Sarah Wildes

Sarah (Averill) Wildes (1627 – July 19, 1692) was executed for witchcraft during the Salem witch trials. She was one of seven children born to William Averell. She married English immigrant John Wildes (born 1616) and had a son, Ephraim. Ephraim held the positions of town treasurer and constable during the period of the conspiracy. Constable Ephraim Wildes was ordered by the Marshall, George Herrick, to arrest Deliverance Hobbs. Hobbs, whether through coercion or not, made a jailhouse confession and implicated Sarah Wildes as a witch. Wildes was condemned by the Court of Essex County for the practicing witchcraft. She was executed by hanging in Salem, Massachusetts, on July 19, 1692 at 65 years of age. Since that time, all of the so-called "witches" have been formally pardoned of the hysterical accusations and subsequent convictions.

Further reading

Upham, Charles (1980). Salem Witchcraft. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., v. 2, pp. 135, 268, 480.