Susannah Martin

Susannah Martin (née North; baptized September 30, 1621 – July 19, 1692) was one of fourteen women executed for the suspicion of practicing witchcraft during the Salem witch trials of colonial Massachusetts.

Inhabitants of nearby Salem Village, including Joseph and Jarvis Ring, had named Susannah a witch and stated she had attempted to recruit them into witchcraft.

She was also accused by John Allen of Salisbury, a man who claimed that she had bewitched his oxen and drove them into the river nearby where they later drowned.

Cotton Mather countered Susannah's defense by stating in effect that the Devil's servants were capable of putting on a show of perfect innocence and Godliness.

Some interesting excerpts from the transcript of Susannah's trial are below: (spelling, punctuation, capitalization as original) To the Marshall of the County of Essex or his lawful Deputies or to the Constable of Amesbury: You are in their Majesties names hereby required forthwith or as soon as may be to apprehend and bring Susanna Mertin of Amesbury in þ county of Esses Widdow at þ house of Lt. Nathaniel Ingersolls in Salem village in order to her examination Relating to high suspicion of sundry acts of Witchcraft donne or committed by her upon þ bodies of Mary Walcot, Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam, and Mercy Lewis of Salem village or farms whereby great hurt and damage hath been donne to þ bodies of said persons.... etc.At the preliminary trial for the crime of "Witchcraft and sorcery," Susannah pleaded that she was not guilty.

The inscription on the marker reads: "Here stood the house of Susanna [sic] Martin, An honest, hardworking, Christian woman accused as a witch, tried, and executed at Salem, July 19, 1692.

On August 29, 1957, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts voted to wipe from the books the convictions of six women that had been unjustly accused of being witches 265 years earlier.

Foster Furcolo signed the legislation that intended to clear Susannah Martin, as well as Ann Pudeator, Bridget Bishop, Alice Parker, Margaret Scott and Wilmot Redd.

[8] However, while taking a graduate course on Salem witchcraft during the late 1990s, Paula Keene discovered that, although the legislators intended to pardon all six of the women in 1957, only Ann Pudeater's name was listed on the official documents.

Susannah Martin, Bridget Bishop, Alice Parker, Margaret Scott and Wilmot Redd were simply listed as "five others convicted of witchcraft."

[10] The folk band Touchstone recorded the song "Susanna Martin" for their 1982 album, The New Land on the Green Linnet label.