Sarah Wildes (1627 – July 19, 1692) was executed for witchcraft

Witchcraft

Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...

 during the Salem witch trials

Salem witch trials

The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693...

. She was one of seven children born to William Averell. She married English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 immigrant John Wildes (born 1618) and had a son, Ephraim. Ephraim held the positions of town treasurer

Treasurer

A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...

 and constable

Constable

A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...

 during the period of the conspiracy. Constable Ephraim Wildes was ordered by the Marshall, George Herrick

George Herrick

George Herrick was the "Marshal" for the Court of Oyer and Terminer during the Salem Witch Trials. There is no firm evidence that George Herrick was connected with constable Joseph Herrick although George and Henry were referred to as "kinsmen" by Sidney Perley in the History of Salem. Apparently,...

, to arrest Deliverance Hobbs

Deliverance Hobbs

Deliverance Hobbs was accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. She and her husband, William Hobbs, originally came from Casco, Maine, which is in Wabanaki Indian territory....

. Hobbs, whether through coercion or not, made a jailhouse confession and implicated Sarah Wildes as a witch. Wildes was condemned by the Court of Essex County for the practice of witchcraft. She was executed by hanging in Salem, Massachusetts

Salem, Massachusetts

Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...

, on July 19, 1692 at 65 years of age. Since that time, all of the so-called "witches" have been formally pardoned of the hysterical accusations and subsequent convictions.