Sarah Good was one of the accused during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. She was a poor, outcast woman who faced numerous hardships in her life. The accusations against her were fueled by a combination of factors, including rumors, personal vendettas, and social prejudices. Sarah Good's social status played a significant role in her accusation. She was an outsider in the Puritan community of Salem Village. Due to her poverty and lack of social standing, she was often ostracized and viewed with suspicion by her neighbors.
History or Mistory – Sarah Good’s curse.
Sarah Good, born on 11 July 1655, was one of the first three women to be executed after being found guilty of witchcraft in the Salem Witch trials.
Her father, a tavern owner committed suicide when she was 17. Leaving no will, his sizeable estate was divided mostly between his widow and two sons. Sarah received a small parcel of land.
With poor prospects, she married Daniel Poole, an indentured servant who died leaving huge debts. To settle his debts, Sarah was forced to sell the land.
At the time of the trials, she was married to William Good, living in poverty, pregnant and begging neighbours for handouts. In the community she was seen as an outsider.
When two girls, Abigail Williams and Betty Paris started having fits, they were asked what was causing them to behave so strangely. They accused Sarah and two others, Tituba and Sarah Osborn of causing their fits and this was interpreted to be the work of the devil. The authorities responded by issuing warrants accusing the three of witchcraft. Sarah was found guilty of witchcraft at her trial and sentenced to death. Her her execution was delayed to enable her to give birth in prison. The baby died shortly after its birth.
So far Sarah’s story is a matter of record. There are contemporaneous records, trial transcripts, registers and other records, but it is her words on the scaffold that I wish to explore.
On July 19, 1692, Good was taken to the execution site at Proctor’s Ledge. As she stood on the platform awaiting her fate, Reverend Nicolas Noyes encouraged her to confess and called her a witch. According to The New England Magazine, Sarah is supposed to then address Noyes and utter the words,
“You are a liar. I am no more which then you are a wizard,
and if you take away my life God will give you blood to drink!”
What makes the story so juicy is that in 1717, 25 years later, the Reverend suffered an internal haemorrhage and died choking on his own blood.
Newspaper reports are a good source of information, but as we know from our daily experience, they are not always accurate. Papers have a political bias. Tabloids often sensationalise a story. Many subsequent apologies for inaccurate reporting appear in a small box buried deep in the newspaper.
In Sarah’s case we have only the newspaper article to go on. I have been researching executions and speeches on the scaffold for my book on Mary Bryant and James Boswell. In England, in the eighteenth century, time was spent preparing criminals for the afterlife, getting them to confront and confess their crimes. Often a confession would be read on the scaffold by a condemned prisoner, repenting sin, encouraging others not to follow the wrong path he/she had taken, so that as they was cast into oblivion, the gates of Heaven would open in welcome.
Would Sarah Good have really uttered a curse on the scaffold in such a religious community, and if she did say it was it in anger or as a gentle, pleading warning? Without being there, we just cannot know. All we can do, is question the newspaper article and speculate on the truth.
For more Information:
- https:/historyofmassachusetts.org/sarah-good-accused-witch
Julia is a corporate lawyer by day, and a historical detective in her spare time. She researches the 18th century and the women history has overlooked. She competed in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, for fencing and was granted an OBE in 1999. Today, she lives outside Edinburgh. Follow the instagram link below for daily posts on inspirational and controversial women.
The Salem Witch Trials (1692-1693)
Between the years 1692-1693, several people were brought to trial in colonial Massachusetts for their involvement in witchcraft. The mass hysteria began when Elizabeth Parris, the nine year old daughter of Reverend Samuel Parris began to have fits. Her cousin and Reverend Parris’ niece Abigail Williams, an eleven year old girl, also exhibited similar symptoms. When these episodes occurred, the girls screamed and behaved abnormally. Likewise, another girl named Ann Putnam exhibited the same symptoms.
When they were questioned by the magistrates, they accused three women in the village – Sarah Osborne, Tituba (Parris’ slave) and Sarah Good – of practicing witchcraft which caused their abnormal behavior. All the three accused were questioned by local magistrates. Although both Sarah Osborne and Sarah Good denied practicing witchcraft, Tituba confessed. All three were imprisoned after the interrogation. Soon, this was followed by a series of witchcraft accusations and trials in which more than two hundred people were accused and twenty were executed. Later, in 1693, the colonial town of Salem acknowledged that these trials were an error.
Curious to learn about the historical background of these witch trials? Check out the five-part documentary on the subject available on YouTube – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5. We also have The Crucible, which you can either read or watch.
