George Herrick

Who was George Herrick?

George Herrick was the "Marshal" for the Court of Oyer and Terminer during the Salem Witch Trials. There is no firm evidence that George Herrick was connected with constable Joseph Herrick although George and Henry were referred to as "kinsmen" by Sidney Perley in the History of Salem. Apparently, their personalities were quite different. Whereas Joseph ended as a skeptic and in opposition to the trials, Marshal Herrick was one of the most vigorous of the prosecutors. Whereas Joseph was born and raised in Salem, George Herrick had not been in New England for many years as of 1692.

He described himself as "bred a gentleman, and not much used to work." He was described by those who knew him as a "very tall, handsome man, very regular and devout in his attendance at church, religious without bigotry, and having every man's good word." In several of the witch cases, George Herrick is listed as a plaintiff. Marshall Herrick presented the court with his own petition on December 8, 1692; begging the magistrates to pay him "overtime" wages for the hard work he had done during the trials.