Tituba (Upham map #"149")

A slave , Tituba was one of three owned by Samuel Parris upon his coming to Salem Village in 1689. She was the husband of John, Indian, owned by Parris. Both Tituba and John are always referred to in the witchcraft court records as "the Indian" or "an Indian." Tradition holds that Tituba and John were acquired by Parris when in the Barbados, though no direct proof of this exists. In more recent times Tituba has been portrayed as Black, though contemporaries did not so designate her. Her confession before the magistrates seemed so sincere and unwavering that many saw it as valid proof of the existence of a witchcraft conspiracy. It was later claimed by some that her master beat a confession out of her, and that following the witchcraft events Parris did not desire her and she was sold to somebody else upon payment of her jail fees. (Richard Trask, The Devil hath Been Raised, 1997, p.131.)