Which accuser was the first old enough to testify under oath?

Elizabeth Hubbard was the first Salem accuser old enough to testify under oath. She was about 17 years old in 1692, making her legally eligible to give sworn testimony when several younger accusers were not.

Hubbard lived with her uncle, Dr. William Griggs, and worked as his maidservant. She was among the young people who reported mysterious fits and claimed that invisible forces were tormenting them. Her testimony helped turn local accusations into formal legal cases.

Her evidence was repeatedly used against the accused, including during Elizabeth Proctor’s trial. Records credit Hubbard with filing about 40 complaints and testifying 32 times. Later accounts say her testimony contributed to numerous arrests and executions, although the reliability of spectral evidence became increasingly disputed.

She is sometimes confused with Abigail Williams, Betty Parris, or Mary Walcott because all were prominent accusers. Hubbard’s distinguishing feature in this question is her age: at 17, she could testify under oath while the younger girls could not.