The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 ended positively this week for one of three women who were accused of practicing witchcraft. Candy, an enslaved woman, flipped on her white owner in court, who too was accused of witchcraft, with Candy getting acquitted despite an admission of guilt.
Candy’s owner, Margaret Hawkes, was accused of being a witch by a trio of neighbors in Salem Town. By connection, Candy was also accused. According to court records, Candy, who came to New England from Barbados, spoke limited English. And while she said Hawkes taught her witchcraft and made her sign the so-called “devil’s book,” the women walked away from the ordeal unscathed.
Some historians noted in their research that Hawkes, who was a married woman, was of high social standing. This could have greatly contributed to her avoiding further punishment due to the accusation she faced.
The other women who were accused of witchcraft, Mary Black and Tituba, a Native American, ended favorably for them as well. Mary Black, like Candy, was accused of using dolls to torment the skin of children by pricking them, which caused the victim to also feel pain.
Two white women, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne, who were accused by Tituba of being witches, were both executed.
