Week 40, Cemetery: George Jacobs Sr.
- jujsky
- Sep 30
- 3 min read
Week 40 of the 52 Ancestor in 52 Weeks Challenge is “Cemetery.”
Next to the Old Burying Point Cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts where trial magistrates John Hathorne and Bartholomew Gedney are buried, is the Salem Witch Trials Memorial. Installed in 1992, the memorial features four-foot-high granite walls embedded with 20 granite benches – one for every victim of the 1692 witch hunt. Each bench is engraved with the name, execution date, and means of execution. The grassy center of the memorial is shaded by locust trees, believed to be the same type of trees used for the hangings. In a town full of jostling crowds and chaotic energy during tourist season, the memorial offers a quiet place of reflection. It’s a simple, but powerful memorial, and though it’s not where my Salem witch ancestor is interred (that would be the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in Danvers, Massachusetts) I felt a connection when I saw the their name chiseled in the stone.
If asked to picture a Salem witch, most would envision a young woman wearing a simple black dress with a white collar and apron, a coif modestly covering their hair. The image of my ancestor wouldn’t come to mind – a bent, toothless man with long, white hair who hobbled along with aid of two canes. In his 80s, George Jacobs Sr. was one of the oldest to be accused and widely believed to be the oldest victim hanged for witchcraft in Salem.
Born around 1609 in England, Jacobs emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony and settled in Salem Village, now Danvers. By 1692, he had established himself as a prosperous farmer, owning a large property known as Northfields. His vast land holdings, combined with his age and infirmity, may have made him a target. There were underlying financial motivations for many of the accusations. If someone was found guilty, their property was confiscated and sold to the highest bidder, which was oftentimes their accuser.
The first accusation against Jacobs came from his servant, 20-year-old Sarah Churchill, who claimed that his specter tormented her, stating, “I saw the apparition of George Jacobs afflict me.” She also accused his son George Jacobs Jr., and his granddaughter Margaret Jacobs. George Jacobs Jr. fled, abandoning his father, daughter, and wife Rebecca, who was accused of witchcraft by another member of the community. Terrified for her own life, 17-year-old Margaret was also coerced into testifying against her grandfather. She later recanted, writing, “What I said, was altogether false against my grandfather... which I did to save my life and to have my liberty.”
At his examination on May 11, 1692, Jacobs reportedly responded with disbelief, stating, “You tax me for a wizard. You may as well tax me for a buzzard! I have done no harm!” Other neighbors, many of whom were young girls, also gave testimony. Abigail Williams and Ann Putnam claimed that Jacobs’ specter stuck pins in their hands. Mary Wolcott said Jacobs' specter would "come with two staves & beat her with one of them." The most detailed testimony came from Mercy Lewis who accused his specter of torturing her. “I verily beleve in my hart that George Jacobs is a most dreadfull wizzard," she said, claiming he offered her money and threatened to kill her if she refused to sign his book.
It wasn’t just hysterical young women who testified against him. John DeRich, John Putnam, and Thomas Putnam Jr. were also gave testimony. It is worth noting that prior to the witch hysteria, Tomas Putnam Jr. had land disputes with several neighbors in Salem, including George Jacobs Sr. When he was jailed, Dr. George Herrick reportedly examined Jacobs for a "witch's teat" and found an unusual mark on his shoulder. He testified that he pricked it with a pin, and Jacobs did not react – a sure sign he was a witch.
Despite the accusations his neighbors hurled at him, George Jacobs Sr. staunchly maintained his innocence. He was found guilty of witchcraft on August 5, 1692, and was hanged at Gallows Hill on August 19th, alongside fellow accused witches John Willard, Martha Carrier, John Proctor, and Reverend George Burroughs. These senseless executions are a grim reminder of how fear can corrupt judgment and erode community bonds. Jacobs’ death left a profound mark on his family – especially on his granddaughter Margaret, who carried the guilt of testifying against him for the rest of her life. More of a moral catastrophe than a legal failure, the Salem Witch Trials reveal how easily suspicion can escalate into violence and how vulnerable society becomes when reason is replaced by fear.