Mary Esty's Specter Allegedly Torments Mercy Lewis: May 19, 1692

Minister Defends Accused Witch: June 20, 2026

June 20, 1692: William Hubbard Testifies for Sarah BuckleyOn Monday, June 20, 1692, we share testimony from Ipswich minister William Hubbard in support of Sarah Buckley, arrested on witchcraft charges on May 14 during the Salem Witch Trials. Hubbard tells the court he has known Buckley for more than 50 years, since she came from England as a child, and says he never heard or observed anything in her behavior or conversation unbecoming a Christian. He emphasizes she was raised by Christian parents, admitted to the Ipswich church over 40 years earlier, and consistently lived in a manner suited to her profession of faith. Hubbard says he is shocked anyone would suspect her of the crime now charged, asserting her innocence.00:00 Daily Introduction00:09 Hubbard Defends Buckley00:19 Character Testimony01:10 Final Verdict

Samuel Parris Preaches About  2 Corinthians 1: June 19, 1692

Salem Sabbath: Samuel Parris Preaches 2 Corinthians 1 (June 19, 1692)We take you into Salem Village on Sunday, June 19, 1692, when the Sabbath drew neighbors to the meetinghouse twice to hear Reverend Samuel Parris preach from 2 Corinthians 1. Although Parris’s loose papers with sermon details were later lost or destroyed, we follow the King James passage itself as Paul calls God “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,” describing comfort in trouble and the calling to comfort others. We also trace the chapter’s focus on Paul’s conviction that God showed mercy by saving his life in what is now modern Turkey, grounding this Salem Witch Trials Daily moment in the scripture Salem heard that day.00:00 June 19 1692 Intro00:08 Sabbath Sermons00:18 Lost Notes Unknown Focus00:29 2 Corinthians Comfort00:47 Paul Saved in Turkey

Witch Specters Hold Jonathan Putnam's Head: June 18, 1692

June 18, 1692: Mercy Lewis’s Trance and Major Salem Witch Trials Prisoner TransfersWe follow a tense moment from the Salem Witch Trials on Saturday, June 18, 1692, as Reverend Samuel Parris and John Putnam Sr. visit the ailing Jonathan Putnam and summon Mercy Lewis—who suddenly loses her voice, signals that witches are afflicting him, and later describes specters of Rebecca Nurse and Martha Carrier holding Jonathan’s head. Our update also tracks key prisoner movements that reshape the crisis: Lydia Dustin and her daughter Sarah Dustin are transferred from Boston jail to Cambridge, while nine accused—Dorcas Hoar, George Burroughs, Susannah Root, George Jacobs Sr., Sarah Wilds, Giles Corey, Martha Corey, Ann Pudeator, and Sarah Cloyce—are moved from Boston to Salem.00:00 June 18th 1692 Intro00:09 Mercy Lewis Trance00:38 Prisoner Transfers Update00:42 Closing Notes

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

July 1692 Thanksgiving Proclaimed Amid Salem Witch TrialsJosh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack discuss events around Friday, June 17, 1692, noting that a day after Roger Toothaker’s death, Boston leaders ordered a colony-wide Thanksgiving for July 14 to celebrate the defense of Wells, Maine, and the May 14 arrival of Governor William Phips and Increase Mather after lobbying in London for a new charter. They highlight the disconnect between official celebrations and the realities of war, a bad economy, and the Salem witch trials, with five people under death sentence for witchcraft as of July 14 and dozens more jailed without any feast. They also note Phips held a personal celebratory feast for ship carpenters, and explain that in colonial New England Thanksgiving was an irregular, specially declared observance rather than an annual holiday.00:00 Daily Introduction00:08 Boston Declares Thanksgiving00:37 Trials and Death Sentences01:12 Phips Throws a Party01:27 What Thanksgiving Meant

The Death of Roger Toothaker: June 16, 1692

In today's Salem Witch Trials Daily, we look into the June 16, 1692 death of Roger Toothaker in the Boston jail. He was the 4th person to die from the Salem Witch Trials and the 3rd who died in jail, following Sarah Good's infant child and Sarah Osburn. (Bridget Bishop had just been hanged June 10th)Learn about Roger's life and family and their roles in the witch-hunt.