according to court records: [Judge:] It is said you were afflicted, how came that about? Sarah Good and Sarah Osburn are two women with bad reputations in Salem. Her story is so tragic and you have done such a marvelous job in your research about the family connections of those who testified against her, as well as all of the various court dates even previous to the witch trials. book she would give her some clothes and would stop When I woke up I couldnt shake the dream. She was accused by her neighbors because she challenged Puritan values, and she was accused of possessing two women; the afflictions were often sporadic and inexplicable. [4], On March 25, 1692 [O.S. Log in here. At the time of her trial, Good was described as "a forlorn, friendless, and forsaken creature, broken down by wretchedness of condition and ill-repute." restitution on their behalf since traveling to Boston would be very Yet Solart committed suicide in 1672, leaving his estate to his widow Elizabeth and their nine children. XIII, 1908, pp: 23- 38.Topsfield and the Witchcraft Tragedy. Topsfield Historical Society, 1992, archive.org/stream/topsfieldwitchcr00unse/topsfieldwitchcr00unse_djvu.txtSWP No. Basically, Good was throwing Osbourne under the bus by trying to [Judge:] What neither the birds, nor persons? Sarah Good lies because she fears being convicted of witchcraft and because she feels that there is no other way to save her life. afflicted and heard often them say that one Goody Wildes of Topsfield nearby rocky crevice but it is not known what happened On December 17, 1711, the Massachusetts 136.2). During most of the first week in March, while on trial before the local magistrates, Sarah Good was taken to Ipswich jail every night and returned in the morning, a distance of about ten miles each way. bankrupt him. their cart with hay their oxen suddenly refused to move. I was working on my ancestry a few years back and found that Im related somehow to Sarahs Good. All five were found guilty of witchcraft and were sentenced to death. the examination came to an end and the judges then ordered Wildes to Although initially refusing, Tituba said, she eventually wrote her name, after Good and Osborne forced her to. John Willard. Once I got to the fair I was suddenly captured in front of this huge house with all this land. there is no record of her case going to trial. Wildes was indicted on one charge of witchcraft against Mercy Lewis Mary Beth Nortons very useful, too History of Winter Island in Salem, Massachusetts. signed a letter, along with 33 other victims and relatives, asking View all posts by Rebecca Beatrice Brooks. Sarah Good was accused at the same time as Sarah Osbourne and The author Chollet writes that the book won't spend much time on witchcraft today, but explore the afterlife of the witch-hunts in Europe and the US that amped up prejudices about women, repressing certain behaviors and . Although Good never confessed, she did accuse Sarah Osborne of afflicting the girls after witnessing the accusers fall down in fits in the courtroom. In Fear Street, the town of Shadyside is cursed by the witch Sarah Fier. Because they were old and Sarah Good was Pregnant and Sarah Dorothys confession implicated Good for black magic, though some believe that Dorothy only confessed so that she could be reunited with her mother. Hello Cousins! March 15, 1691],[Note 1] Good was tried for witchcraft. Her curse seems to have come true. Memorial plaque located on Masonic Temple. Hungry, cold and missing her mother, Dorothy broke down and told the inquisitors what they wanted to hear, that her mother was a witch, consorted with the devil, and also that her mother had given her a snake that bit her. [Good]: I imploy nobody. A disadvantaged down-and-out, Good was clear-cut for a witchcraft conviction. Dorothy Good (historically referred to as Dorcas Good; ca. Although both Good and Sarah Osborne denied the allegations against them, Tituba admitted to being the "Devil's servant". Salem Witchcraft Memorial By September, eighteen accused had been hung and Giles Corey was pressed to death from stones piled on his body for refusing to answer the charges. The Court of Oyer and Terminer met on June 30th, and Sarah Good, Rebecca Nurse, and Elizabeth How of Ipswich were put on trial. "Why does Sarah Good lie about practicing witchcraft in The Crucible?" I am a direct descendant of William (my 9th great grandpa) Sarahs older brother. stated that during the argument Wildes gave her a look that caused Sarahs execution was set and she was hung on July 19th 1692 age 39. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. from natural causes years later, Marys friends continued to speak In The Crucible, explain what Elizabeth means when she says, "He have his goodness now, God forbid I take it from him.". Her dependency on neighbors and others perpetuated suspicions of Good, and that other dependent women like her were practicing witchcraft. Symonds family, prompting him to never return to the Symonds house She was a healer, using herbs and different concoctions including. She was charged with using these acts of witchcraft against three people: Sarah Bibber, Elizabeth Hubbard and Ann Putnam, Jr. On March 24, Goods four-year-old daughter, Dorothy (who is sometimes referred to as Dorcas in the court records), was also arrested on charges of witchcraft after she was accused by Edward Putnam and John Putnam on behalf of the afflicted girls. And their pastor thought god was punishing you for your sins if you got ill. The marshal served that on Sarah Wildes, and young Wildes arrested Hobbs and his wife. Active Themes Proctor says that Sarah Good is just a "jabberer." Visit this site's About page to find out more about Rebecca. The afflicted girls soon accused three women: the Parris' "Indian" slave, Tituba; a local beggar woman, Sarah Good; and an invalid widow, Sarah Osbourne. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. That alone is courageous. "You're a liar! Ann. Sarah Towne Cloyce's father was William Towne and her mother Joanna (Jone or Joan) Blessing Towne (~1595 - June 22, 1675), accused once of witchcraft herself. we believe that Sarah Wildes the prisoner at the bar has several testimony against Wildes came from a man named Thomas Dorman who She confessed that she has done witchcraft to save her life. Historians generally agree that this accusation by Good was one of the first and strongest legitimizations of the witchcraft trials. Massachusetts Legislature cleared Goods name in 1711. them, but I would not; & they would have had me signed, but I She was accused of rejecting the puritanical expectations of self-control and discipline when she chose to torment and "scorn [children] instead of leading them towards the path of salvation". Sarah suddenly jumped to the other corner of the house and then would not (SWP No. [2], Good was accused of witchcraft on March 6, 1692 [O.S. Even after Sarah Wildes was executed, other people continued to accuse her of witchcraft, such as Mary Gadge who, while testifying against Dorcas Hoar on September 6, 1692, mentioned that two years ago a young man named David Balch became ill and told her he was being tormented by witches, who he identified as Sarah Wildes and Dorcas Hoar as well as others he couldn't identify. During her examination, Sarah Good was blamed for black magic by Tituba a fellow witch. Tituba claimed that Sarah Good and Sarah Osburne had laid upon her, telling her that if she would not hurt the children, they would hurt her. Taylor Trade Publishing, 2002. The community viewed her as a distracted and melancholic woman whose erratic behavior caused most people to believe the accusations of witchcraft against her. The history of the witch trials makes for fascinating reading, and in order that you can understand her role I will explain a little about the background to the trials before moving on to . Sarah Good, who was arrested along with Tituba, was a beggar who was looked down on by the town for her financial instability and her debts. When ignored, Good would curse those who had neglected her an act that would be used against her in Salems Witch Trials. To Salem Village, Sarah Good fit the part.. mothers behalf stating both times that he believed the accusations March 15, 1691], Good was tried for witchcraft. [Good]: But you brought in two more. Unlike the other two women accused with her, Tituba and Sarah Good, Osborne never confessed to witchcraft nor attempted to accuse anyone else. that Stephen Sewall acquire a copy of the 1711 act and collect their Native Americans The West About Sarah Osborne Facts And Overview Sarah Osborne was one of the first people to be accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts Bay. She kept it hidden until she married on her 19th birthday and the adopted parents died the same day in an accident when they travelled to Boston after the wedding. ran down the steep hill dragging one of them with it and overturning Why the American colonies had only one large witch-hunt, occurring in Massachusetts in 1692, was most likely the result of extreme stress in the New England colonies. Before Sarah was accused she was married to Robert Prince who bought a 150 acre farm next to John Putnam's. Twenty-five years later, in 1717, Reverend Noyes suffered an internal hemorrhage and died choking on his own blood. Hi Caitlyn My name is KarenIt makes me so sad as well about little Dorothy. young Ephraim after them to demand the scythe back, which they When the girls began to have another fit, Tituba claimed she could see a yellow bird in Good's right hand. she saw Wildes at the meetinghouse and experienced a sudden pain in I am a descendent of SARAH WILDES she is my 9th great aunt, via her brother William Averill. Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege, It has been supposed that the ill feeling was caused by the hasty second marriage, but that does not seem likely, for in those days eight months was a long time for a widower to remain single. Life appears to be imitating art for Sarah Lancashire. February 25, 1691],[Note 1] when Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Parris, related to the Reverend Samuel Parris, claimed to be bewitched under her hand. A witch is classified as a person who made a pact with the Devil and can now use some of the Devil's power. answer the question why was sarah good accused of witchcraft, which will help you get the most accurate answer. 136.15). testified that they didnt know Sarah Wildes but that she had been The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. 173: Reversal of Attainder and Restitution (1710 1750). Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project, salem.lib.virginia.edu/n173.htmlSWP No. man, Humphrey Clark, testified that the previous year he had been Readers learn that Sarah Good has confessed to practicing witchcraft and being in league with the Devil when Mary Warren returns home from the courts on the first day of the trials, and she is questioned by her employers, John and Elizabeth Proctor, about the proceedings. 1 My wife Sarah Good was In prison about four months & then Executed. William received thirty pounds in compensation one of the largest granted to victims of Salems Witch Trials. November of 1663, Sarah married a local Topsfield judge named John Sarah is my 9th great aunt and I come through William, as well thru his son Ichabod, his son Thomas, his son Fordis, his dgt. The Salem Witch Trials would become one of the most tragic events in Colonial America. William, Job Sr, Job, Benjamin, Samuel, Nathaniel, Samuel, Nettie who is my Great-Grandmother, She married a Matthews so from there the line goes to Gertrude who married a Lee and then my father David. From the testimony of her keepers and the officers who escorted her to and from jail, we learn that she exhibited considerable animation. Sarah had long been a melancholy and somewhat confrontational woman, and was accused of witchcraft on February 25, 1692 by the girls Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Parris. Paris' servant Tituba were arrested. Poole died sometime after 1682, leaving Sarah only debts, which some sources credit her with creating for Poole. By 1962, Sarah and William were destitute. You have much healing power within yourself. Her husband told the examiners that she was "an enemy to all good". On the up side we found an article that Johns wife, Elizabeth, tried to defend one of the witches, but she was executed. William cited that the trials had lead to the destruction of [his] poor family, and that Dorothy, a child of 4 or 5 years old was in prison 7 or 8 months and being chain'd in the dungeon was so hardly used and terrified that she hath ever since been very chargeable having little or no reason to govern herself.. This is the court record from Sarah's hearing on March 1, 1692. By the time of the trials, Sarah and her husband were homeless, destitute and she was reduced to begging for work, food, and shelter from her neighbors. Sarahs first husband died sometime after 1682 leaving her in debt. 173.40 ). Her brother William (1625-1691) is my 8x great grandfather. She failed to yield to judicial pressure to confess, and showed no remorse at her execution. Abigail is a mean and vindictive person who always wants her way, no matter who she hurts. Accessed 18 Jan. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Four- year-old Dorcas Good (Sarah's only child) was arrested on March 23, gave a confession, and in so doing implicated her mother as a witch. She leaped off her horse three times, railed at the magistrates, and endeavored to kill herself.. For anyone interested there is a two volume book on the Averills. But whatever the cause the effect was the same and cost Sarah Wilds her life (Topsfield Historical Society 30). Arthur Miller drew on . Priscilla Gould, had developed a hatred of Sarah Wildes, according to beginning of April by pinching and pricking her and that she After all the testimony was heard during the week-long trial, the [5] When she was brought in, the accusers immediately began to rock back and forth and moan, seemingly in response to Good's presence. This story is so sad, even more than three hundred years later. I need to look into more. Good, one of seven daughters, received nothing. describing her as a good Christian: As for my mother I never saw any harm by her upon any such account neither in word nor action as she is now accused for she hath always instructed me well in the christian religion and the ways of God ever since I was able to take instructions: and so I leave it all to this honored court to consider of it.. What is the average 40 yard dash time for a 11 year old boy? I thank God they were exonerated. John In The Crucible, what does Sarah Good do to save herself from hanging. Remember peoplefamily members-school mates- may have told you bad things about yourself that you as a child believedITS A LIEYou are very special and there is NO ONE ON THIS EARTH LIKE YOU you are one of a kind:-}. animals deaths, even though he didnt know how Putnam even became Good maintained her innocence, though one of the afflicted girls alleged that she had been stabbed by Goods specter while Good remained on stand. Sarah Good is an excellent example of a "socially undesirable" member of the community which made her prone to being accused of witchcraft and evil doings. choking her as well as Mercy Lewis, Abigail Williams and Ann Putnam Sarah then married William Good, but creditors seized their Salem home, and by 1692, Sarah Good and her husband were homeless beggars. Ronald Pope made a comment saying that sentence in the Bible is responsible for so much suffering and even today did I miss something? be taken back to the jail, the afflicted girls all cried out that only people who seemed to come to Wildes defense was her husband, Site of the Salem Witch Trials ExecutionsAddress: Proctors Ledge, wooded area between Proctor Street and Pope Street, Salem, MassFormer Site of the Salem CourthouseAddress: Washington Street (about 100 feet south of Lynde Street), opposite the Masonic Temple, Salem, Mass. As a result, Good was a prime target for the accusation of witchcraft in the small Puritan-run community where nonconformity was frowned upon. also testified that she was afflicted again the following day when Wikimedia Commons Tituba was one of the first people accused of witchcraft, and allegedly helped spur . pinching, pricking and choking her. Gould had died in April, and the couple went on to have one child Why were Sarah good and Sarah osbourne accused of witchcraft. Others would claim that Sarah would cause objects to disappear or would bewitch their families. March 15, 1691], Good was tried for witchcraft. tounged. On July 19, 1692, Sarah Wildes was brought to Proctors Ledge in Salem and hanged, along with Rebecca Nurse, Elizabeth Howe, Susannah Martin and Sarah Good. She also said that Good had ordered her cat to attack Elizabeth Hubbard, causing the scratches and bite marks on the girl's body. . Sarah Good had a horrible reputation that lead to, in my opinion, a wrongful accusation of witchcraft. She was On March 1, 1692, Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and the Rev. Sarah Good, in response, blamed Sarah Osborne yet maintained her own innocence. Why was Sarah Good accused of witchcraft? Mary Reddington had spread about his mother amongst the (1) Sarah and William then had two daughters, Dorcus (sometimes referred to as Dorothy) Good and Mercy Good. that except for the testimony from the afflicted girls, most of the On June 26, 1693, John Wildes married Mary Jacobs, the widow of George Jacobs, Sr, who had also been executed during the Salem Witch Trials (Roach 408). When the judges asked Wildes to respond to this charge she replied I am not guilty Sir (SWP No. Over fifteen people gave statements claiming that Sarah Good bewitched their cattle and other livestock. Enjoy eNotes ad-free and cancel anytime. Good's daughter, Dorcas, then only five, soon joined her mother in jail because the afflicted girls accused the young girl of biting them. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co. (2 volumes), v. 2 pp. AGREED, Ali Browning!!! At least seven people testified as to her angry muttering and general turbulence after the refusal of charity. (Indictment v. Sarah good, No. All the need-to-know deets on Sarah Good from The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Latest answer posted November 22, 2020 at 10:36:50 AM. On in journalism. Sarah Averill Wildes was a woman from Topsfield who was accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. Already a member? A portion of their land was seized and sold to satisfy their creditors, and shortly thereafter they sold the rest of their land, apparently out of dire necessity. Abigail Hynton Averill in Chipping Norton, England. me (SWP No. Marilynne Legend often shows Sarah Good as a despondent, distressed woman with little determination or drive. When questioned by Reverend Parris and Mr. Putnam about speaking with the Devil, Tituba realizes that the best way to deflect suspicion from her own activities is by accusing others of witchcraft. [Hathorne]: We brought you into the meeting house. Sarah Abbey testified that Sarah Good had been spiteful and malicious. Abbey thought that Good was to blame for the inexplicable illnesses of her cattle. Ann 26, 1692, after the first witch cake was made, Abigail Williams accused Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osbourne of holding supernatural powers . On the 300th anniversary of the Salem Witch Trials in 1992, the Salem Witch Trials Memorial was built in Salem, Mass and a marker was established for Sarah Wildes. The continued pressure upon the afflicted children, the earnest and importunate inquiry, on all sides, Who is it that bewitches you? opened their lips in response, and they began to select and bring forward their victims. It is observable, that the complainants who procured the warrants in these cases were Joseph Hutchinson, Edward Putnam, Thomas Putnam, and Thomas Preston. [Judge:] What is that? Sarah Gadge also testified that after she refused to let Sarah Good into her home one day, Good muttered something under her breath and the following day one of her own cows died mysteriously as well. My line goes: legislature awarded Ephraim Wildes 14 pounds in restitution. to them after that. Topsfield in the Witchcraft Delusion. The Historical Collections of the Topsfield Historical Society, vol. Such a sad time on out history. Sarah Wilds. The church took her in and raised her as their own after they hung Sarah and the others. Particularly damaging to her case, was her accusation by her daughter. of this testimony consisted of stories from over a decade before when I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! On March 25, 1692 [O.S. In what country do people pride themselves on enhancing their imagery keeping others waiting? You bring others here and now you charge me with it. There were 5 family members and 2 hangings. STEP EIGHT: Go to the following link and choose three spots on the map to research. How interesting and sad. Sarah is a mentally unstable homeless lady whom Abigail accuses of witchcraft. addition, Wildes was also accused of hurting John Herricks bodies were cut down after the executions and temporarily placed in a Goods reputation as a socially bereft beggar has