Margaret Scott was one of the many women accused during the infamous Salem witch trials in colonial Massachusetts. The trials, which took place from 1692 to 1693, were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft. Margaret Scott's case was particularly notable because it was one of the few instances during the trials in which an accused witch was actually executed. Margaret Scott was considered an outsider in the Salem community. She was an elderly widow who lived alone on the outskirts of town. Her isolation and unconventional lifestyle made her an easy target for accusations of witchcraft, which were often based on rumors and hearsay.

Margaret Scott Home, Site of

Elderly widow Margaret Scott was the only person from Rowley who was executed for witchcraft in 1692.

Main Street & Pleasant Street, Rowley, MA, USA

Main Street & Pleasant Street, Rowley, MA, USA

More About Margaret Scott Home, Site of

Widow Margaret Scott was in her early-mid 70s in 1692, and had been a widow for more than twenty years. She married her husband Benjamin Scott in 1642, and never remarried after he died in 1671. Like several other women accused of witchcraft, she was a perfect target – an elderly widow whose circumstances reduced her to begging to survive.

Very little is known about Margaret Scott. Our impression of her is gathered from the existing court records, of which there are few, as she was convicted almost entirely based on accusations from just two neighboring families and one servant. According to author Mary Beth Norton in In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692, “The prosecutions of [Wilmot] Reed [of Marblehead] and [Margaret] Scott are sparsely documented, perhaps suggesting the haste with which the evidence against them was compiled.”

One accuser was Frances Wicom (alternate spellings Wicomb, Wycomb, Wycombe), the daughter of Rowley luminary Captain Daniel Wicom. In mid-April, said Frances, she started experiencing afflictions, and claimed she was choked by Margaret Scott, although she wasn’t sure if it was Widow Scott in the flesh who tormented her, or her specter. Wicom’s afflictions continued into August. Because of the sparse evidence, it is not clear if Wicom complained about her torments in April, or if she only gave details when she was deposed in September before Scott’s trial.

More than three months after Wicom’s first troubles started, another neighbor, Mary Daniel, became afflicted in late July. Within a week of Daniel’s accusation, Margaret Scott was arrested and jailed. During her August deposition, nineteen-year-old Daniel, who may have been a servant in the home of Rowley’s minister, Reverend Edward Payson, said that Margaret Scott’s specter pinched her, pricked the soles of her feet, and tipped her out of her chair. She also claimed that Scott was accompanied by the specter of Goody Jackson on one occasion. Could this Goody Jackson have been a relative of John Jackson Sr. and his son John Jackson Jr. of Rowley, who were also accused? Or did she mean John Jackson Sr.’s sister Elizabeth (Jackson) How of nearby Ipswich, who had been accused and executed on July 19? It’s possible the family connection brought the Jacksons under suspicion. Mary Daniel was supported in her accusations against Margaret Scott by Mary Warren and Elizabeth Hubbard from Salem Village, who, like Daniel, were household servants. Under oath they both affirmed that they saw Margaret Scott afflict Mary Daniel, when they were questioned on September 15. They both claimed Scott hurt them as well. Another Salem Village accuser, Ann Putnam Jr., joined Mary Warren in affirming that she saw Margaret Scott afflict Frances Wicom.

According to notes Reverend John Hale of Beverly took during Margaret Scott’s August 5 examination, an un-named confessor to witchcraft, going by the initials “M.G.,” claimed to be a witch and to have tormented Captain Daniel Wicom in the company of fellow witch Margaret Scott. Scott denied this and all charges, but she was held for trial.

Two families, and servant Mary Daniel, were the principle accusers during Scott’s September 15 trial. The Grand Jury heard from fifty-seven-year-old Captain Daniel Wicom about an altercation he’d had with Widow Scott five years earlier, when she asked to glean (or gather the leftovers) from his corn field. Wicom asked her to wait until he’d gathered what he wanted. That evening, after this encounter, Wicom’s oxen were unable to haul the corn cart from his field, cursed by Scott, he thought. His daughter Frances, as described above, was also tormented by Scott’s specter.

