What was the name of the four-year-old girl accused of witchcraft?

The four-year-old girl accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials was Dorothy Good. Historical records also called her “Dorcas Good,” which explains why both names appear in accounts of the case.

Dorothy was the daughter of Sarah Good, a poor woman accused early in the 1692 panic. Magistrates examined Dorothy in March 1692 after local accusers claimed that the child had bitten, pinched, or otherwise afflicted them. Officials treated ordinary childhood behavior and a reported story about a talking snake as evidence of a supernatural “familiar.”

Dorothy was arrested and imprisoned, becoming the youngest known person jailed in connection with the trials. She remained in custody for months and was eventually released on bond; she was never indicted or tried. Her mother, Sarah Good, was later convicted and hanged on July 19, 1692.

Dorothy’s case is often confused with Sarah Good’s because they were accused together. Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey were different accused women, not names associated with the child. The episode illustrates how the panic extended beyond adult suspects to children.