Elizabeth Hubbard

Elizabeth Hubbard was an American woman who is best known as the primary instigator of the Salem Witch Trials. Hubbard was 17 years old in the spring of 1692 when the trials began. In the 15 months the trials took place, twenty people were executed.

Early life Elizabeth Hubbard was born in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1674. Hubbard was an orphan who lived with her uncle, Dr. William Griggs. She served as his maidservant.

Involvement in Salem Witch Trials A group of girls ranging in age from 9 to 17 were the main accusers in the Salem witch trials. This group, of which Elizabeth Hubbard was a part, also included Ann Putnam, Mary Walcott, Elizabeth “Betty” Parris, Abigail Williams, Elizabeth Booth, Mercy Lewis, and Mary Warren. As Elizabeth Hubbard was the maidservant of Griggs, it is likely that she was intimately aware of the symptoms involved in the fits. Hubbard had her first recorded fit on February 1, 1692. As the trials progressed, Hubbard began instigating more and more accusations.