Members of the Nelson family contributed their stories about Widow Scott. Sgt. Thomas Nelson was the son of original Rowley settler Thomas Nelson (who established the first fulling mill in the country in 1643). Nelson described an encounter from half a dozen years earlier, when a disagreement with Scott about the delivery of wood led to Nelson’s cattle being bewitched. Two of his cows died. “I do verily believe that she is a witch,” he said. Philip Nelson and his wife Sarah described how another neighbor, Robert Shilleto, had complained for years that Scott was a witch. Shilleto had since died.

Although she claimed her innocence to the end, Margaret Scott was found guilty of witchcraft, based on neighborhood stories and gossip. She was sentenced to death on September 17, and hanged on September 22, along with seven others: Ann Pudeator, Alice Parker, Mary Easty, Martha Corey, Mary Parker, Samuel Wardwell, and Wilmot Redd, on Proctor’s Ledge at Gallows Hill. When all eight were dead, Reverend Nicholas Noyes was quoted as saying, “What a sad thing it is to see eight firebrands of Hell hanging there.”

It is not known what happened to Margaret Scott’s remains. A stone was erected in her memory on Route 1A in Rowley in 1992.

Margaret Scott was among the last of the Salem Witchcraft Trials victims to have her name cleared, by legislation passed by the Massachusetts State Legislature in 2001.

Margaret Stephenson was born in England circa 1616, of parents possibly named Edward and Margarita (Dunn). She immigrated to Massachusetts with her family, and married Benjamin Scott in 1642. The Scotts began their married life in Cambridge, before moving to Rowley. Of the couple’s seven children, only three lived to adulthood. “Children, the first four born in Cambridge, the rest in Rowley.” (The Scott Genealogy). The “Benjamin Scott House” in Rowley was likely built by her son Benjamin in 1676.

Additional note: The original deposition of Mary Daniel vs. Margaret Scott was auctioned by Christie’s in 2017, the first Salem witchcraft trials document to go to public sale since the 1980s. It sold for more than $137,000.

A memorial stone to Margaret Scott, erected in 1992, can be found at the intersection of Main Street (Route 1A) and Pleasant Street. It is not clear where Widow Scott was living in 1692. She was poverty-stricken, certainly, begging for corn and wood in years past. Perhaps she lived with her son Benjamin, whose house was built in 1676 on Central Street, although that doesn’t seem likely. The Central Street house has been beautifully restored. This is a Private Residence. Not open to the public.

A memorial to Margaret Scott, erected in 1992.

Margaret Scott & The Salem Witch Trials

In 1981 I was 12 years old and in the 6th grade. I don’t remember the specifics of the school assignment, but what I do remember is that I chose the topic and then spent many late nights lying in bed reading about the Salem Witch Trials. I was spellbound. As a young girl growing up in New England it is not too difficult to understand why I was so fascinated with the infamous witch trials that had happened barely 60 miles from where I lived. The culmination of all this reading was a written report. While I had been reading for weeks, like a typical 12 year old, I didn’t sit down to write my paper until the night before it was due. I have vivid memories of sitting at my kitchen table, pecking away at my manual typewriter (because that was the days before personal computers) half the night.

As tired as I was after that long night, in all of my school years I don’t think I was ever so engrossed, engaged, and PROUD of an assignment as I was of that report. I don’t remember the class it was for (social studies, probably?) and I don’t even remember the teacher, but I do remember that I got an A on that report. And it was the start of what has been a lifelong interest in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Since then, I have visited Salem several times, watched countless documentaries, and have read a number of books. But it wasn’t until recent years that I was able to explain my fascination as being that of a descendant of people who had played important roles in the trials. Some sort of genetic memory? Perhaps.

Rev. John Hale Farm, 39 Hale Street, Beverly, Massachusetts
By Elizabeth B. Thomsen – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59095629

My most recent visit to Salem was with a good friend in 2015, along with his father, and daughter, all of who are themselves many-times-great grandchildren of Reverend John Hale. Reverend Hale was the puritan pastor for Beverly, Massachusetts (next door to Salem) who had played a prominent role in the 1692 Witch Trials, initially supporting them but eventually changing his mind and becoming a critic. The group of us arranged for a tour of the historic home that Reverend Hale had lived in then visited several of the museums in Salem before rounding out the day with a visit to the dramatic memorial to the 20 victims of the trials who had been executed.

Before that visit, I had identified a number of ancestors who had likely been present for those trials and several who had played their own tragic roles. William Brown (born 24 Dec 1622 in Salisbury, England and died 24 Aug 1706 in Salisbury, Massachusetts) was one of them. My 11th great-grandfather on my paternal side (through the DeRochemont, Adams, and Hoyt families), William was married to Elizabeth Murford (also my 11th great-grandmother born 1620 in Salisbury, England and died 1692 in Salisbury, Massachusetts). Sadly, Elizabeth was afflicted with some sort of mental illness for several decades prior to the 1692 trials. Mental illness was not well understood in those times.

In 1692, William seized the opportunity to blame his wife’s disorder on witchery and testified against Susannah Martin, claiming that she had bewitched his wife during an encounter several decades before. According to the testimony of William Brown during the trial of Susanna Martin had bewitched Elizabeth in 1660. Elizabeth, “being a very rational woman and sober, and one that feared God, as was well known to all that knew her… did there meet with Susanna Martin, the then-wife of George Martin, of Amesbury.” Just as they came together the said “Susanna Martin vanished away out of her sight, which put Elizabeth into a great fright; after which time Martin did many times appear to Elizabeth at her house and did much trouble her in many of her occasions”; and “this continued until about February following, and then, when she did come, it was as birds pecking her legs or prickling her with the motion of their wings; and then it would rise up into her stomach, with pricking pain, as nails and pins; of which she did bitterly complain and cry out like a woman in travail; and after that it would rise up to her throat in a bunch like a pullet’s egg…”

In April of 1661, during the first trial of Susannah Martin for witchcraft, Elizabeth and Goodwife Osgood were summoned “to give their evidences concerning the said Martin…before the grand jury.” Elizabeth Brown told her husband that Susanna Martin said “she would make her the miserablest creature for defaming her name at the court.” While Susannah was cleared of those charges in 1661, during the 1692 trials when she had been charged once again, William Brown testified that from that encounter in 1661, “to this very day (30 years or more) she [Elizabeth] has been under a strange kind of distemper and frenzy, incapable of any rational action, though strong and healthy of body.”

In spite of all the testimony against her, Susannah maintained her innocence, stating that “I have led a most virtuous and holy life.” Tragically, based on the testimony of William and some other evidence, Susanna Martin, a mother of 8 and a widow, was convicted on June 29 and executed by hanging on July 19.

Knowing this story during my latest visit to Salem, I somberly visited Susannah Martin’s memorial and quietly asked for her forgiveness.

I had also identified other connections to the Salem Witch Trials, such as John Alden (the son of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, Mayflower passengers and my 11th great grandparents) who had been accused of witchcraft, but fled and hid until the mania was over, The same was true of Dudley Bradstreet (son of Simon Bradstreet and Anne Dudley my 11th great grandparents).

But it wasn’t until this year, 40 years after that 6th-grade report, that I found the connection that made it all fall into place for me, and finally justified my fascination. Margaret (Stephenson) Scott, born in 1616 and my 11x great grandmother through my maternal line, was among the last group of eight souls found guilty of witchcraft and executed by hanging on 22 September 1692. Hanged with her were Mary Eastey, Martha Corey, Ann Pudeator, Samuel Wardwell, Mary Parker, Alice Parker, and Wilmot Redd.

As a member of the lower class, very little is known about Margaret Stephenson. She was born about 1615 in England and probably migrated with her parents, whose names are unknown. Her first appearance in the historical record was when she married Benjamin Scott in 1642 (Benjamin was born about 1611, possibly in Scotland, and died at about the age of 51 in September 1671).

Benjamin and Margaret lived first in Braintree and then Cambridge, before moving to Rowley, Massachusetts. They had 7 children together, but at a time when infant mortality was extremely high, only 3 survived to adulthood. We are descended through their daughter Mary Scott. When Benjamin died, he left Margaret with almost no resources or money (just 67 pounds and 11 shillings) and it wasn’t long before she found herself reduced to begging, just to survive, a position that would have made her very unpopular and disliked in the town. In 1692, Margaret’s status as a long-time, poverty-stricken widow and the mother of several children who had died in infancy made her a prime target for accusations of witchcraft.

