramus)         √        
No. 299: Indictment No. 4 of John Willard, for Afflicting Abigail Williams         √        
No. 300: Indictment No. 7 of John Willard, for Afflicting Elizabeth Hubbard         √        
No. 301: Testimony of Sarah Bibber v. John Willard       √          
No. 302: Deposition of Benjamin Wilkins, John Wilkins, & Nathaniel Richardson v. John Willard       √          
No. 328: Summons for Witnesses v. John Willard & Martha Carrier, and Officer's Return, Copy         √        
No. 472: Deposition of Elizabeth Booth & Testimony of Susannah Shelden v. John Willard       √          
No. 484: Deposition of Elizabeth Bailey v. John Willard       √          
No. 485: Deposition of Thomas Bailey v. John Willard       √          
No. 486: Deposition of Philip Knight & Thomas Nichols v. John Willard       √          
No. 487: Deposition of Lydia Nichols & Margaret Knight v. John Willard       √          
No. 488: Deposition of Bray Wilkins v. John Willard       √          
No. 489: Testimony of Rebecca Wilkins v. John Willard       √          
No. 490: Deposition of Samuel Wilkins v. John Willard       √          
No. 612: Account for Payment Submitted by John Arnold, Jailkeeper     √            
No. 862: Account for Payment Submitted by Nathaniel Ingersoll, Innkeeper   √ √            
No. 927: Petition of Margaret Towne for Restitution for John Willard                 √
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. 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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