Elizabeth Hubbard is best known as the primary instigator of the Salem Witch Trials. Hubbard was seventeen years old in the spring of 1692 when the trials began. In the 15 months the trials took place, nineteen were executed, and one was pressed to death.
Due to Hubbard's position in the community (maidservant of the doctor) and age, her testimony was considered more credible than the others.
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Background and Trials
Elizabeth Hubbard was born in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1674. Hubbard was an orphan who lived with her uncle, Dr. William Griggs. She served as his maidservant.
Those making the accusations in the Salem witch trials were a group of young women ranging in age. This group, of which Elizabeth Hubbard was a part, also included Ann Putnam, Jr., Mary Walcott, Elizabeth “Betty” Parris, Abigail Williams, Elizabeth Booth, Mercy Lewis, and Mary Warren.
Abigail Williams and Betty Parris were the first to experience mysterious "fits," of which symptoms included the throwing of objects, screaming, and contortion of the body. Dr. Griggs, acting as town physician, concluded that the source of the girls' behavior was supernatural.
As Elizabeth Hubbard was the maidservant of Dr. Griggs, it is likely that she was intimately aware of the symptoms involved in the fits.
Hubbard had her first recorded fit on February 1, 1692.
Hubbard's age allowed her to testify under oath, leading her to have a major role in the trials. Her testimony was considered especially convincing, and she was known for being particularly susceptible to being thrown into fits during trials.
During Elizabeth Proctor’s trial, Hubbard purported to be under a deep trance and unable to speak:
I saw the apparition of Sarah Good, which did torture me most grievously, but I did not know her name until the 27th of February, and then she told me her name was Sarah Good, and then she did prick me and pinch me most grievously, and also since, several times, urging me vehemently to write in her [devil’s] book
As the trials progressed, Hubbard began instigating more and more accusations. She gave her last testimony on January 7, 1693. Records show that she filed forty legal complaints and testified thirty-two times.
As a result of her testimonies, seventeen people were arrested, thirteen were hanged, and two died in jail.
Post Trials
After the Salem Witch Trials concluded, it is unclear what happened to Hubbard. It is reported she moved from Salem to Gloucester and married. She possibly had four children, but it is unclear.
There is no record of an apology from Elizabeth Hubbard for her actions during the trial. Her testimonies were considered the most reliable due to her age, and many people died because of her.
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