Question

Who represented the accused in the witchcraft trials

Answer 1

Answer: There were two primary accusations, one from Abigail Hobbs who during her own confession to witchcraft named Giles and Martha Corey as fellow witches, and one from Exekiell Chevers and John Putnam, Jr., who filed an accusation on behalf of Ann Putnam, Marcy Lewis, Abigail Williams, Mary Walcott and Elizabeth Hubbard.

Answer 2

Answer: None, they represented themselves.

Explanation: According to historyofmassachusetts.org, “During a formal trial, the accused were not represented by lawyers but were allowed to directly ask accusers and witnesses questions. This often did not work out in the accused person’s favor because they were often not educated enough or emotionally equipped enough to defend themselves against the accusation of witchcraft. In addition, the accused often faced overwhelming and easily faked evidence”…”Even if the accused did cross-examine the witness, there wasn’t much they could say to de-bunk these types of claims.” (Brooks, What Options Did an Accused Witch Have in Salem?)