Witch Hunts in Connecticut

While overshadowed by the infamous Salem witch trials of 1692 in Massachusetts, the specter of witchcraft accusations and trials haunted the colony of Connecticut for decades prior. Beginning in 1647, and continuing intermittently until 1697, Connecticut experienced its own dark chapter of witch hunts, fueled by religious fervor, social anxieties, and the ever-present fear of the unknown. This period offers a chilling glimpse into the lives of the early Puritan settlers and the dangers that lurked within their own communities.

The historical context of these events is crucial to understanding the motivations behind them. Puritan Connecticut was initially divided into two distinct colonies: Connecticut and New Haven. The legal framework that underpinned the witch hunts was established early on. In 1642, Connecticut formally criminalized witchcraft, decreeing that "If any Man of Woman be a Witch – that is, hath or consulteth with a familiar Spirit – they shall be put to death." New Haven followed suit in 1655, enacting a similar law that referenced biblical passages from Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy as justification for the death penalty. These laws provided the legal foundation for the accusations, trials, and executions that would follow. The seeds of fear were sown and watered by strict religious doctrine and the anxieties of a fledgling society.

The legal process for those accused of witchcraft was a formal criminal prosecution, including a jury trial. However, the standards of evidence and the prevailing biases of the time often made these trials far from fair. Accusations, often based on hearsay and spectral evidence (visions or dreams), were enough to condemn individuals to death. This created an environment where personal grudges, social ostracization, and even simple misunderstandings could lead to tragic consequences. The very system designed to uphold justice became a tool of persecution, fueled by superstition and fear.

The Witch Hunts in Connecticut were deeply intertwined with the religious beliefs and social structure of the Puritan settlers. The Puritans, connected with the Massachusetts and Plymouth colonies, had fled England to escape religious persecution, seeking to establish a "nation of saints" in the New World. They were intensely religious, conservative, and intolerant of differing beliefs. While they sought religious freedom for themselves, they were unwilling to extend it to others. This rigid worldview, combined with a belief in the literal existence of witches recruited by the Devil, created a fertile ground for suspicion and paranoia. They brought with them the Old World belief in witches who the Devil recruited to cause harm within their communities.

Life in the New World was fraught with hardship for the Puritan settlers. Epidemics of illness, harsh winters, livestock deaths, starvation, and conflicts with Native Americans were common occurrences. In the face of such adversity, the Puritans sought someone or something to blame for their misfortunes. Witchcraft became a convenient scapegoat, offering a simple explanation for complex problems. Their suspicion often fell upon those who did not conform to the community’s strict religious, social, and personal standards. Dissenters, outsiders, and those who challenged the established order were particularly vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft. The Witch Hunts in Connecticut became a way to enforce conformity and maintain social control.

Women were disproportionately targeted during the Witch Hunts in Connecticut, reflecting the patriarchal nature of Puritan society. Women were viewed as second-class citizens, expected to be quiet, submissive, and subservient to men. Those who deviated from this ideal, whether through independence, outspokenness, or simply by living outside the traditional family structure, were viewed with suspicion. Furthermore, women often held roles as food preparers, animal tenders, and midwives, making them easy targets to blame for sickness, death, and childbirth complications. In essence, women were held responsible for the well-being of the community, and when things went wrong, they were often the first to be accused.

The majority of those accused of witchcraft in Connecticut, as in other regions, were poor women, single mothers, widows, women over the age of 40, and those living on the margins of society. These women often lacked the social and economic resources to defend themselves against accusations. They were seen as having no specific purpose and were considered easy targets. Widows, in particular, were viewed with suspicion, especially if they had inherited land and money, which challenged the Puritan social order. This distrust extended to married women without male offspring, who stood to inherit their husband’s estates if they outlived them. The Witch Hunts in Connecticut thus served to reinforce existing social inequalities and maintain the power of the elite.

The early years of the witch hunts saw several individuals condemned and executed. In 1647, Alse Young of Windsor became the first person executed for witchcraft in the 13 colonies. She was followed by Mary Johnson of Wethersfield, who confessed to witchcraft and was executed in 1650 in Hartford. These early cases set a dangerous precedent, paving the way for further accusations and trials. As the hysteria spread, more and more individuals found themselves caught in the web of suspicion, their lives irrevocably altered by the accusations against them.

The spring of 1662 marked the peak of witch-hunting in Connecticut with the Hartford Witch Panic. The death of eight-year-old Elizabeth Kelly, whose parents believed their neighbor Goody Ayres had caused the child’s death through magic, triggered the panic. Soon, others in Hartford claimed to have been "afflicted" by demonic possession at the hands of their neighbors. This led to 12 people being accused of witchcraft and four executions. This period of intense fear and paranoia demonstrates the devastating consequences of unchecked accusations and the fragility of justice in the face of mass hysteria.

Following the deaths in 1662, Colonial Governor John Winthrop, Jr., began to question the evidence presented in the witch trials and the possible motives of the accusers. He established more objective criteria for witch trials, requiring at least two witnesses for each alleged act of witchcraft. In some cases, he intervened and overturned verdicts. Winthrop’s actions marked a turning point in the Witch Hunts in Connecticut, introducing a degree of skepticism and due process that had been sorely lacking. While the witch hunts did not immediately cease, Winthrop’s reforms helped to curb the excesses of the earlier period.

