List of people executed for witchcraft

"List of witches" redirects here. For witches in fiction, see List of fictional witches.

Artistic depiction of the execution by burning of three alleged witches in Baden, Switzerland in 1585

This is a list of people executed for witchcraft, many of whom were executed during organised witch-hunts, particularly from the 15th–18th centuries. Large numbers of people were prosecuted for witchcraft in Europe between 1560 and 1630. Until around 1420, witchcraft-related prosecutions in Europe centred on maleficium, the concept of using supernatural powers specifically to harm others. Cases came about from accusations of the use of ritual magic to damage rivals. Up until the early 15th century, there was little association of witchcraft with Satan. From that time organised witch-hunts increased, as did individual accusations of sorcery. The nature of the charges brought changed as more cases were linked to diabolism. Throughout the century, a number of treatises were published that helped to establish a stereotype of the witch, particularly the Satanic connection. During the 16th century, witchcraft prosecutions stabilised and even declined in some areas. Witch-hunts increased again in the 17th century. The witch trials in Early Modern Europe included the Basque witch trials in Spain, the Fulda witch trials in Germany, the North Berwick witch trials in Scotland and the Torsåker witch trials in Sweden.

Witch-hunts also took place during the 17th century in the American colonies. These were particularly common in the colonies of Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Haven. The myth of the witch had a strong cultural presence in 17th century New England and, as in Europe, witchcraft was strongly associated with devil-worship. About eighty people were accused of practicing witchcraft in a witch-hunt that lasted throughout New England from 1648-1663. Thirteen women and two men were executed. The Salem witch trials followed in 1692–93, culminating in the executions of 20 people. 5 others died in jail.

It has been estimated that tens of thousands of people were executed for witchcraft in Europe and the American colonies over several hundred years. Although it is not possible to ascertain the exact number, modern scholars estimate around 40–50,000. Common methods of execution for convicted witches were hanging, drowning and burning. Burning was often favoured, particularly in Europe, as it was considered a more painful way to die. Prosecutors in the American colonies generally preferred hanging in cases of witchcraft.

List and images of those executed for witchcraft

Hypatia was a philosopher in Alexandria. Her knowledge of astronomy and mathematics led to suspicion of sorcery and she was flayed alive by a mob of monks. She is considered by scholars such as Soldan and Heppe to have been the first famous woman to be persecuted for witchcraft by the Christians.

Agnes Bernauer, executed in 1435.

Catherine Deshayes aka La Voisin, executed in 1680.

Urbain Grandier, executed in 1634.

Execution of Ann Hibbins on Boston Common, June 19, 1656. Sketch by F.T. Merril, 1886

Giles Corey being crushed to death, 1692

Martha Corey was executed in 1692

The Trial of George Jacobs who was executed in 1692. Painting by Thomkins Matteson, 1855

