Witches of Massachusetts – U-Z
The shadow of the Salem Witch Trials looms large over the history of Massachusetts, a period of intense paranoia and injustice that continues to fascinate and horrify. While Salem Village (now Danvers) is the most well-known location associated with this dark chapter, accusations of witchcraft extended far beyond its borders, impacting numerous towns and communities across the colony. This article continues our exploration of the individuals caught in the web of suspicion, focusing on those whose surnames fall between U and Z. These are their stories, pieced together from historical records, offering a glimpse into the lives disrupted and, in some cases, tragically ended by the Witches of Massachusetts.
This section of the alphabetical listing of those accused during the Salem Witch Trials, explores the lives of individuals whose names began with the letters U through Z. These profiles, while often incomplete due to the limitations of historical documentation, provide a valuable insight into the scope and impact of the witch hunt that gripped Massachusetts in the late 17th century. From housewives and farmers to children and community leaders, the accused came from all walks of life, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of the accusations. The Witches of Massachusetts came from a variety of places and social positions.
Rachel Varney Cook Langton Vinson (1631-1707)
Rachel Varney’s life was marked by multiple marriages and the complexities of 17th-century colonial existence. Born around 1631 to William and Bridget Varney, she first married Thomas Cook, a man known for his rebellious spirit. Their time in Ipswich was short-lived, punctuated by Thomas’s legal troubles, including a run-in with the court for speaking out against the local minister. Rachel’s father eventually bailed him out of jail. They relocated to Lynn, where Thomas worked at the ironworks, and had a son named John in 1650. However, Thomas’s struggles with alcohol abuse persisted, leading to multiple arrests and, ultimately, his death in the same year.
Rachel then married Joseph Langton, a man with a similar penchant for excessive drinking. Their union was fraught with difficulties. In 1652, Langton faced legal repercussions for the "evil usage" of Rachel’s young son, John Cook. The court discovered the child neglected and possibly beaten, prompting them to place him in the care of his Varney grandparents. After this, the record of Langton disappears. Though their union was brief, Rachel would have two daughters with him – Rachel and Mary Langton.
Her third marriage, to William Vinson of Gloucester on June 10, 1661, brought relative stability. They had two children, Thomas and Abigail. William Vinson died on September 17, 1690. Two years later, in September 1692, Rachel, now a widow, found herself accused of witchcraft. She was jailed in Ipswich but released on bond on September 24, 1692. Fortunately for her, the witch hysteria was waning, and she was never formally tried. Rachel died in Gloucester on February 15, 1707, having survived the ordeal that consumed so many others. The story of Rachel Varney Cook Langton Vinson is a reminder that the lives of the Witches of Massachusetts were complicated.
Samuel Wardwell, Sr. (1643-1692)
Samuel Wardwell, Sr., was a carpenter from Andover, Massachusetts, whose life took a tragic turn when he was convicted of witchcraft and hanged on September 22, 1692. Born in Boston on May 16, 1643, to Thomas and Elizabeth Hooper Wardwell, Samuel came from a Quaker family. His brothers, Eliakim and Benjamin, had moved away, one to New Jersey to become a Quaker leader and the other to Salem Towne to work as a seaman. Samuel, after completing a carpentry apprenticeship, followed his brother to Salem. He married and had a son, Thomas, but his wife died a year later. Samuel then moved with his young son to nearby Andover.
In 1673, Samuel married Sarah Hooper Hawkes, a wealthy widow. He took in her daughter, Sarah Hawkes, Jr., and together they had seven more children. Before the events of 1692, Samuel was known in the community as an eccentric but harmless man who enjoyed entertaining friends with fortune-telling and magic tricks. Although fortune-telling was a common practice, it was forbidden by the Puritans.
Samuel’s reputation, coupled with possible envy over his growing wealth as a carpenter, made him a target for witchcraft accusations in 1692. He was first accused by 16-year-old Martha Sprague of Boxford, who claimed he had afflicted her and others. Arrested on August 15, 1692, and imprisoned in Salem Towne, Samuel soon saw his wife, Sarah, and daughters, Sarah Hawkes, Jr., and Mercy Wardwell, also accused of witchcraft. Witnesses against him included the "afflicted girls" of Salem Village, as well as prominent citizens of Andover.
During his examination on September 1, 1692, Samuel confessed to dabbling in fortune-telling and, under intense questioning, to making a pact with the Devil. However, he later recanted his confession, stating that he had been pressured and tormented into making false statements. Despite his retraction, Samuel Wardwell was hanged on September 22, 1692, along with seven women. His story serves as a chilling example of the power of suggestion, fear, and the consequences of recanting a confession during the witch trials. The cenotaph at the Salem Witch Trials Memorial stands as a testament to the injustice suffered by Samuel Wardwell, Sr., and others like him.
Sarah Hooper Hawkes Wardwell (1650- before 1712)
Sarah Hooper Hawkes Wardwell, born in Reading, Massachusetts, in 1650, also fell victim to the witch hunt. She married Adam Hawkes in Lynn, Massachusetts, in June 1670. Adam Hawkes was much older than she was, and she did not wish to marry him. However, she did, and the couple had a daughter they named Sarah. Shortly after she gave birth to her child, her elderly husband died, leaving his wife one-third of his estate, making her a wealthy young widow. She soon caught the attention of many eligible men but rejected them all and chose to marry the penniless Samuel Wardwell on January 9, 1673. Since Samuel already had a reputation for telling fortunes and other devilish actions, there was talk that he had bewitched Sarah into marrying him. In addition to taking in Sarah’s young daughter by the same name, the couple would have seven children of their own.
After her husband, Samuel, was arrested for witchcraft in August 1692, Sarah, along with her daughter Mercy Wardwell and Sarah Hawkes, Jr., would also be arrested. When she was examined on September 1st, she would confess to being baptized by the Devil and had once attended a witch meeting in Salem Village. She claimed that she had seen several other witches at that meeting, including Ann Hooker Foster and some men in handsome apparel. She also confessed to afflicting Martha Sprague. She was sent to prison, carrying her baby daughter, Rebecca, with her. She and her daughters were in jail when her husband was hanged on September 22, 1692. While she was imprisoned, Sheriff George Corwin confiscated a great deal of their property, and Sarah’s other children were sent to neighboring families. In addition to the property she owned with Samuel, the property that had been left to her in Lynn by her first husband was also confiscated.
Sarah remained imprisoned until she was finally brought to trial on January 2, 1693. Like her husband, she was found guilty. However, she would later be pardoned by Governor William Phips and released. However, having all their property confiscated, the family was destitute. In 1712, his mother, Samuel Wardwell, Jr., meanwhile having died, requested and received compensation for the financial loss that his family had suffered.
Mercy Wardwell (1673-1754)
Mercy Wardwell, daughter of Samuel Wardwell and Sarah Hooper Hawkes Wardwell, was born in 1673. At the age of 19, she was charged with witchcraft and arrested shortly after her father was imprisoned for the same crime. Her mother, Samuel Wardwell, and half-sister, Sarah Hawkes, Jr., would also be charged. On September 15, 1692, Mercy confessed to having been baptized by the Devil and to having afflicted Martha Sprague, Rose Foster, and Timothy Swan. She was imprisoned, never tried, and sometime later was released.
Mary Warren (1671?-??)
Mary Warren stands out as one of the most complex figures among the "afflicted girls" of Salem Village. Born around 1671, she was the oldest of the accusers and initially played a rigorous role in identifying suspected witches. However, she later recanted her accusations, becoming a defender of the accused and even confessing to falsely accusing others. Her shifting role highlights the psychological complexities and potential for manipulation within the context of the witch trials. Her story is a testament to the power of peer pressure, fear, and the fragility of truth during times of mass hysteria.
Sarah Averill Wildes (1627-1692)
Sarah Averill Wildes’s story is a stark reminder that even familial connections to authority could not shield one from the reach of the witchcraft accusations. Born in England in 1627, she immigrated to America and, at the age of 36, married John Wildes, a magistrate from Topsfield, Massachusetts. John’s first wife, Priscilla Gould Wildes, had died months before, and this quick marriage, coupled with Sarah’s pre-existing "bad reputation," fueled tensions within the family. Sarah had been accused of "too great intimacy" with another man years before, and soon after marrying John, she was accused of "wearing a silk scarf," a seemingly trivial offense that reflected the strict social codes of the time.