Despite Winthrop’s efforts, the witch hunts continued. In 1692, coinciding with the Salem witch trials, another frenzy erupted in Fairfield, Connecticut. A young servant named Catharine Branch claimed she had fits due to the actions of Mercy Disborough and Elizabeth Clawson. While several indictments were made, no executions occurred. This final wave of accusations marked the waning of the witch hunt era in Connecticut.

Afterward, witchcraft remained a capital crime in Connecticut into the 18th century, but prosecutions became rare. Between 1647 and 1697, over 40 accusations of witchcraft were made in Connecticut, resulting in 11 executions. These figures, while smaller than those of Salem, Massachusetts, represent a significant loss of life and a dark chapter in the history of the colony. The legacy of the Witch Hunts in Connecticut serves as a reminder of the dangers of religious extremism, social intolerance, and the importance of protecting individual rights in the face of mass hysteria.

People Accused Of Witchcraft In Connecticut

• Alse Young – Accused in Windsor in 1647 and hanged.
• Mary Johnson – Accused in Wethersfield in 1648 and hanged.
• John Carrington – Accused in Wethersfield in 1651 and hanged.
• Joan Carrington – Accused in Wethersfield in 1651 and hanged.
• Goodwife Bassett – Accused in Fairfield in 1651 and hanged.
• Goodwife Knapp – Accused in Fairfield in 1653 and hanged.
• Elizabeth Goodman – Accused twice in New Haven in 1653 and 1655. Acquitted with a warning the first time. Conflicting records on the second accusation.
• Mary Staples – Accused twice of witchcraft. Exonerated and awarded damages for slander in 1654 in New Haven. Indicted in 1692 in Fairfield, but conflicting records on prosecution.
• Lydia Gilbert – Accused in Windsor in 1654, convicted, but fate unknown. Likely hanged.
• Nicholas Bailey – Accused in New Haven in 1655, acquitted and banished with his wife.
• Goodwife Bailey – Accused in New Haven in 1655, acquitted and banished with her husband.
• William Meaker – Accused in 1657 in New Haven. Acquitted and charged his accuser with slander.
• Elizabeth Garlick – Accused in Easthampton in 1658 and acquitted.
• Katherine Palmer – Accused twice in Wethersfield in 1660 and 1662. Case dismissed with a warning the first time. Fled to Rhode Island in 1662.
• Nicholas Jennings – Accused in Saybrook in 1661 and acquitted.
• Margaret Jennings – Accused in Saybrook in 1661 and acquitted.
• Judith Varlet – Accused in Hartford in 1662 and acquitted.
• Goody Ayres – Accused in Hartford in 1662 and fled the colony with her husband.
• Rebecca Greensmith – Accused in Hartford in 1662 and hanged in January 1663 with her husband.
• Nathanial Greensmith – Accused in Hartford in 1662 and hanged in January 1663 with his wife.
• Mary Sanford – Accused in Hartford in 1662, found guilty, and likely hanged.
• Andrew Sanford – Accused in Hartford in 1662 and acquitted.
• Mary Barnes – Accused in Farmington in 1662 and hanged.
• Elizabeth Blackleach – Accused in Wethersfield in 1662. Suspected but not charged and filed a slander suit.
• John Blackleach – Accused in Wethersfield in 1662. Suspected but not charged and filed a slander suit.
• James Wakeley – Accused twice in Hartford in 1662 and 1665 and fled both times.
• Elizabeth Seager – Accused twice in Hartford in 1663 and 1665. Acquitted the first time but convicted of adultery the second time. Convicted of witchcraft in 1665, conviction reversed after a year in prison.
• Mary Hall – Accused in Setauket in 1664 and acquitted.
• Ralph Hall – Accused in Setauket in 1664 and acquitted.
• John Brown – Accused in New Haven in 1665 and released with a warning.
• William Graves – Accused in Stamford in 1665, but never prosecuted.
• Hannah Griswold – Accused in Saybrook in 1667, exonerated and awarded damages for slander.
• Sarah Dibble – Accused in Windsor in 1673. The jury was hung, and she moved to New York.
• Katherine Harrison – Accused in Wethersfield in 1669, exonerated and awarded damages for slander.
• Goody Messenger – Accused in Windsor in 1669, exonerated and awarded damages for slander.
• Mary Burr – Accused in Wethersfield in 1678, exonerated and awarded damages for slander.
• Goody Bowden – Accused in New Haven in 1689, convicted but given a reprieve on a technicality.
• Mercy Disborough – Accused in 1692 in Fairfield, acquitted.
• Elizabeth Clawson – Accused in 1692 in Stamford. Conflicting records on prosecution.
• Mary Harvey – Accused in 1692 in Fairfield. Conflicting records on prosecution.
• Hannah Harvey – Accused in 1692 in Fairfield. Conflicting records on prosecution.
• Goody Miller – Accused in 1692 in Fairfield and fled to New York.
• Winifred Benham – Accused in 1692 in Wallingford, released on insufficient evidence.
• Hugh Croatia – Accused in 1692 in Stratford, not indicted or released.

Also See:

• Puritans of New England
• Salem, Massachusetts Witchcraft Hysteria
• Witchcraft in America
• Zuni Witchcraft