Samuel Wardwell was born on 16 May 1643 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. He was convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to death by hanging on 17 Sep 1692. The execution was carried out on 22 Sep 1692 in Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts. He was a carpenter. He was also known as Samuel Wardle.

Excerpts from Town of Salem, MA Website...

September 17
Margaret Scott, Wilmott Redd, Samuel Wardwell, Mary Parker, Abigail Faulkner, Rebecca Eames, Mary Lacy, Ann Foster, and Abigail Hobbs were tried and condemned.

September 22
Martha Corey, Margaret Scott, Mary Easty, Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator, Wilmott Redd, Samuel Wardwell, and Mary Parker were hanged.

Samuel Wardwell was an inoffensive man of about 49 years of age. He lived in Andover, Mass. and owned a farm. Many years a fortuneteller. His hobby seemed to be to pick out suitable lovers for the lovesick in town. Laws of England and some of the colonies prescribed punishment for those who assumed to read the future. The chief complaint against Wardwell was that his predictions too often came true, this proved he was a wizard. He was arrested on September 1st, 1692 and logged in Salem jail, charged with bewitching Mary Sprague, a 16 year old girl who said he pinched her and knocked her down. After a few days in jail he confessed that he was a wizard and could charm even cattle and pigs so they would follow him anywhere. A few days later he denied his confession and was promptly brought to trial. His wife and daughter testified against him and told of his strange antics. He was convicted and hung September 22nd, 1692 along with several others. He made a farewell speech from the gallows and while doing so the exicutioner smoked a pipe in his face. Wardwell coughed and the crowd cried " the devil chokes him ". His wife and daughter were also convicted but because of their confessions were not hung. Mrs. Wardwell later died in prison.

Wardwell's Confession
I used, when any creature came into my field to bid the devil take it, and when I was a young man I could make all my cattle come round about and follow me. Once I saw some cats together with the appearance of a man who called himself " The Prince of Air ", and he promised me I should be a captain if I would honor him, which I promised to do. The reason I was discontented was because I was in love with a maid named Barker who slighted my love. The first appearance of the cat was behind Captain Bradstreet's house. The next week a black cat was behind Capt. Bradstreet's house, about a week after that a black man appeared in the daytime at the same place and time and called himself Prince and Lord and told him that said Wardwell he must worship and beleive him, and promised him as above, with this addition that he should never want for anything but that the black man had never performed anything and further that when he would go to prayer in his family the devil would begin to be angry. He said also that at that time when the devil appeared and told him he was Prince of the Air, that then he signed his book by making a mark like a square with a black pen and that the devil brought him the pen and the ink. He saith further he honor the devil until he should arrive at the age of 56 years and that he is now about the age 46 years and at the that time the devil promised on his part, as is above expressed he said it was about a fortnight ago since he began to afflict , and confess that Mary Lilly and Hannah Tayler of Ridding were of his company, further he saith that Martha Sprague was the first he afflicted, that the devil did it by pinching his coattails and buttons when he was discontented and gave the devil a commission to do. He says he was baptised by the black man at Shaw Shin river alone and was dipped all over and beleives he renounced his former baptism.

John Higginson Esq.

The deposition of Ephraim Tosser of Andover aged about 54 testifieth and sayeth he heard Samuel Wardwell the prisoner now at the bar tell my wife that she should have five girls before she would have a son; which thing came to pass, and I heard him tell Dority Eames her fortune and I have heard said Dority say after that he believed Wardwell was a witch or else he could never tell what he did and I took notes that said Wardwell would look into their hand and then would cast his eyes down upon the ground always before he told anything, this I have both heard and seen several times.

Baptized May 16, 1643 1st Church of Boston.

Hung on Gallows Hill Salem, Mass., as witch.

Samuel Wardwell was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the youngest son of Thomas Wardwell and Elizabeth Woodroffe. Samuel married Sarah Hooper Hawkes, the widow of Adam Hawkes, in Andover Massachusetts on Jan. 9, 1672 and resided in Andover, Massachusetts were Samuel was a carpenter and they owned a farm. He seemed to be constantly in trouble with the authorities. For many years he was a practiced fortuneteller, strolling about, reading palms and solving the mysteries of life from the broken tea leaves in the bottom of a cup. The chief complaint against Samuel was that his predictions too often came true. This, in the eyes of the authorities was proof that he was, indeed, a Wizard.

He was arrested on Sep. 1, 1692 and logged in the Salem jail, indicted on two counts, first with bewitching a sixteen year old Martha Sprague, and second having made a covenant with the devil some twenty years previously. Also, arrested were his wife Sarah and daughter Mary who after weeks of imprisonment and torture testified against him. Also arrested were Rebecca Nurse, Mary Estey, Abigail Fulkner, Mary Parker, John Proctor and his wife Elizabeth, and Elizabeth Howe. All were accused and imprisoned, and at a court held at Salem were condemned upon the evidence of the art aforesaid possessed persons. Despite recanting his confession, Samuel Warwell received sentence of death on Sept. 17 and was hanged on Sept. 22, 1692 with seven others. His wife Sarah, then 42 and mother of a young child, was also found guilty but her and her daughter Mary age 20 also accused of witchcraft was found not guilty and there execution was stayed. He made a farewell's speech from the gallows and while doing so the executioner smoked a pipe in his face. Samuel Wardwell coughed and the crowed cried, "The Devil chokes him!".

While Sarah Wardwell was in prison her children were disposed as of follows:

1) Mary age 20 accused of witchcraft but found not guilty married John Wright.
2) Samuel age 17 was placed with his uncle John Ballard.
3) William age 14 was placed out with Samuel Frye until age 21, to learn the trade of a weaver.
4) Eliakim age 9 was placed with Daniel Poor until age 21.
5) Elizabeth age 2 was placed with John Stevens until age 18.
6) Rebecca was an infant in arms during the mothers imprisonment. 

He was married to Sarah Hooper on 9 Jan 1672/73 in Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts. He was her second husband. Sarah Hooper married first Adam Hawkes in Jun 1670 in Lynn, Essex Co., Massachusetts.

Sarah Hooper was born on 7 Dec 1650 in Reading, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. She was condemned for witchcraft in 1692 in Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts. She sentence was revoked in 1703. She died in 1711 in Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts. She is erroneously listed as Susan in "William Hooper". Children were:

i. Mary Wardwell was born on 3 Oct 1673 in Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts. She died on 16 Feb 1754 in Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts. She was also known as Mercy Wardwell.
ii. Elizabeth Wardwell was born on 3 Sep 1675 in Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts.  She died on 9 Sep 1675 in Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts.
iii. Samuel Wardwell  was born on 24 Feb 1676/77 in Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts. He died on 15 Mar 1756 in Somers, Tolland Co., Connecticut.
iv. William Wardwell was born on 9 Nov 1679 in Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts. He died on 22 Apr 1751. He was a weaver.
v. Eliakim Wardwell.
vi. Rebecca Wardwell was born on 10 Sep 1691 in Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts.  She died on 2 Mar 1736/37 in Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts.