Which woman was arrested three days after her stepdaughter Abigail Hobbs?

Deliverance Hobbs was arrested three days after her stepdaughter Abigail Hobbs.

Abigail Hobbs was arrested on April 18, 1692, during the expanding Salem witchcraft crisis. Her stepmother, Deliverance Hobbs, and her father, William Hobbs, were arrested on April 21, placing the whole family under suspicion. The Hobbs family lived in the Topsfield area, near the communities drawn into the accusations.

Abigail confessed during examination and accused other people, including the former Salem Village minister George Burroughs. Her statements helped intensify suspicion toward her parents. Deliverance eventually confessed as well, after repeated questioning by magistrates, and was held in jail with other accused women.

The case demonstrates how an accusation could spread through family connections. Abigail’s arrest did not remain an isolated charge; investigators soon pursued her parents, and the family’s imprisonment imposed serious financial costs. In a later petition, William Hobbs sought reimbursement for expenses caused by the confinement.

A common confusion is with Deliverance Dane, another accused woman from Andover. They shared the first name Deliverance but belonged to different families and communities.