If you would like to research the topic, we have several books that deal with the history of this incident. Particularly interested in the trials? Do a subject search in the Catalyst for our holdings. You can also limit the search by years to locate some digital primary sources. A good reference resource to consult would be The Salem Witch Trials: A Reference Guide. The George Peabody Library has the Records of Salem Witchcraft Copied from the Original Documents which would be interesting to read. I also recommend checking out the Salem Witch Trials project from the University of Virginia and the Salem Witchcraft Trials 1692 collection from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
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A brief history of the Salem witch trials
The Salem witch trials took place in a period of New England history when women were accused of being witches.
These accusations were deadly in some cases. It wasn’t until 2022 that the last woman convicted of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials was exonerated. Elizabeth Johnson Jr. was given a death sentence when she was accused, per CNN, but the governor at the time prevented the sentence from being carried out.
Historians continue to investigate what happened during this period of time and try to understand the factors that led to these tragedies. Here’s a brief look at the history of the Salem witch trials.
Related- The witch panic that you haven’t heard of
When did the Salem witch trials begin?
The Salem witch trials started in spring 1692, according to Britannica.
What were the Salem witch trials?
The Salem witch trials occurred in New England, centered around the town known now as Salem, Massachusetts. The trials took place well after the decline of early modern European witch trials, though those trials would have been on the minds of some in New England.
People, primarily women, were accused of witchcraft by fellow villagers and faced trials, jail time and execution. Over 200 people in the area were accused of witchcraft. Of the accused, 20 people were executed on accusations of witchcraft and five people died in prison, according to the Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive.
The Salem witch trials began with a single accusation.
Tituba, an enslaved person, was accused of witchcraft by Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams. She denied hurting the girls, who said their erratic behavior was due to her witchcraft. Samuel Parris, her enslaver, beat her to get her to confess, according to History Channel.
She “confessed,” was put in prison and later, recanted. She said “that her Master did beat her and otherways abuse her, to make her confess and accuse” others of witchcraft, per Digital History. Alongside Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne were both accused.
Both Good and Osborne were of low socioeconomic status. Both these women pleaded innocent, but they were still sent to prison.
Many of the women who were accused were “considered social outcasts,” according to New England Law Boston. Their lack of financial means made them vulnerable.
Accusations picked up across the region. Dorothy Good, the 4-year-old daughter of Sarah Good, was imprisoned because her “timid answers were construed as a confession,” according to Smithsonian Magazine.
Through 1693, accusations continued to circulate as people were found guilty, put in prison and executed.
How did the Salem witch trials end?
Massachusetts Bay Colony Gov. William Phips effectively ended the Salem witch trials after his wife was accused of witchcraft. He put an end to spectral evidence (i.e., supernatural evidence or claims from dreams, visions, etc.) after his wife was accused, per Britannica. Phips pardoned those who were in prison or facing accusation by May 1693, which marked the end of the trials.
Massachusetts apologized for the trials in 1957 and has exonerated those who were accused of witchcraft, per New England Law Boston.
Why were people accused of being witches?
Accusations were fueled by a variety of factors. Historians do not believe the people accused of witchcraft actually practiced witchcraft.
Many of the accused were “deprived of property and legal rights,” per Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive.
Prejudice against gender and race, economic status, legal standings, personal quarrels, widespread economic hardship, hostility between neighbors, personal grievances and an outbreak of convulsive ergotism (no longer a popular theory) are some of the factors historians believe contributed to witchcraft accusations.
How many people were accused during the Salem witch trials?
Over 200 people were accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials.
How long did the Salem witch trials last?
The Salem witch trials lasted around a year from 1692 to 1693.
Why was sarah good accused of witchcraft
At twelve years old, Ann Putnam was among the youngest of the afflict girls. She was somewhat of a prodigy and had been her mother's confidante since early childhood. She was very much aware of her mother's tearful visits to the graveyard to visit Ann's siblings' and other relatives' graves.
Her mother, Ann sr., was a literate and well read woman. She had lost two other children before Ann was born. She and Ann often poured over the Book of Revelations looking for local applications of its mysterious symbols. Mrs. Putnam suffered from vivid dreams of her dead sister and children, and she may have deliberately dispatched young Ann to the Parris kitchen to meet Tituba and to discover if there were a non-Christian way of contacting the dead. Mrs. Putnam eventually joined in the hysteria herself and suffered from "afflictions" and made accusations against her neighbors.
In both her "afflictions" and accusations young Ann was the most active of the girls. As the youngest, she was considered the most innocent; therefore, her accusations carried the most weight. In August of 1707, Ann Putnam recanted and asked to be humbled before her congreation. She was forgiven by the congregation and suffered no further punishment for her actions.
