193. Witch Trials: George Jacobs (part 1)

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.

 

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