Problems arose between Sarah and John’s first wife’s family, particularly Lieutenant John Gould and Mary Gould Reddington. These tensions escalated when John Wildes testified against John Gould in a treason case. Mary Gould Reddington then began spreading witchcraft stories about Sarah. Adding fuel to the fire, the Goulds were related to the powerful Putnam family of Salem Village.
On April 21, 1692, a warrant was issued for Sarah’s arrest based on complaints from Thomas Putnam, Jr., and John Buxton. She was accused of afflicting Ann Putnam, Jr., Mercy Lewis, and Mary Walcott. During her examinations, she was accused not only by the "afflicted girls" but also by Deliverance Hobbs, who had been arrested by Sarah’s son, Ephraim Wildes. Deliverance claimed that Sarah had brought her the Devil’s book to sign.
Despite her denials, Sarah Averill Wildes was condemned for witchcraft and executed by hanging in Salem on July 19, 1692. Her story underscores the role of personal grudges, family feuds, and social standing in shaping the course of the witch trials.
Ruth Wilford (1672-1708)
Ruth Wilford was born on November 15, 1672, to Gilbert and Mary Dow Wilford, probably in Haverhill, Massachusetts. On August 18, 1692, an arrest warrant was issued for her upon a complaint sworn out by Timothy Swan of Andover. The complaint alleged that Ruth Wilford had afflicted Mary Walcott and Ann Putnam, Jr. She was arrested two days later and brought before the Justices of the Peace at Salem Village. No further information is known regarding the proceedings. She would later marry Thomas Ayer, also of Haverhill, on June 12, 1694. The couple would eventually have four children. On August 29, 1708, she and her daughter, also named Ruth, were killed by an Indian attack at Haverhill, Massachusetts.
John Willard (1657–1692)
John Willard, a deputy constable, stands out as one of the few figures who dared to speak out against the witch hunt. He publicly stated that the only "witches" were those who were afflicted. His defiance cost him dearly. He was accused of witchcraft and hanged on August 19, 1692. His story is a powerful reminder of the dangers of dissent during times of mass hysteria and the courage it took to challenge the prevailing narrative.
Sarah Lord Wilson (1648-1727)
Sarah Lord Wilson, born in Ipswich, Massachusetts, around 1648, was another victim of the Andover "touch test." She married Joseph Wilson of Andover in 1678, and they had four children. During the height of the witch hysteria in 1692, Sarah and her 14-year-old daughter, Sarah Jr., were arrested after the Reverend Thomas Barnard conducted his infamous "touch test."
After being imprisoned, Sarah and her daughter were eventually released on bail, thanks to the efforts of the Reverend Francis Dane, who formed a resistance movement against the madness. On May 10, 1693, both mother and daughter were cleared at the Superior Court of Judicature at Ipswich. The family remained in Andover, and Sarah died in 1727. Her story highlights the role of community resistance and the eventual overturning of unjust accusations.
Sarah Wilson, Jr. (1678-17??)
Sarah Wilson, Jr., daughter of Joseph and Sarah Lord Wilson, was arrested along with her mother after the "touch test." She spent six weeks in prison before being released on bail. Like her mother, she was cleared in May 1693. She married Jacob Preston in 1702 and moved to Ashford, Connecticut.
Mary Buckley Witheridge
Mary Buckley Witheridge, daughter of William and Sarah Smith Buckley, was arrested for witchcraft along with her mother on May 14, 1692. At the time of her arrest, Mary was a widow, having married Sylvester Witheridge of Marblehead. She and her mother were accused of afflicting Mary Walcott and Ann Putnam, Jr., and were examined on May 18th. Despite her father’s efforts to defend them, both Mary and her mother were imprisoned. After spending eight months in prison, they were found not guilty in January 1693 and discharged. Mary later married Benjamin Proctor, who had also been accused of witchcraft, on December 18, 1694.
Edward Wooland
Little is known about Edward Wooland, except that he spent time in jail under the accusation of witchcraft. His story serves as a reminder that many individuals were caught up in the witch hunt, even if their cases did not result in trials or executions.
The stories of these individuals, whose names fall at the end of an alphabetical list, represent a cross-section of the experiences during the Salem Witch Trials. They highlight the varied circumstances that led to accusations, the impact on families and communities, and the resilience of some who managed to survive the ordeal. The Witches of Massachusetts, as these stories reveal, were complex figures. These stories serve as a constant reminder of the dangers of mass hysteria, the importance of due process, and the enduring need to protect individual rights.