Sarah Good
Sarah Good was the daughter of a wealthy Wenham innkeeper, but her life had been a long downhill slide since her father's suicide from drowning. Her mother had quickly remarried in order to block the children's inheritance rights. Sarah married a landless man who hired himself out as a laborer. But even with a chronic labor shortage in the colony, individuals hesitated hiring her husband because that would mean taking Sarah into the household, and she was considered shrewish, idle, and slovenly.
With matted grey hair and a leathered, lined face, Sarah Good looked seventy years old even though she was still of child bearing age. (In fact she was pregnant at the time of her arrest.) With her clay pipe, Sarah Good even looked the part of a witch. She didn't attend church, and recently she had been begging door-to-door and making a general nuisance of herself.
Along with Tituba and Sarah Osburne, Sarah Good was among the first three women named as witches. All three were arrested on February 29th, 1692. A strong woman, Sarah nearly overpowered the sheriff who came to arrest her. During the initial questioning of the three women, Good accused Sarah Osburne of being a witch, and Tituba confessed to witchcraft. Tituba was released while Good and Osburne were sent to jail. Osburne, who was already ill, died in prison. Good's newborn child also died in prison. Good was joined in prison by her four year old daughter, Dorcas - even though Dorcas had testified against her mother. Dorcas was to remain mentally impaired for the rest of her life as a result of her inprisonment. Even Sarah Good's husband testified against her.
On June 29th, along with five other women, Sarah Good was tried and convicted of witchcraft. She was hanged on Gallows hill on July l9th. Sarah Good remained defiant to the end. When Reverend Noyes urged her to confess and repent on the scaffold, she replied "I am no more witch than you are a wizard. If you take my life away, God will give you blood to drink." Years later when Reverend Noyes died of a hemorrhage in the mouth - in fact drinking his own blood - many in Salem remembered Sarah Good's curse. In fact Nathaniel Hawthorne, descendent of the hanging Judge Hathorne of the witch trials, borrowed this incident for the death of Judge Pyncheon in his famous novel, The House of the Seven Gables.
Due to her poverty and lack of social standing, she was often ostracized and viewed with suspicion by her neighbors. This created a fertile ground for the spread of rumors and negative perceptions about her character. Additionally, Sarah Good's behavior and demeanor were seen as unconventional and strange by the standards of the time.
She exhibited signs of mental illness, which further fueled suspicions against her. Her unconventional actions and tendencies made her an easy target for those looking to assign blame and find a scapegoat for the afflictions experienced by the community. Furthermore, personal vendettas played a role in Sarah Good's accusation. It is believed that some of her neighbors held grudges against her, making false accusations as a means of revenge or to settle personal disputes. These personal conflicts escalated in the charged atmosphere of fear and hysteria that characterized the Salem Witch Trials. The religious and cultural beliefs of the Puritan community also contributed to Sarah Good's accused status. The Puritans held a deep belief in the existence of witchcraft and the devil's influence. They believed that evil forces were constantly at work, and any sign of abnormality or misfortune was often attributed to witchcraft. Sarah Good's odd behavior and social standing only served to confirm these beliefs, making her an ideal target for witchcraft accusations. In summary, Sarah Good's accusation of witchcraft can be attributed to her outsider status, abnormal behavior, personal vendettas, and the religious beliefs of the Puritan community. These factors created a perfect storm of suspicion and fear, leading to her eventual arrest and execution during the Salem Witch Trials..
Reviews for "The Trial of Sarah Good: An Examination of Evidence and Witnesses."
1. John Smith - 2 stars
I found "Why was Sarah Good Accused of Witchcraft" to be a rather disappointing read. The book seemed to lack depth and failed to grab my attention from the start. The characters were poorly developed and lacked complexity, making it difficult to connect with any of them. Additionally, the plot felt predictable and lacked any real surprises. Overall, I was left feeling underwhelmed by this book and wouldn't recommend it to others.
2. Emily Johnson - 1 star
"Why was Sarah Good Accused of Witchcraft" was a complete letdown. The writing style was dry and monotonous, making it a struggle to keep reading. The story itself was scattered and lacked a clear direction, leaving me confused and disinterested. The characters were cardboard cutouts with no real depth or personality. I can't say I enjoyed anything about this book and would not recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating read.
3. Lisa Thompson - 2 stars
I had high hopes for "Why was Sarah Good Accused of Witchcraft" but was ultimately disappointed. The book lacked strong characterization, leaving the characters feeling one-dimensional and unrelatable. The pacing was slow and dragged on, making it difficult to stay engaged. While the subject matter had the potential to be intriguing, the execution fell flat. Overall, I found this book to be average at best and wouldn't recommend it to others.