Salem The Podcast
Welcome to Salem, Massachusetts! Join tour guides Jeffrey Lilley and Sarah Black as they talk all things Witch City. Learn its history, meet its people, and discover the magic.
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Episodes
4 days ago
4 days ago
George Jacobs was executed on August 19th 1692, but his story doesn't end there. What happens after his execution is almost more important that what led him to the gallows. Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem tour guides, as they explore why George Jacobs’ legacy after his death is arguably more historically important than how, and why, he died. We examine his altered will, the return of his son, the recanted accusations of his granddaughter, and petitions to the courts. But we also have his remains. George Jacobs is the only victim in the Salem Witch Trials whose burial site is known, and it's not even his first burial site!
https://www.reddeathmasquerade.com/
“Case Files Referencing George Jacobs Sr.” Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project. Accessed May 13, 2026. (salem.lib.virginia.edu)
Charles Wentworth Upham, Salem Witchcraft, vol. 2 (Boston: Wiggin and Lunt, 1867), 427.
Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), 148.
“Examination of George Jacobs Sr.,” in Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt, ed. Bernard Rosenthal (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009), 251–52.
Frances Hill, A Delusion of Satan: The Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials (New York: Da Capo Press, 1997), 203.
“George Jacobs Sr. and the Salem Witch Trials.” History of Massachusetts Blog. Accessed May 13, 2026. History of Massachusetts.
“George Jacobs Sr. Home Site.” Salem Witch Museum. Accessed May 13, 2026. Salem Witch Museum.
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www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com
Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com
Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
Thursday May 14, 2026
Thursday May 14, 2026
On August 19, 1692, Salem witnessed the executions of five innocent victims found guilty of Sundry Acts of Witchcraft. We've done deep dives into four of those five victims' stories. And today, we tackle the one remaining: George Jacobs. He was the oldest victim of the Salem Witch Trials and probably had the sharpest tongue. In comparison to other accused, little is known about Jacobs. He seemed to be a law-abiding man who avoided gossip and controversy. Join Sarah and Jeffrey, your favorite Salem tour guides, as they learn what about this man made him such a target.
“Case Files Referencing George Jacobs Sr.” Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project. Accessed May 13, 2026. (salem.lib.virginia.edu)
Charles Wentworth Upham, Salem Witchcraft, vol. 2 (Boston: Wiggin and Lunt, 1867), 427.
Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), 148.
“Examination of George Jacobs Sr.,” in Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt, ed. Bernard Rosenthal (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009), 251–52.
Frances Hill, A Delusion of Satan: The Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials (New York: Da Capo Press, 1997), 203.
“George Jacobs Sr. and the Salem Witch Trials.” History of Massachusetts Blog. Accessed May 13, 2026. History of Massachusetts.
“George Jacobs Sr. Home Site.” Salem Witch Museum. Accessed May 13, 2026. Salem Witch Museum.
Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!? CLICK HERE!
Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE!
www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com
Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com
Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
Thursday May 07, 2026
Thursday May 07, 2026
The threads of Salem's history stretch around the world to build Salem's stories; from Hawaii, to Mauritius, to Japan, and of course to the United Kingdom. And Jeffrey was just recently in the UK and explored some cool Salem connections! Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem tour guides, as Jeffrey recounts his adventures and what he found. In episode 185 where Sarah talked about Sarah Remond's studies in England at the University College London, and from episode 172, when we discussed the play John Proctor is the Villain, Jeffrey found where she lived and saw the play! And what about Salem's founder, Roger Conant, he's from England too, a little village called East Budleigh down in Devon, Jeffrey had to check it out!
