The length and content of this summary file is not indicative of a low regard for the book. Rather, the first time I read this book (which was before I purchased my computer), I borrowed it from the local library. In the fall of 1995, I took these few notes while doing research for a commentary I was writing for Halloween. The book tells the very human story of the accusers and the accused, the prosecutors and the very, very few defenders.

Partial list of the accused
Tituba, negro slave
Sarah Good, later her 5 year old daughter, Dorcas Good
Sarah Osborne, taken from her sickbed (death bed?) for trial
Martha Cory, later her husband, Giles Cory
Rebecca Nurse, also taken from her sick bed, almost totally deaf, certainly did not understand court proceedings due to deafness
Sarah Cloyce, sister to Rebecca Nurse
Mary Esty, also sister to Rebecca Nurse
Elisabeth Procter, later her husband John Procter
Briget Bishop, later her stepson Edward Bishop and later still his wife, Sarah Bishop
Abigail Hobbs, eventually reprieved for confessing and calling out on other witches (turning state's evidence)
Deliverance and William Hobbs, parents of Abigail
Mary English, later her husband Phillip
Mary Black
Nehemiah Abbottm- he claimed to be 100 years old
Sarah Wild
Revernd George Burroughs
Nathaniel Cary
John Alden
Susanna Martin
Elizabeth How
John Willard
old George Jacobs
Martha Carrier
Alice Parker
Ann Pudeator
Margaret Scott
Mary Parker
Wilmott Redd
Samuel Wardwell
The Death Toll
Briget Bishop, hanged June 10, 1692
page 175: 5 hanged July 19, 1692: Sarah Good, Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Wild, Susanna Martin, and Elizabeth How
page 197: 5 hanged Aug 5, 1692: John Willard, old George Jacobs, Martha Carrier, John and Elizabeth Procter
page 202: 8 hanged Sept 22, 1692: Martha Cory, Alice Parker and Ann Pucleator of Salem Town, Mary Esty, Margaret Scott of Rowley, Mary Parker of Andover, Wilmott Redd of Marblehead, Samuel Wardwell
Giles Cory died under torture, he was pressed to death under a large load of stones
Return to Booknotes Menu
Thanks for visiting Sunshine for Women at http://www.pinn.net/~sunshine/main.html
e-mail
sunshine@pinn.net
Sunshine for Women encourages you to support our feminist sisters by purchasing their books, reading them, disseminating the ideas they contain, but most especially, by making their book available to our sisters, our daughters, and the community at large by requesting your school library, your public library, and area bookstores to carry their books. Remember it is not enough to write literature, history, and theology, we must pass these works on to future generations. Help us to preserve these works for a new generation by putting them on library bookshelves.
last updated Nov 20, 1998