Willard, John

John Willard was accused of witchcraft at the end of April 1692, after refusing to arrest people that he believed were innocent.

One of his main accusers was his wife's grandfather, Bray Wilkins, who claimed that after a mean look from Willard, he became immediately sick.

While Wilkins' symptoms suggest that he was most likely suffering from kidney stones, his assumption that he had been bewitched is evidence of the widespread fear that occurred in Salem during witch trials.

Willard was hanged on August 19, 1692, maintaining his innocence until his death.

See Also

Important Persons in the Salem Courts Records Salem Witch Trials, Univ. of Virginia

Salem possessed; the social origins of witchcraft by Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum 1974.