Which accused woman was the wife of Giles Corey?

Martha Corey was the accused woman who was the wife of Giles Corey.

Martha was Giles Corey’s third wife. She had previously been married to Henry Rich and had a son, Benoni, before marrying Giles around 1690. The couple lived in the Salem area during the witchcraft crisis, when suspicion could arise from rumors, personal conflicts, or an accuser’s claimed vision.

Martha was arrested in March 1692 after accusations that she had afflicted neighbors. Her strong Christian reputation initially made the charge especially shocking, but the court accepted spectral evidence and testimony from the afflicted girls. Giles defended her, yet he was himself accused soon afterward.

Giles refused to enter a plea and was subjected to pressing, a form of torture involving heavy stones. He died on September 19, 1692. Martha was convicted and hanged three days later, on September 22. The couple are often confused with other prominent Salem figures, but Martha—not Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Wildes, or Mary Parker—was Giles Corey’s wife.