Mary Johnson – Confessed Witch of Connecticut
In the annals of early American history, the specter of witchcraft looms large, casting a long shadow over the lives of those caught in its web. Among the unfortunate individuals ensnared by the paranoia and superstition of the era was Mary Johnson – Confessed Witch of Connecticut, a woman whose story, though shrouded in the mists of time, continues to resonate with chilling relevance.
Mary Johnson – Confessed Witch of Connecticut holds the somber distinction of being the second person known to have been executed for witchcraft in the colony. Her life, about which relatively little is definitively known, offers a glimpse into the social and legal landscape of 17th-century New England, a world where accusations of witchcraft could lead to swift and irreversible consequences. She resided in Wethersfield, Connecticut, a town familiar to many through Elizabeth George Speare’s historical fiction novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond. While the novel is fictional, Wethersfield witnessed a dark chapter with eight residents accused of witchcraft during that era.
Details regarding her early life remain elusive. The historical record is silent on the specifics of her birth, upbringing, or arrival in Wethersfield. The fact that she is never referred to as "Goodwife," the customary title for married women in colonial New England, suggests that she likely died unmarried. Her initial brush with the law came in 1646 when she was convicted of theft. As punishment, the court ordered her to be publicly whipped, once in Hartford and again a month later in Wethersfield. Sadly, this incident marked only the beginning of her misfortunes.
The year 1648 would prove to be a fateful one for Mary Johnson – Confessed Witch of Connecticut. On December 7th, she stood accused of witchcraft, facing a jury that ultimately found her guilty. The basis for their verdict rested largely on her own confession.
More than four decades later, the prominent Puritan minister Cotton Mather, a figure deeply intertwined with the Salem witch trials, recounted Mary Johnson’s case in his influential work, Memorable Providences, Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions. Mather’s account paints a disturbing picture, alleging that Johnson was coerced into confessing by Samuel Stone, a local minister. According to Mather, her confession extended beyond simple witchcraft, encompassing accusations of murdering a child and engaging in "uncleanness with men and devils."
Mather’s writings further elaborate on Johnson’s alleged interactions with the supernatural. She purportedly claimed that discontent with her assigned tasks led her to seek assistance from a devil. This devil, in turn, supposedly performed domestic chores such as sweeping the hearth and even driving hogs out of her employer’s fields.
Despite the grim nature of her confession, Mather also portrays Johnson as experiencing a conversion while imprisoned. He wrote that she "went out of the world with many hopes of mercy through the merit of Jesus Christ," and that her death was "in a frame extremely to the satisfaction of them that were spectators of it," suggesting she died humble and repentant.
However, the historical narrative surrounding Mary Johnson – Confessed Witch of Connecticut has been subject to considerable confusion and misinterpretation over the years. One particularly persistent misconception involves the assertion that her execution was delayed due to pregnancy and that her child was later entrusted to the jailkeeper’s son.
This erroneous account can be traced back to an 1885 article titled "Witchcraft in Connecticut" by Charles Herbert Levermore, published in the New Englander and Yale Review. Levermore’s claim was subsequently repeated in an 1886 essay by Charles Dudley Warner, which appeared in James Hammond Trumbull’s Memorial History of Hartford County. The erroneous story gained further traction when it was included in John M. Taylor’s 1908 book, The Witchcraft Delusion in Colonial Connecticut, 1647 to 1697, a significant work on the subject. The pregnancy and transfer of the child have been reported as fact in works published in recent years, and the tale is often retold on the internet.
However, scholarly analysis has since debunked this claim. William K. Holdsworth, in a 1974 essay, persuasively argued that the confusion arose from the existence of two different women named Johnson who were convicted of crimes in Connecticut within a relatively short period. The original records pertaining to Mary Johnson – Confessed Witch of Connecticut make no mention of a pregnancy or a delay in her execution. Furthermore, Cotton Mather’s account of her trial also omits any such detail.
The pregnant woman in question was actually named Elizabeth Johnson, and she hailed from Fairfield, not Wethersfield. The historical records identify her as "Goodwife," indicating that she was married, specifically to Peter Johnson. Elizabeth Johnson’s conviction occurred in May 1650, more than a year after Mary Johnson’s trial in December 1648. Given the swiftness with which witchcraft accusations were often dealt with, it is highly probable that Mary Johnson was executed within days of her conviction.
Therefore, it is crucial to distinguish between these two individuals. Mary Johnson – Confessed Witch of Connecticut was not pregnant at the time of her trial and did not leave behind a child for the jailer. That unfortunate distinction belongs to Elizabeth Johnson. While the precise nature of Elizabeth Johnson’s crime remains uncertain, it has been theorized that she may have been tried for adultery, based on a reference to a Thomas Newton paying for the upkeep of her child during her 24-week imprisonment.
In conclusion, Mary Johnson – Confessed Witch of Connecticut met a tragic end, condemned for a crime that is now recognized as impossible. Her case serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers of mass hysteria, religious intolerance, and the abuse of power. It highlights the importance of critical thinking, historical accuracy, and a commitment to justice. On May 25, 2023, the Connecticut General Assembly formally exonerated Mary Johnson and eleven other individuals who had been unjustly convicted of witchcraft. This act of belated justice represents a significant step towards acknowledging the historical wrongs perpetrated during this dark period and ensuring that such injustices are never repeated.