At the time of the trials, Margaret Scott lived in Rowley and was the only person from that town accused and executed. She was first examined on August 5 and had probably been arrested the day before this. Reverend John Hale, my friend’s X-time great grandfather, took notes during the examination. Spectral evidence was accepted and she was accused of turning invisible and tormenting members of the Wicomb and Nelson families, both prominent families in the town.

Her trial took place on September 15. Some of the testimony against her are clear examples of what historians call “refusal guilt syndrome.” In other words, the testimony was from townspeople who had turned Margaret away when she came begging, then claimed that bad things happened to them after this. They blamed their bad fortune on the witchery Margaret cast against them. Margaret’s specter was also accused on tormenting Frances Wicomb, and Ann Putnam and Mary Warren claimed to have witnessed this.

Margaret maintained her innocence throughout her trial and execution. She was in the last group to be executed, and shortly after this, the many others who had been jailed were released. When all eight of those accused and hanged that day were dead, Reverend Nicholas Noyes was quoted as saying, “What a sad thing it is to see eight firebrands of Hell hanging there.”

More than three centuries later, on October 31, 2001, Margaret was officially exonerated. Most of the executed had been exonerated in the early 1700’s, but for reasons unknown, Margaret’s family didn’t come forward at this time.

There is a memorial to Margaret that was erected in 1992 at the intersection of Main Street (Route 1A) and Pleasant Street in Rowley. There is also a restored historical home built in 1676 by Margaret’s son Benjamin. It is not known where Margaret lived in 1692, but it is possible she could have been living with her son.

In March 2012, Margaret’s original indictment was sold at a New York auction for $26,000. It was the first Salem witch trial document to be sold in 30 years. it was auctioned again in 2017 for $137,000.

The Witchcraft Trial of Margaret Scott

Margaret Scott was a woman from Rowley who was accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692.

Margaret Scott was the only person from Rowley who was tried in the Salem Witch Trials.

Margaret was born sometime between 1615 and 1621 to the Stevenson’s family. She was most likely born in England and later moved to the Massachusetts Bay Colony with her family.

In 1642, Margaret Stevenson married Benjamin Scott, a struggling farmer from Rowley, Mass. Between the years 1642 and 1656, the couple had six children together but only three survived infancy.

In 1664, the town awarded Benjamin a parcel of farmland. A year later though, a man by the name of Benjamin Scott was fined by the Essex County Court and admonished for theft (Goss 102). It is not clear if it was the same Benjamin Scott.

In 1666, Benjamin Scott signed the Freeman’s Oath in Rowley, a loyalty pledge that meant the person was now a full citizen of the colony.

Then, in June or July of 1671, Benjamin Scott died and left Margaret his meager estate of 67 pounds and 17 shillings. Margaret was just 56 years old at the time and continued to live off of this small estate for the next 20 years.

As the estate slowly dwindled Margaret was eventually reduced to begging her neighbors for assistance, making her unpopular around town, according to K. David Goss in his book The Salem Witch Trials: A Reference Guide:

“Similar to Wenham’s beggar, Sarah Good, Margaret Scott became an unpopular and disliked member of the Rowley community in large part because of her habit of begging neighbors and passersby for assistance. Those that denied providing Margaret with money or goods came to expect verbal abuse, or, worse, a curse. Not surprisingly, several of her alienated Rowley neighbors appeared at the Salem Court to provide evidence and depositions against her” (Goss 103).

Her isolation and unconventional lifestyle made her an easy target for accusations of witchcraft, which were often based on rumors and hearsay. In September 1692, Margaret Scott was arrested on charges of witchcraft. During her trial, several witnesses testified against her, claiming that she had used supernatural means to harm them or their loved ones.

Margaret Scott and the Salem Witch Trials:

Much of Scott’s witchcraft trial is a mystery because most of the files from her case are missing. The only files that remain are her indictments and a handful of testimony.

There is no arrest warrant, no transcript of her examination and no death warrant. As a result, Scott is one of the most obscure victims of the trials, according to Goss:

“A longtime resident of Rowley, Massachusetts, Margaret had lived most of her life in poverty. She is one of the most obscure and least-known of the victims of the Salem trials. In part this is because nearly all the records pertaining to her case are missing” (Goss 102).

