Dark History

184: The Devil's Secretaries or Scapegoats? The Witches History Erased

October 1, 2025

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  • The last witch trial in the world occurred surprisingly recently in 1944, while the first witch trial in America predates the famous Salem events by decades. 
  • Joan Wright, a left-handed midwife in 1626 Virginia, is identified as the first woman officially tried for witchcraft in America, though she was not convicted. 
  • Tituba, an enslaved woman in Salem, strategically confessed to witchcraft, naming others, to survive accusations, ultimately leading to the widespread hysteria that resulted in 25 deaths. 

Segments

Introduction to Witch Trials History
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode premise is established by the surprising fact that the last witch trial occurred in 1944.
  • Summary: The host was shocked to learn the last witch trial was in 1944, occurring during World War II. This discovery prompted a deep dive into witch history, revealing that the first American witch trial happened decades before Salem. The episode promises to set the record straight on lesser-known witches.
Joan Wright: First American Witch Trial
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(00:03:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Joan Wright, a left-handed midwife in 1626 Virginia, faced America’s first witchcraft trial due to superstition surrounding left-handedness (sinister).
  • Summary: Joan Wright’s trial stemmed from her being left-handed, which was associated with the devil, contrasting with the Latin root for right-handedness (‘dexter’) meaning skillful. An earlier incident involving a beggar and her butter churn cemented suspicion against her. Despite being tried under the 1604 Witchcraft Act, records stop after the trial assembly, and she walked free, though her family had to relocate due to the resulting stigma.
Tituba and the Salem Hysteria
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(00:19:52)
  • Key Takeaway: Tituba, an enslaved woman of complex background brought from the Caribbean, strategically confessed to witchcraft to survive, igniting the Salem hysteria.
  • Summary: Tituba was enslaved by Reverend Samuel Paris and brought to Salem, Massachusetts, where she was blamed when Paris’s daughter and niece exhibited strange behavior. Instead of denying the charges, Tituba gave a theatrical confession, describing spectral animals and a book signed in blood, which validated the Puritans’ paranoia. By naming other villagers, she escalated the accusations into a wildfire, though she was not executed, surviving in jail until her fees were paid and she vanished from records.
Helen Duncan: Last Official Witch Trial
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(00:36:14)
  • Key Takeaway: Helen Duncan was the last person tried under the Witchcraft Act of 1735 in 1944 for claiming to communicate with the dead, specifically revealing the sinking of the HMS Barham.
  • Summary: Helen Duncan, a Scottish medium famous for producing ectoplasm, gained notoriety by accurately channeling a sailor who died on the HMS Barham before the government publicly announced the sinking. British authorities raided her seance and charged her under the 1735 Witchcraft Act, focusing on her alleged deception rather than national security leaks. Although found guilty of pretending to conjure spirits, she avoided execution, and the Witchcraft Act was repealed in 1951, marking the end of such trials.