Politicians Order a Day of Thanksgiving in the Middle of the Witch-Hunt: June 17, 1692

The Bewitched Mare: June 27, 1692

Blue Fire in the Barn: Ministers, Spectral Afflictions, and the Elizabeth How Depositions (June 27, 1692)Blue flame erupts in a Boxford barn as a desperate “countermagic” remedy is tried on a ruined mare—one of the strangest depositions tied to accusations against Elizabeth How. We follow June 27, 1692 from Harvard College’s library, where Boston-area ministers revisit whether Satan can impersonate the innocent, to Salem Village, where spectral torment is reported against Rebecca Nurse and Elizabeth Procter. Our timeline tracks the tangled identity of two Elizabeth Booths, the escalating neighborhood dispute behind Mary Cummings’s statements, and the court machinery moving fast as Stephen Sewall issues witness summonses for Sarah Good and Susannah Martin ahead of the June 28 Court of Oyer and Terminer session. A rare counterpoint appears with Joseph and Mary Knowlton’s supportive testimony for Elizabeth How. Chapters: Harvard ministers debate spectral evidence (00:00); Nurse and Procter apparitions (01:05); Two Elizabeth Booths explained (02:10); Isaac Cummings’s mare and blue-burning tobacco countermagic (03:05); Mary Cummings depositions and neighborhood tension (06:10); Sewall’s summonses for June 28 trials (08:15); Knowltons testify for Elizabeth How (10:05).00:00 Ministers Meet at Harvard00:34 Afflictions in Salem Village01:12 Which Elizabeth Booth01:55 Cummings Depose Against How02:49 Countermagic and the Mare04:37 Mary Cummings Three Depositions06:41 Summonses for Upcoming Trials08:14 Testimony Supporting Elizabeth How

Susannah Shelden's Hands Tied by a Spectral Witch: June 26, 1692

Welcome to Salem Witch Trials Daily for Sunday, June 26, 1692. I'm Josh Hutchinson.This is Sarah Jack. According to Susannah Sheldon's June 28th deposition, today, June 26, 1692, Sarah Good's specter, quote, "most violently pulled down Susannah's head behind a chest and tied her hands together with a wheel band and almost choked her to death." Susannah reports in the deposition that William Batten and Thomas Buffington Jr. had to cut the wheel band off of her hands because they could not untie it. A wheel band is a cord used with a spinning wheel that transfers energy from the foot treadle to twist the fibers into yarn and pull the finished yarn into the bobbin.

Baptist Minister Petitions the Court to Stop Accepting Spectral Evidence: June 25, 1692

Spectral Evidence Challenged: Milborne Arrested, Neighbors Defend Elizabeth HowWe spotlight a pivotal moment in the Salem Witch Trials as Baptist minister William Milborne petitions Governor Phips and the council to question the use of spectral evidence, warning it could condemn the innocent and unleash “a woeful chain of consequences.” Instead of weighing his concerns, the authorities label the petitions “seditious and scandalous,” arrest Milborne, and require him to post 200 pounds bail to face the Superior Court—while accusers post no bond. Our focus then shifts to Ipswich, where Mary and Simon Chapman and Sarah, Daniel, and John Warner offer powerful testimony for Elizabeth How, describing decades of Christian conduct, fairness, penitence, and compassion, including her prayers for those accusing her. Chapters: Petition Against Spectral Evidence (00:00), Phips’ Response and Milborne’s Bail (02:10), Ipswich Witnesses Defend Elizabeth How (04:10).00:00 Daily Introduction00:08 Milborne Petitions01:02 Arrest And Bail01:24 Chapmans Defend How02:11 Warners Support How

In Defense of Accused Witch Elizabeth How: June 24, 1692

June 24, 1692: A Neighbor Defends Elizabeth How as Procter’s Specter Targets Abigail HobbsWe return to Salem Witch Trials Daily for Friday, June 24, 1692, after a quiet June 23 with no recorded events. Our focus shifts to testimony from Deborah Hadley, a seventy-year-old Rowley resident, who says she lived near Elizabeth How for twenty-four years and found her to be a neighborly, conscientious, truthful, and Christian woman in life and behavior. In Salem, darker claims surface from the jail: the specter of accused witch John Procter allegedly harasses Abigail Hobbs, presses her to sign the devil’s book, and tells her she is better off afflicting than being afflicted—and that she will not be hanged. Abigail later testifies that Procter guided her hand to the book, urged her to afflict Ann Putnam Jr., and brought her a poppet and thorn used to harm Ann.00:00 Daily Intro00:06 June 24 Context00:22 Deborah Hadley Testimony00:38 Procter Specter Claims00:58 Devil's Book and Poppet

Stamford-Fairfield Witch Trials: June 22, 1692

Stamford-Fairfield Witch Trials (1692): Skepticism, Petitions, and Split VerdictsWe head from Salem to Connecticut’s Stamford-Fairfield Witch Trials, where the General Court formed a Court of Oyer and Terminer on June 22, 1692, after a panic began in Sergeant Daniel Westcott’s home when his servant Katherine Branch suffered violent fits and reported visions of cats. Instead of rushing to prosecute, neighbors observed her, tried practical tests, and waited about five weeks—until a night of 40 fits ended with her cry of “A witch!” She accused Elizabeth Clawson, Mercy Disborough, Goody Miller, and Mary, Hannah, and Mary Harvey. Clawson drew strong support, including an 80-person petition and a clean body search, while Disborough faced extensive grievances and an examination alleging an “unnatural teat.” Both endured the swimming test, yet the court acquitted Clawson and convicted Disborough, who later received a reprieve after minister Gershom Bulkeley challenged spectral evidence and emphasized the need for corroboration. Westcott ultimately left Stamford for New Jersey.00:00 Connecticut in 169200:28 Katherine Branch Fits00:59 Skepticism and Testing01:36 Accusations Named02:12 Clawson Supported02:38 Disborough Accused03:11 Swimming Test and Verdicts03:43 Reprieve and Aftermath04:31 Closing and Next Episode