Salem Witch Trials Survivor: Sarah Cloyce's Story

About this episode

The episode explores the story of Sarah Cloyce, a survivor of the Salem Witch Trials, detailing her experiences and connections to historical events.

What does the American Red Cross have to do with the Salem Witch Trials? The answer runs through one of the most defiant women of 1692. Sarah Cloyce was the youngest of the three Towne sisters, the sibling who survived when Rebecca Nurse and Mary Easty did not. Born in Salem in 1642, Sarah lived a relatively ordinary Puritan life until March 1692, when her sister Rebecca was arrested for witchcraft and Reverend Samuel Parris delivered a sermon that changed everything. Sarah's response, walking out of the meetinghouse and reportedly slamming the door behind her, put a target on her back. Eight days later, she was formally accused. Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack tell the full story of Sarah Cloyce's accusation, her examination at the Salem Town meetinghouse on April 11, 1692, and her nine months of imprisonment in chains before the charges against her were finally dismissed in January 1693. They also cover the joint petition Sarah authored with her sister Mary Easty while both were imprisoned, Peter Cloyce's remarkable devotion to his wife throughout her ordeal, and the family's journey west to what would become Framingham, Massachusetts, where Salem End Road still marks the path…

People in this episode

Hosts: Josh Hutchinson, Sarah Jack

Topics covered

• Salem Witch Trials
• Sarah Cloyce
• Puritan life
• witchcraft accusations
• historical figures
• American Red Cross

Keywords

• Salem Witch Trials
• Sarah Cloyce
• Rebecca Nurse
• Mary Easty
• Clara Barton
• witchcraft
• Puritan
• imprisonment
• historical narrative

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: American Red Cross

Places: Salem, Framingham, Massachusetts

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