On August 4, 1692 in Rowley, Mary Daniel made a deposition against Margaret Scott, stating that her specter had afflicted her the week before. Daniel said she had become suddenly ill one night and when she went to lie down, the specter of Margaret Scott appeared and attacked her, pulling her to the ground and pinching her. Daniel said she continued to have fits ever since then, during which she would frequently see Scott’s specter.

As a result, it is believed that Scott was probably arrested the same day, on August 4, and that her examination took place the following day, according to Winfield Nevins in his book Witchcraft in Salem Village in 1692:

“We have little information concerning Margaret Scott of Rowley. No doubt there were numerous papers in her case but they have been lost or destroyed. Only a few remain. Her preliminary examination took place on August 5, the arrest having probably been made on the previous day. I am unable to find anything about her or her family from the records or from the writings of local historians” (Nevins 203).

The record of her examination has been lost so it is not known what happened that day or what Scott said at the examination.

What is known is that Scott was indicted on two charges of witchcraft, one for bewitching Mary Daniel and one for bewitching Frances Wicom.

Margaret Scott maintained her innocence throughout the trial, but this did not save her from being found guilty. On September 22, 1692, Margaret Scott was hanged on Gallows Hill, along with seven other convicted witches. Her execution was carried out in front of a large crowd of spectators, who believed that by eliminating witches, they were protecting their community from evil forces. Although the Salem witch trials were eventually recognized as a tragic and unjust event in American history, at the time, they were seen as a necessary means of preserving social order. Innocent people like Margaret Scott were caught in the hysteria and faced dire consequences as a result. It was not until many years later that the trials were regarded as a gross miscarriage of justice. Today, Margaret Scott's story serves as a reminder of the dangers of mass hysteria and the importance of protecting the rights and liberties of all individuals, even in times of fear and uncertainty. The Salem witch trials stand as a cautionary tale, reminding us of the need to be vigilant in questioning and challenging unjust accusations..

Reviews for "Margaret Scott: The Untold Story of a Victim's Experience in the Salem Witch Trials"

1. Laura - 1 Star

I found "Margaret Scott Salem Witch Trials" to be incredibly disappointing. The story lacked depth and character development, and the writing style was dry and unengaging. The author failed to effectively convey the historical context of the Salem Witch Trials, leaving the reader confused and disconnected from the events. Overall, this book fell short of my expectations and I cannot recommend it.

2. Mark - 2 Stars

"Margaret Scott Salem Witch Trials" could have been a fascinating exploration of a dark period in history, but unfortunately, it fell flat. The pacing was inconsistent, with long, drawn-out sections that didn't contribute to the overall narrative. Additionally, the author's writing lacked finesse and failed to create a sense of suspense or intrigue. I was left feeling underwhelmed and unsatisfied with this book.

3. Sarah - 2 Stars

I was excited to read "Margaret Scott Salem Witch Trials" as I have always been intrigued by the Salem Witch Trials. However, I found this book to be a letdown. The characters were shallow and one-dimensional, making it difficult to connect with their struggles or motivations. The narrative also felt disjointed, with abrupt shifts in tone and pacing that made it hard to follow the story. Overall, this book lacked the depth and substance I was hoping for, and I was left feeling disappointed.

4. John - 1 Star

"Margaret Scott Salem Witch Trials" was a complete waste of time. The author's writing style was convoluted and confusing, making it hard to understand the plot or the characters' actions. The story lacked a clear direction, and the historical backdrop of the Salem Witch Trials felt underdeveloped and poorly researched. I would not recommend this book to anyone interested in a compelling and well-crafted historical novel.

5. Emily - 2 Stars

I was intrigued by the premise of "Margaret Scott Salem Witch Trials," but I was ultimately let down by its execution. The characters were forgettable, and their relationships felt forced and unrealistic. The pacing was inconsistent, with long stretches of mundane details that did not advance the plot. Additionally, the dialogue came across as stilted and unnatural, making it difficult to engage with the story. Overall, I was disappointed by this book's lackluster storytelling and would not recommend it.

The Mysterious Case of Margaret Scott in the Salem Witch Trials