Sarah Osborne

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Sarah Osborne (also variously spelled Osbourne, Osburne, or Osborn)(c. 1643–May 10, 1692) was one of the first three women to be accused of witchcraft in the Salem witch trials of 1692. Osborne is sometimes referred to as "Goody Osborne", Goody being short for "Goodwife" and at the time a simple form of address for old women of lowly social status.

 Early life and first marriage

Sarah Osbourne, born Sarah Warren, married a prominent man by the name of Robert Prince. He was the brother of a woman who married into the prominent Putnam family. She moved with her husband to Salem Village in 1662, where the couple had two sons: Joseph and James. Robert Prince died in 1674, leaving Sarah Prince a widow.

Accusation

Sarah Osbourne became one of the first persons accused of witchcraft at the beginning of the year 1692, when Betty Parris and Ann Putnam, became ill with an unknown sickness. Both girls claimed that Sarah Osbourne, along with the servant Tituba and Sarah Good, had been afflicting them. All three women were considered social outcasts, albeit for different reasons. Sarah Osbourne had not attended church in almost three years due to a long illness, and was also still dealing with legal issues with the Putnam family. Ann's accusation of Osbourne was most likely the product of powerful suggestions from the Putnam family. The warrant for Sarah Osborne's arrest was written for March 1, 1692. She was to be placed in the Boston jails for the duration of her examinations and trials.

Examination

Sarah Osbourne was the second of the original three to be examined before local magistrates, following Sarah Good and preceding Tituba. Although Osbourne denied all the accusations against her, it was to no avail. The words of Sarah Good's examination were twisted to accompany the girls' accusations towards her and later Tituba would claim that the three of them were indeed working with the Devil.

Osbourne was also questioned about her dreams and whether or not she had ever dreamt of Indians (a believed sign of witchcraft and the Devil). Sarah Osborne admitted that she had had a recurring dream about an Indian who would take her by the hair and drag her out of her house.

At one point during the examinations, Osbourne presented a defense that could not be challenged nor argued with. It was repeated frequently by others who were soon to be accused. She stated: "I do not know [but] that the devil goes about in my likeness to do any hurt." She was stating that the use that the Devil made of her image was unknown to her; even if the Devil were harming the girls while assuming her appearance, she had no idea of it and could not be held accountable. The statement gave her a chance to be found innocent.

She died in jail on May 10, 1692, before the Court of Oyer and Terminer convened, and she was never indicted or tried.