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/racism-racialisation/about-us/sarah-parker-remond-plaque-unveiling
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/racism-racialisation/sarah-parker-remond-centre
https://royalcourttheatre.com/events/john-proctor-is-the-villain/
https://www.eastbudleigh.org.uk/out-and-about.html
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www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com
Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com
Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
Tuesday Apr 28, 2026
Tuesday Apr 28, 2026
Ever done stand-up comedy? If you’re coming to Salem, now might be the opportune time to test your skills in a booming comedy scene. Each week, roughly half a dozen comedy shows take place at various venues throughout the city. But it wasn't always like that... not until Allie Del Franco came to town. Over the last few years, this New York transplant has single-handedly transformed the comedic landscape of Salem. What started as a weekly open mic night at Witch's Brew Cafe, has now blossomed into a coalition of 500 comics who just last year alone performed 250 shows. Allie dubs her army of laughter: Witch City Comedy.
She is also the creator, writer, director, producer, inspiration, and star of her own television show, "Witch City." After winning multiple awards at the NYC TV Festival, the show will make its Salem premier at Cinema Salem on May 7th. The entire pilot was filmed in Salem and is full of Salem locals including our very own Sarah Black! So join Sarah and Jeffrey, your favorite Salem tour guides, for a chat with one of our funniest guests yet!
"Witch City" Pilot Premier at Cinema Salem
https://ticketing.useast.veezi.com/purchase/38099?siteToken=mz33me119qs1fn6sympyf41n2w
Instagram @witchcitycomedy / @delfrancoyaknow
Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!? CLICK HERE!
Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE!
www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com
Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com
Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
Tuesday Apr 21, 2026
Tuesday Apr 21, 2026
The ocean is beautiful. But it is also unforgiving. Just beyond Salem’s shoreline, hidden ledges, shifting fog, and unpredictable weather have claimed ships and their passengers for centuries. Some wrecks ended in tragedy. Others in relief. And at least one left Salem awash with bananas. Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem tour guides, for a look at three shipwrecks from a curious book Sarah uncovered during an eBay deep dive: Shipwrecks North of Boston by Raymond H. Bates Jr. From an 18th-century pleasure cruise that became one of Salem Bay’s deadliest maritime disasters, to a Fourth of July excursion steamer caught in a violent squall, these stories reveal just how unforgiving Salem Sound can be. And then there’s the Ethelwold—a fogbound banana steamer that ran aground in 1901, prompting the crew to toss thousands of stems overboard… only for them to wash ashore for days along Salem and Marblehead.
Bates, Raymond H., Jr. Shipwrecks North of Boston Vol I: Salem Bay. Commonwealth Editions, 2000.
Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!? CLICK HERE!
Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE!
www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com
Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com
Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
Wednesday Apr 15, 2026
Wednesday Apr 15, 2026
He was a man of numbers, perhaps THE man of numbers! Nathaniel Bowditch was a math super-genius, an astrologer, a bookkeeper, a finance bro, a shipmaster, a sailor, and by any and every account, a very practical navigator. Join Sarah and Jeffrey, your favorite Salem tour guides, as they learn who exactly this son of a copper turned finance guy really is. We know him as a shipmaster and navigator, but what other innovations can we credit this math wiz with? And is his famous book “The New Practical Navigator” still in use on every US vessel today?
Bowditch, Nathaniel. The New American Practical Navigator. Various editions.
Bowditch, Nathaniel. The American Practical Navigator. Maritime Safety Innovation Lab. PDF. https://maritimesafetyinnovationlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/bowditch.pdf.
“Nathaniel Bowditch, LL.D.: Mathematician, Navigator, Astronomer, 1773–1838.” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, January 1937. https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1937/january/nathaniel-bowditch-lld-mathematician-navigator-astronomer-1773.
“Nathaniel Bowditch.” The Sailing Museum & National Sailing Hall of Fame. https://thesailingmuseum.org/inductee/bowditch-nathaniel/.
“Nathaniel Bowditch.” Historic Salem, Inc. https://historicsalem.org/learn/nathaniel-bowditch/.
Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!? CLICK HERE!
Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE!
www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com
Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com
Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
Wednesday Apr 08, 2026
Wednesday Apr 08, 2026
Salem is certainly full of witches. Some, however, fly above the rest for their influence and impact on the community--Samantha Stevens, Laurie Cabot, BORAH, etc. But have you met the Good Witch of Salem? You've probably seen her waltzing through downtown Salem in her iconic pink ballgown; or perhaps making potions or witch hats with kids at her shop; maybe in the parade or on the trolley. This witch does it all, spreading self-love and joyful energy everywhere she goes. Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem tour guides, for a sit down with the Good Witch herself, Ashley Tina, and learn all about her journey from teacher to innovative entrepreneur and Witch City icon. Where did she come from? How did she become such a staple of Salem? What is our golden heart and how can we discover the magic within ourselves?
https://goodwitchofsalem.com/
Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!? CLICK HERE!
Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE!
www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com
Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com
Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
Thursday Apr 02, 2026
Thursday Apr 02, 2026
Salem has witches, pirates, merchants, and murderers, but soon, Salem may another to the list: Annabelle, one of the most haunted dolls in America. The doll is currently part of the Warren’s Occult Museum, which has recently come under a new custodianship that wants to bring the whole collection to Salem. Join Sarah and Jeffrey, your favorite Salem tour guides, for a chat about the controversy surrounding the "haunted" doll. If a visceral two-hour meeting at City Hall or Reddit and Facebook posts are anything to go by, locals and paranormal investigators alike have strong opinions on the matter and the pot (or maybe cauldron) is well and truly stirred.
Salem Town Hall Meeting
CT Insider
Yahoo article
Salem, MA subreddit
Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!? CLICK HERE!
Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE!
www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com
Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com
Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
Wednesday Mar 25, 2026
Wednesday Mar 25, 2026
The Remonds are by far one of Salem's most famous families. But it may be the youngest daughter, Sarah Parker Remond, who left the greatest impact. Following in her brother's footsteps, Sarah became an anti-slavery activist and lecturer. She toured the country, achieved international success, and earned advanced degrees, all at a time when women (specifically black women) were limited in public discourse. Join Sarah and Jeffrey, your favorite Salem tour guides, for look at the exhilarating life of this very special Salemite.
“Hear Us: Honoring Women’s Contributions.” Black Women’s History Task Force. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK.
“Remond Family.” Hamilton Hall. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK.
“Remond Family Papers.” Massachusetts Historical Society. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK.
“Remond Park.” Salem Public Library Wiki. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK.
“Remond, Sarah Parker.” Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK.
“Remond, Sarah Parker.” Salem Public Library Wiki. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK.
Salenius, Sirpa. An Abolitionist Abroad: Sarah Parker Remond in Cosmopolitan Europe. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2016. LINK.
“Sarah Parker Remond.” Wikipedia. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK.
“Sarah Remond Ejected from Boston Theater.” Mass Moments. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK.
“University Centre Warrington Celebrates Relocation with Blue Plaque Unveiling.” FE News. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK.
Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!? CLICK HERE!
Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE!
www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com
Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com
Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
Wednesday Mar 18, 2026
Wednesday Mar 18, 2026
While John and Nancy Remond served dignitaries and presidents at Hamilton Hall, their eldest son became an accomplished author and public speaker. Known for his voice and wit, Charles Lenox Remond was one of the first to speak out against the horrors of slavery. He traveled with William Lloyd Garrison, inspired Fredrick Douglas, recruited for the USCT, and spoke on political stages everywhere from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts. Join your favorite Salem tour guides for a peak into the life of Charles Remond.
Hamilton Hall. “The Remond Family.” Accessed March 8, 2026. https://www.hamiltonhall.org/remond.
Seger, Donna A., et al., eds. Salem’s Centuries: New Perspectives on the History of an Old American City. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2026.
Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!? CLICK HERE!
Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE!
www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com
Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com
Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE