Salem The Podcast

Sarah Black & Jeffrey Lilley
  • 4.8 (294)
  • PLACES & TRAVEL
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to Salem, Massachusetts! Join tour guides Jeffrey Lilley and Sarah Black as they talk all things Witch City. Learn its history, meet its people, and discover the magic.

  1. 3D AGO

    192. Jeff's Salem-centric England Trip

    The threads of Salem's history stretch around the world to build Salem's stories; from Hawaii, to Mauritius, to Japan, and of course to the United Kingdom. And Jeffrey was just recently in the UK and explored some cool Salem connections! Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem tour guides, as Jeffrey recounts his adventures and what he found. In episode 185 where Sarah talked about Sarah Remond's studies in England at the University College London, and from episode 172, when we discussed the play John Proctor is the Villain, Jeffrey found where she lived and saw the play! And what about Salem's founder, Roger Conant, he's from England too, a little village called East Budleigh down in Devon, Jeffrey had to check it out!   https://www.ucl.ac.uk/racism-racialisation/about-us/sarah-parker-remond-plaque-unveiling https://www.ucl.ac.uk/racism-racialisation/sarah-parker-remond-centre https://royalcourttheatre.com/events/john-proctor-is-the-villain/ https://www.eastbudleigh.org.uk/out-and-about.html   Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!?  CLICK HERE! Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE! www.salemthepodcast.com NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com   Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours   www.bewitchedtours.com Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours  www.salemuncoveredtours.com    Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

    43 min

  2. APR 28

    191. Interview: Allie Del Franco, Founder of Witch City Comedy

    Ever done stand-up comedy? If you’re coming to Salem, now might be the opportune time to test your skills in a booming comedy scene. Each week, roughly half a dozen comedy shows take place at various venues throughout the city. But it wasn't always like that... not until Allie Del Franco came to town. Over the last few years, this New York transplant has single-handedly transformed the comedic landscape of Salem. What started as a weekly open mic night at Witch's Brew Cafe, has now blossomed into a coalition of 500 comics who just last year alone performed 250 shows. Allie dubs her army of laughter: Witch City Comedy. She is also the creator, writer, director, producer, inspiration, and star of her own television show, "Witch City." After winning multiple awards at the NYC TV Festival, the show will make its Salem premier at Cinema Salem on May 7th. The entire pilot was filmed in Salem and is full of Salem locals including our very own Sarah Black! So join Sarah and Jeffrey, your favorite Salem tour guides, for a chat with one of our funniest guests yet!   "Witch City" Pilot Premier at Cinema Salem https://ticketing.useast.veezi.com/purchase/38099?siteToken=mz33me119qs1fn6sympyf41n2w Instagram @witchcitycomedy / @delfrancoyaknow    Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!?  CLICK HERE! Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE! www.salemthepodcast.com NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com   Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours  www.salemuncoveredtours.com  Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours   www.bewitchedtours.com   Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

    1h 1m

  3. APR 21

    190. Shipwrecks in Salem Sound

    The ocean is beautiful. But it is also unforgiving. Just beyond Salem’s shoreline, hidden ledges, shifting fog, and unpredictable weather have claimed ships and their passengers for centuries. Some wrecks ended in tragedy. Others in relief. And at least one left Salem awash with bananas. Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem tour guides, for a look at three shipwrecks from a curious book Sarah uncovered during an eBay deep dive: Shipwrecks North of Boston by Raymond H. Bates Jr. From an 18th-century pleasure cruise that became one of Salem Bay’s deadliest maritime disasters, to a Fourth of July excursion steamer caught in a violent squall, these stories reveal just how unforgiving Salem Sound can be. And then there’s the Ethelwold—a fogbound banana steamer that ran aground in 1901, prompting the crew to toss thousands of stems overboard… only for them to wash ashore for days along Salem and Marblehead. Bates, Raymond H., Jr. Shipwrecks North of Boston Vol I: Salem Bay. Commonwealth Editions, 2000.   Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!?  CLICK HERE! Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE! www.salemthepodcast.com NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com   Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours   www.bewitchedtours.com Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours  www.salemuncoveredtours.com    Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

    49 min

  4. APR 15

    189. Salem History: Nathaniel Bowditch

    He was a man of numbers, perhaps THE man of numbers! Nathaniel Bowditch was a math super-genius, an astrologer, a bookkeeper, a finance bro, a shipmaster, a sailor, and by any and every account, a very practical navigator. Join Sarah and Jeffrey, your favorite Salem tour guides, as they learn who exactly this son of a copper turned finance guy really is. We know him as a shipmaster and navigator, but what other innovations can we credit this math wiz with? And is his famous book “The New Practical Navigator” still in use on every US vessel today? Bowditch, Nathaniel. The New American Practical Navigator. Various editions. Bowditch, Nathaniel. The American Practical Navigator. Maritime Safety Innovation Lab. PDF.  https://maritimesafetyinnovationlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/bowditch.pdf. “Nathaniel Bowditch, LL.D.: Mathematician, Navigator, Astronomer, 1773–1838.” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, January 1937.  https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1937/january/nathaniel-bowditch-lld-mathematician-navigator-astronomer-1773. “Nathaniel Bowditch.” The Sailing Museum & National Sailing Hall of Fame.  https://thesailingmuseum.org/inductee/bowditch-nathaniel/. “Nathaniel Bowditch.” Historic Salem, Inc.  https://historicsalem.org/learn/nathaniel-bowditch/.   Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!?  CLICK HERE! Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE! www.salemthepodcast.com NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com   Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours  www.salemuncoveredtours.com  Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours   www.bewitchedtours.com   Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

    58 min

  5. APR 8

    188. Interview: The Good Witch of Salem

    Salem is certainly full of witches. Some, however, fly above the rest for their influence and impact on the community--Samantha Stevens, Laurie Cabot, BORAH, etc. But have you met the Good Witch of Salem? You've probably seen her waltzing through downtown Salem in her iconic pink ballgown; or perhaps making potions or witch hats with kids at her shop; maybe in the parade or on the trolley. This witch does it all, spreading self-love and joyful energy everywhere she goes. Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem tour guides, for a sit down with the Good Witch herself, Ashley Tina, and learn all about her journey from teacher to innovative entrepreneur and Witch City icon. Where did she come from? How did she become such a staple of Salem? What is our golden heart and how can we discover the magic within ourselves? https://goodwitchofsalem.com/   Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!?  CLICK HERE! Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE! www.salemthepodcast.com NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com   Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours   www.bewitchedtours.com Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours  www.salemuncoveredtours.com    Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

    1h 2m

  6. APR 2

    187. Annabelle Coming to Salem?

    Salem has witches, pirates, merchants, and murderers, but soon, Salem may another to the list: Annabelle, one of the most haunted dolls in America. The doll is currently part of the Warren’s Occult Museum, which has recently come under a new custodianship that wants to bring the whole collection to Salem. Join Sarah and Jeffrey, your favorite Salem tour guides, for a chat about the controversy surrounding the "haunted" doll.  If a visceral two-hour meeting at City Hall or Reddit and Facebook posts are anything to go by, locals and paranormal investigators alike have strong opinions on the matter and the pot (or maybe cauldron) is well and truly stirred.  Salem Town Hall Meeting CT Insider Yahoo article Salem, MA subreddit Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!?  CLICK HERE! Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE! www.salemthepodcast.com NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com   Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours  www.salemuncoveredtours.com  Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours   www.bewitchedtours.com   Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

    47 min

  7. MAR 25

    186. Salem History: Sarah Parker Remond

    The Remonds are by far one of Salem's most famous families. But it may be the youngest daughter, Sarah Parker Remond, who left the greatest impact. Following in her brother's footsteps, Sarah became an anti-slavery activist and lecturer. She toured the country, achieved international success, and earned advanced degrees, all at a time when women (specifically black women) were limited in public discourse. Join Sarah and Jeffrey, your favorite Salem tour guides, for look at the exhilarating life of this very special Salemite.  “Hear Us: Honoring Women’s Contributions.” Black Women’s History Task Force. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK. “Remond Family.” Hamilton Hall. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK. “Remond Family Papers.” Massachusetts Historical Society. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK. “Remond Park.” Salem Public Library Wiki. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK. “Remond, Sarah Parker.” Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK. “Remond, Sarah Parker.” Salem Public Library Wiki. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK. Salenius, Sirpa. An Abolitionist Abroad: Sarah Parker Remond in Cosmopolitan Europe. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2016. LINK. “Sarah Parker Remond.” Wikipedia. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK. “Sarah Remond Ejected from Boston Theater.” Mass Moments. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK. “University Centre Warrington Celebrates Relocation with Blue Plaque Unveiling.” FE News. Accessed March 24, 2026. LINK.   Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!?  CLICK HERE! Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE! www.salemthepodcast.com NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com   Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours   www.bewitchedtours.com Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours  www.salemuncoveredtours.com    Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

    1h 14m

  8. MAR 18

    185. Salem History: Charles Lenox Remond

    While John and Nancy Remond served dignitaries and presidents at Hamilton Hall, their eldest son became an accomplished author and public speaker. Known for his voice and wit, Charles Lenox Remond was one of the first to speak out against the horrors of slavery. He traveled with William Lloyd Garrison, inspired Fredrick Douglas, recruited for the USCT, and spoke on political stages everywhere from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts. Join your favorite Salem tour guides for a peak into the life of Charles Remond.   Hamilton Hall. “The Remond Family.” Accessed March 8, 2026. https://www.hamiltonhall.org/remond. Seger, Donna A., et al., eds. Salem’s Centuries: New Perspectives on the History of an Old American City. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2026.   Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!?  CLICK HERE! Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE! www.salemthepodcast.com NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod Email - hello@salemthepodcast.com   Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours  www.salemuncoveredtours.com  Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours   www.bewitchedtours.com   Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE

    48 min
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4.8
out of 5
294 Ratings

About

Welcome to Salem, Massachusetts! Join tour guides Jeffrey Lilley and Sarah Black as they talk all things Witch City. Learn its history, meet its people, and discover the magic.

Information

  • Creator
    Sarah Black & Jeffrey Lilley
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    200
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2022 Salem The Podcast
  • Show Website
    Salem The Podcast

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