Agnes Waterhouse was executed in Chelmsford, England in 1566

Name	Lifetime	Nationality	Notes
Johann Albrecht Adelgrief	d. 1636	German	Executed after claiming to be a prophet.
Marigje Arriens	ca. 1520–1591	Dutch	Burned to death for sorcery
Angéle de la Barthe	ca. 1230–1275	French	Found guilty of sexual relations with the devil and burned to death.
Goodwife Bassett	d. 1651	Colonial American colonist	Hanged at Fairfield, Connecticut
Agnes Bernauer	ca. 1410–1435	German	Convicted of witchcraft and thrown in the Danube to drown, following accusations by her father-in-law Ernest, Duke of Bavaria.
Merga Bien	1560s–1603	German	Convicted as part of the Fulda witch trials and burned to death.
Lasses Birgitta	d. 1550	Swedish	The first woman executed for witchcraft in Sweden; beheaded.
Bridget Bishop	ca. 1632–1692	English (emigrated to British America)	The first person to be tried and executed during the Salem witch trials.
Giovanna Bonanno	d. 1789	Italian	A widow and beggar accused of selling potions and spells intended to kill people to her neighbours. Accused of sorcery and hanged.
Sidonia von Borcke	1548–1620	Pomeranian	Confessed to murder and witchcraft under torture; beheaded, corpse burned.
George Burroughs	ca. 1650–1692	Colonial American colonist	Congregational pastor, executed as part of the Salem witch trials.
Martha Carrier	d. 19 Aug 1692	Colonial American colonist	Hanged during the Salem witch trials; her children had claimed she was a witch.
Anne de Chantraine	1605–1622	French	Burned to death.
Michée Chauderon	d. 1652	Swiss	Confessed under torture to summoning demons and was the last person executed for sorcery in Geneva.
Nyzette Cheveron	d. 1605	Belgian	Confessed to being a witch; was strangled and burned to death.
Elizabeth Clarke	ca. 1565–1645	English	The first woman persecuted by the Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins; hanged.
Bridget Cleary	ca. 1870-1895	County Tipperary, Ireland, UK	Unclear; body immolated, possible posthumously.
Giles Corey	ca. 1611–1692	English (emigrated to British America)	Crushed to death for refusing to plea during the Salem witch trials.
Martha Corey	1620s–1692	English (emigrated to British America)	Hanged during the Salem witch trials
Helena Curtens	1722–1738	German	One of the last people to be executed for witchcraft in Germany.
Jean Delvaux	d. 1595	Belgian	Roman Catholic monk; beheaded
Catherine Deshayes	ca. 1640–1680	French	AKA La Voisin; burned to death following the Affair of the Poisons
Thomas Doughty	d. 1578	English	Nobleman and explorer accused by Sir Francis Drake of witchcraft, mutiny and treason; beheaded
Mary Eastey	1634–1692	English (emigrated to British America)	Hanged during the Salem witch trials
Anna Eriksdotter	1624–1704	Swedish	The last person executed for sorcery in Sweden.
Matteuccia de Francesco	d. 1428	Italian	Confessed to having flown on the back of a demon; burned to death.
Jeane Gardiner	d. 1651	British	Executed in Bermuda.
Gilles Garnier	d. 1573	French	Serial child murderer; convicted of witchcraft and lycanthropy, and burned to death.
Janet, Lady Glamis	d. 1537	Scottish	Accused of witchcraft by King James V; burned to death.
Ann Glover	d. 1688	Irish-born emigrant to Colonial America	Last person hanged for witchcraft in Boston.
Peronne Goguillon	d. 1679	French	Burned to death; one of the last women to be executed for witchcraft in France.
Anna Göldi	d. 1782	Swiss	Beheaded; known as "the last witch in Switzerland".
Sarah Good	1655–1692	Colonial American colonist	One of the first to be convicted in the Salem witch trials.
Urbain Grandier	1590–1634	French	Convicted following the Loudun possessions and burned to death.
Goodwife Greensmith	d. 1663	Colonial American colonist	Hanged at Hartford, Connecticut
Bertrand Guilladot	d. 1742	French	Priest who confessed to having made a pact with the devil
Mechteld ten Ham	d. 1605	Dutch	Confessed under torture and was burned to death.
Walpurga Hausmannin	d. 1587	German	Midwife who confessed to child murder, witchcraft and vampirism; burned to death.
Katharina Henot	1570–1627	German	Postmistress; burned to death.
Adrienne d'Heur	1585–1646	French	Burned to death.
Ann Hibbins	1656	Colonial American colonist	The fourth person executed for witchcraft in Massachusetts Bay Colony; hanged on Boston Common
Janet Horne	d. 1727	Scottish	Last British person to be executed for sorcery; burned to death.
Elin i Horsnäs	d. 1611	Swedish	Beheaded after her second trial for witchcraft.
Elizabeth Howe	1635–1692	English (emigrated to English America)	Hanged during the Salem witch trials.
Hypatia	370–415	Alexandrian	Stripped and torn to pieces by a Christian mob.
George Jacobs	1620–1692	Colonial American colonist	Hanged during the Salem witch trials.
Mary Johnson	ca.1648	Colonial American colonist	Hanged at Hartford, Connecticut