remained at the forefront of her legacy. Former Site of Wildes Family Home Address: Triangular area between Perkins Row and Meetinghouse Lane, Topsfield, Mass Salem Witch Trials MemorialAddress: Liberty Street, Salem MassProctors Ledge MemorialAddress: 7 Pope St, Salem, Mass. Its no surprise that Good then married former indentured servant Daniel Poole, though Poole furthered Goods poverty. witchcraft (SWP No. Hysteria feeds itself and grows: now people have confessed to non-existent witchcraft! Even after Sarah Wildes was executed, Caitlyn, never feel you are alone. meeting and told her at the meeting that if she signed the Devils The question, of course, in all minds and on all tongues, was, Who are the agents of the Devil in afflicting these girls? Edward Bishop, were also arrested that day as was Johns other 8 Dec. 2012. Even Goods four-year-old daughter had been held in Salem Jail! disappeared. Jr. "Examination I am a descendant of Sarah Wildes via her brother William and in a twist of fait I am married to a descendant of her accuser Thomas Putnam. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This document is the examination of Sarah Good done in 1692 by assistants John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin. Wiggin & Lunt, 1876.Nevins, Winfield S. Stories of Salem Witchcraft. The New England Magazine, Volume 5, Sept 1891- Feb 1892, pp 717Hill, Francis. On July 29 [O.S. Lore maintains that when the Reverend Nicholas Noye asked Good to confess to witchcraft, Good screamed. I am no more a witch than you are a wizard, and if you take away my life God will give you blood to drink!. Although not just mental health problems were the reason people were condemned as witches. Why do you thus torment these poor children? Sarah Gadge, too, claimed that Good had killed one of Gadges cows. Sarah Wildes. neighbors pig would die and they did. We didnt know this until last year, we got the information on my husbands family on July 19th very strange indeed! and Sergeant Edmond Townes helped her up. In 1649, Sarah was brought before the Ipswich did torture them and went on to describe how every time Sarah She became a pivotal figure in the witch trials when she confessed to witchcraft while also making claims that both Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne participated in said witchcraft. However, upon hearing this statement, a young townsman stood and told the court the piece had broken off his own knife the day before, and that the girl had witnessed it. Join us for a spooky and fun Ghost Tour of Salem's most haunted locations - including locations from the Witch Trials! She fit the prevailing stereotype of the malefic witch quite well. afflicting her. I too am a descendant of Sarah Averill Wildes.she is my 8th great Grandmother. Why do you not tell us the truth? She was my x9 great grandmother. A number of people testified against Wildes during the trial, including Reverend John Hale, Ann Putnam Jr, Mary Walcott, Nathaniel Ingersoll, Elizabeth Symonds, John Gould, Zacheus Perkins, Humphrey Clark, Thomas Dorman, John Andrews and Joseph Andrews. [Hathorne]: Why who was it? because they found the ropes wouldnt tighten, they began to suspect pains ever since. an article, titled Topsfield in the Witchcraft Delusion, by Abbie All the way back in 1666, she was accused of witchcraft and executed for her sins. n and Evidence of Some the Accused Witches in Salem who were clearly innocent, but they were still sentenced to death late in 1692. Good was executed on July 19. they saw her spirit on the beam and then fell into convulsions. I think these people were falsely accused & if I ever visit Salem, MA I will be sure to put flowers on their graves & ask God to forgive our family. She tells them what they expect to her, they believe the confession to be authentic, and she maintains her life. many felt he was bewitched which made Hale now suspect it was by Sarah Osborne (c. 1643 - 10 May 1692), variously spelled Osbourne, Osburne, or Osborn, was one of the first three women to be accused of witchcraft in the Salem witch trials of 1692. Good was officially accused of the witchcraft in February of 1692 after two girls, Abigail Williams and Betty Parris, began behaving strangely and having fits. Sarah Wildes and Dorcas Hoar as well as others he couldnt identify. Dorothy likewise alleged that her mother had gifted her a snake, or a witches familiar. Dorothy then showed the magistrates where the snake had sucked her blood, though some suspect that the wound was little more than a flea bite. Memorial plaque located on Masonic Temple. 136.6). Because they were old and Sarah Good was Pregnant and Sarah osbourne couldn't say her Ten Comandments Not much luck. During the salem witch trials, more people were accused of witchcraft in Andover than in any other town in Essex County. Accusers at the trials, especially in the trial of Sarah Good, often cited jealousy and envy as explanations for witches' discontent and anger. Andover is a town in Essex County, MA, and is now a prosperous town of 36,500 people. There were six other names in the book as well but were not visible to her. Good was the wife of William Good and, at the time of the Salem witch hysteria, was a poor, pregnant beggar who would often wander door to door in Salem Village asking for handouts while her husband worked as a day laborer.