January 1692
Day-By-Day chronicle of events during the Salem Witch Trials
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
January 1st
In the kitchen of Reverend Parris’s parsonage, a group of young girls gathered around Tituba, the Caribbean slave woman, who introduced them to the world of magic.
January 3rd
A heavy snowfall blanketed the village on this sacrament day. Reverend Samuel Parris trudged through the drifts to reach the meeting house and ready himself for the morning and afternoon services. His sermon drew from the words of Psalm 110:1: “The Lord said unto my Lord, ‘Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.'”
His sermons usually didn’t talk about Hell, however on this day, he talked about the devil’s truism and hostility towards the church. “it is the main drift of the Devil to pull it all down,” but Christian’s own sins, outward persecutions, and the power of the death. Satan would not prevail even though aided by “wicked and reprobate men.”
January 15th
Tituba spoke of this day in her testimony on March 1st, She described drifting off to sleep and seeing a tall, white-haired man dressed in dark clothing standing beside her bed. He said he was a god and intended to harm the children. He demanded that she assist him and threatened to kill her if she refused. He promised to reward her with many fine things if she served him faithfully for six years but warned that defiance would lead to her death.
January 16th
Tituba spoke of this day in her testimony on March 1st; She said a spirit approached her, offering bribes in the form of creatures, specifically green, white, and yellow birds. She resisted, refusing to serve him and declaring, you are no god. As she attempted to retreat to Reverand Parris’s study, the Devil man blocked her path and declared she was now bound to serve him, promising to return on Wednesday.
Janyuary 19th
On this blustery day, sleet and snow battered Reverend Parris’s home. Betty and Abigail’s behavior became increasingly apparent to the adults when they discovered the girls huddled beneath a chair and stool. The girls twisted themselves into strange postures, gestured oddly, and uttered incomprehensible phrases. Abigail also complained of intense headaches.
January 20th
In her testimony on March 1st, Tituba recounted standing in the hall beside the parlor, listening as Reverend Parris and his wife tended to the afflicted Abigail and Betty. Suddenly, four women appeared in the corner, followed by the man-devil who emerged behind her. Grabbing her, he commanded, “Go, and do harm to them, and pinch them.” Unnoticed by the Parris family, they all moved into the parlor together.
Tituba resisted harming the girls, but the four women encircled her, forcing her toward Abigail and Betty, compelling her to pinch them. Afterward, the women vanished, and the man-devil spoke again, warning that Reverend Parris would soon read from his Bible and quiz her on its contents to gauge her understanding, but she would be unable to remember. He then vowed to return on Friday to show her his book.
January 22nd
In her testimony, Tituba recounted that on this day, the man-devil appeared at the parsonage and demanded she sign his book with her own blood. He gave her a stick with a needle tied to one end and ordered her to prick her finger. However, before he could produce his book, Reverend Parris called to her from another room, and the man-devil vanished.
January 23rd
On this day, apparitions continued to visit the parsonage. In her testimony, Tituba recalled a hog or large black dog leaping out of the shadows and commanding her to “Serve me,” before shifting into the shape of a man. The witches also materialized in the room; though she couldn’t identify two of them, she recognized the others as Sarah Good and Sarah Osborn. The man-devil repeatedly shouted, “Serve me, serve me,” until Tituba signed his book with the blood from her finger.
