EPISODE · Apr 7, 2026 · 1 MIN
Specters Galore for Benjamin Gould
from Salem Witch Trials Daily · host Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack
We revisit April 7, 1692, when Benjamin Gould reportedly experienced another wave of spectral visitations—an account he later shared during the April 11 examinations of Sarah Cloyce and Elizabeth Procter. We explore the striking list of alleged specters said to appear in his room, including Martha and Giles Cory, Elizabeth and John Procter, Sarah Cloyce, Rebecca Nurse, and the surprising inclusion of Rachel Griggs. We dig into why this is the only known moment Rachel Griggs is ever linked to spectral activity, how nothing ultimately came of the claim, and what her connection to physician William Griggs and afflicted Elizabeth Hubbard may suggest about the wider Salem story.00:00 Welcome and Hosts00:11 Gould Sees Specters00:45 Rachel Griggs Mention00:53 No Charges Filed01:01 Doctor Griggs ContextExamination of Sarah Cloyse and Elizabeth ProcterA Brief and True Narrative by Deodat Lawson:Sign the petition to exonerate Massachusetts witch trial victimsFind My Massachusetts LegislatorsThe Thing About Witch Hunts / About Salem YouTube channelSalem Witch Trials Daily HubThe Thing About SalemThe Thing About Witch HuntsMary Beth Norton, In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692Bernard Rosenthal, ed., Records of the Salem Witch-HuntEmerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American ExperienceMarilynne K. Roach, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under SiegeHigh Quality Scans of Original Court Documents - Peabody Essex Museum Salem Witch Trials Collection
What this episode covers
We revisit April 7, 1692, when Benjamin Gould reportedly experienced another wave of spectral visitations—an account he later shared during the April 11 examinations of Sarah Cloyce and Elizabeth Procter. We explore the striking list of alleged specters said to appear in his room, including Martha and Giles Cory, Elizabeth and John Procter, Sarah Cloyce, Rebecca Nurse, and the surprising inclusion of Rachel Griggs. We dig into why this is the only known moment Rachel Griggs is ever linked to spectral activity, how nothing ultimately came of the claim, and what her connection to physician William Griggs and afflicted Elizabeth Hubbard may suggest about the wider Salem story.00:00 Welcome and Hosts00:11 Gould Sees Specters00:45 Rachel Griggs Mention00:53 No Charges Filed01:01 Doctor Griggs ContextExamination of Sarah Cloyse and Elizabeth ProcterA Brief and True Narrative by Deodat Lawson:Sign the petition to exonerate Massachusetts witch trial victimsFind My Massachusetts LegislatorsThe Thing About Witch Hunts / About Salem YouTube channelSalem Witch Trials Daily HubThe Thing About SalemThe Thing About Witch HuntsMary Beth Norton, In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692Bernard Rosenthal, ed., Records of the Salem Witch-HuntEmerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American ExperienceMarilynne K. Roach, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under SiegeHigh Quality Scans of Original Court Documents - Peabody Essex Museum Salem Witch Trials Collection
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Specters Galore for Benjamin Gould
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