Margaret Jones	1648	Colonial American colonist	The first person to be executed for witchcraft in Massachusetts Bay Colony; hanged.
Katherine Jonesdochter	d. 1616	Scottish	Strangled; burned to death at Scalloway
Märet Jonsdotter	1644–1672	Swedish	Beheaded
Johannes Junius	1573–1628	German	Tortured, burned to death during the Bamberg witch trials
Ursula Kemp	ca. 1525–1582	English	Confessed to witchcraft and hanged.
Mrs. Kendall	ca.1650	Colonial American colonist	Hanged at Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Goodwife Knapp	d. 1653	Colonial American colonist	Hanged at Fairfield, Connecticut.
Anna Koldings	d. 1590	Danish	Burned to death.
Kolgrim	ca. d. 1407	Greenlandic	Burned to death.
Christenze Kruckow	1558–1621	Danish	Noblewoman who confessed to cursing the marital bed of a rival; beheaded.
Alice Lake	1620 - ca. 1650	Colonial American colonist	Wife of Henry Lake; hanged in Massachusetts.
Leatherlips	1732–1810	Native American	Native American leader who was sentenced to death for witchcraft and executed with a tomahawk.
Rebecca Lemp	d. 1590	German	One of 32 women convicted of witchcraft in a witch hunt in Nördlingen, burnt at the stake.
Laurien Magee	1689-1710	Irish	Burnt at the stake as part of the Islandmagee witch trial.
Susannah Martin	1621–1692	English (emigrated to British America)	Executed during the Salem witch trials.
Malin Matsdotter	1613–1676	Swedish	Burned to death.
Petronilla de Meath	ca. 1300–1324	Irish	Burned to death.
Rebecca Nurse	1621–1692	English (emigrated to British America)	Hanged during the Salem witch trials
Lisbeth Nypan	ca. 1610–1670	Norwegian	Cunning woman accused of making people sick to earn money; burned to death.
Ruth Osborne	1680–1751	English	Murdered by an unruly mob during a "trial by ducking".
Paisley witches	d. 1697	Scottish	Also known as the Bargarran witches, the last mass execution for witchcraft in western Europe.
Anne Palles	1619–1693	Danish	The last person officially executed for witchcraft in Denmark; beheaded.
Pappenheimer Family	d. 1600	German	Tortured and burned to death.
Alice Parker	d. 1692	Colonial American colonist	Hanged during the Salem witch trials.
Mary Parker	d. 1692	Colonial American colonist	Hanged during the Salem witch trials.
Maria Pauer	1730s–1750	Austrian	Last person executed for witchcraft in Austria; beheaded.
Anne Pedersdotter	d. 1590	Norwegian	Burned to death.
Pendle witches	d. 1612	English
Elisabeth Plainacher	1513–1583	Austrian	Only person to be executed for witchcraft in Vienna; burned to death.
Polissena of San Macario	d. 1571	Italian	Burned to death.
John Proctor	ca. 1632–1692	Colonial American colonist	Hanged during the Salem witch trials.
Ann Pudeator	d. 1692	Colonial American colonist	Hanged during the Salem witch trials.
Marketta Punasuomalainen	1600s–1658	Finnish	Cunning woman, burned to death.
Wilmot Redd	1600s–1692	Colonial American colonist	Hanged during the Salem witch trials.
Catherine Repond	1662–1731	Swiss	Strangled and burned to death.
Jòn Rögnvaldsson	d. 1625	Icelandic	Burned to death.
Maria Renata Saenger von Mossau	1680–1749	German	One of the last to be executed for witchcraft in Germany.
Agnes Sampson	d. 1591	Scottish	Midwife, garrotted and burned to death during the North Berwick witch trials.
Soulmother of Küssnacht	d. 1577	Swiss	Burned to death.
Gyde Spandemager	d. 1543	Danish	Burned to death.
Maren Spliid	ca. 1600–1641	Danish	Burned to death.
Stedelen	d. ca. 1400	Swiss	Confessed under torture to summoning demons; burned to death.
Agnes Waterhouse	ca. 1503–1566	English	The first woman executed for witchcraft in England; hanged.
Thomas Weir	1599–1670	Scottish	Strangled and burned to death.
Sarah Wildes	1627–1692	English (emigrated to British America)	Hanged during the Salem witch trials.
John Willard	ca. 1672–1692	Colonial American colonist	Hanged during the Salem witch trials.
Witches of Belvoir	d. 1618	English	A mother and two daughters, the daughters were hanged.
Witches of Warboys	d. 1593	English	Alice Samuel and her family; hanged.
Alse Young	ca. 1600–1647	Colonial American colonist	The first person recorded to have been executed for witchcraft in the American colonies; hanged.
Barbara Zdunk	1769–1811	Polish	Burned to death.
Anna Zippel	d. 1676	Swedish	Beheaded.
Antti Tokoi	d.1682	Finnish	Accused and convicted of witchcraft, blasphemy, disgracing priests and healing. Most likely he was first executed, then left for ravens to eat. Tokoi's father is known to have been a witch, too.
Brita Zippel	d. 1676	Swedish	Beheaded.
Mima Renard	d. 1692	French Brazilian	Prostitute, was accused by popular to bewitch men; burned to death.
Maria da Conceição	d. 1798	Brazilian	Accused and convicted of witchcraft to produce medicines and potions to attract men.
Ursulina de Jesus	d. 1754	Brazilian	Accused of removing her husband's virility to avoid having children; burned to death.

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