This state executed more “witches” than Salem and nobody talks about it

Connecticut’s Pre-Salem Witch Trials in Wethersfield

Before Salem, there was Wethersfield. Connecticut’s witch panic killed 16 people between 1647-1663, starting with Mary Johnson, a poor servant who “confessed” after torture by Reverend Stone.

Soon after, carpenter John Carrington and his wife Joan were hanged for “familiarity with Satan. ” Their combined worth?

Just 23 pounds. The trials finally ended when wealthy widow Katherine Harrison’s case prompted Governor Winthrop to demand multiple witnesses see the same supernatural act.

This legal shift saved lives and changed history.

The Buttolph-Williams House now stands where these tragic events unfolded, telling a story of fear that ended 30 years before Salem began.

America’s First Witch Hanging Took Place in Hartford

Hartford hanged Alse Young on May 26, 1647, making her the first person killed for witchcraft in colonial America. This Windsor woman died with almost no records of her trial or charges.

Connecticut made witchcraft punishable by death five years earlier. The flu going around New England likely sparked fears that got her accused.

Windsor town clerk Matthew Grant wrote the only record of her death in his diary: “Alse Young was hanged.

Torture Forced Mary Johnson to Admit She Talked to Devils

Mary Johnson, a house servant in Wethersfield, broke down in 1648.

Reverend Samuel Stone tortured and harshly questioned her until she became the first person in American colonies to admit to witchcraft.

Johnson told them the devil helped her with chores like cleaning hearths and chasing hogs from fields. She also said she killed a child and had “uncleanness with men and devils.”

The court found her guilty on December 7, 1648, and Hartford hanged her soon after.

A Carpenter and His Wife Got Caught in Witchcraft Accusations

John Carrington built houses until February 20, 1651, when officials charged him and his wife Joan with witchcraft. They stood accused of “entertaining familiarity with Satan” and doing “works above the course of nature.”

The couple lived as respected Wethersfield residents before the charges. John had earlier gotten in trouble for illegally trading a gun with a Native American.

Their modest standing and lack of money made them easy targets during a time of fear.

The Hanging of Two Spouses Completed Wethersfield’s Witch Trilogy

The court found John and Joan Carrington guilty on March 6, 1651, and hanged them both in Hartford that same day.

After their deaths, officials counted their belongings and found a small estate worth just 23 pounds, with 13 pounds in debts. No records tell us what evidence the court used against them.

Their deaths marked the second known case in New England where a married couple died for witchcraft. Wethersfield saw no more witchcraft cases for over ten years after this.

Ministers Led the Charge Against Suspected Witches

Reverends Samuel Stone, Joseph Haynes, and Samuel Hooker formed a powerful group that pushed witch cases forward. During this early time, one witness could send someone to the gallows for witchcraft.

Thomas Welles served as the chief judge who oversaw many of these trials. Questioners often used harsh methods to force scared people to confess.

By the 1660s, Connecticut became known as New England’s most aggressive colony for going after witches.

Panic Spread While the Governor Was Away

Governor John Winthrop Jr. traveled to England from 1661 to 1663 to get Connecticut’s colonial charter.

While he was gone, Hartford went crazy with witch fears after Anne Cole started blaming her neighbors for dark magic. The court quickly killed three people: Nathaniel and Rebecca Greensmith, along with Mary Sanford.

Elizabeth Kelly’s strange problems led to claims against a woman called Goody Ayres. This panic showed how quickly witch fears could grow without Winthrop around to keep things calm.

The Governor Returned with Scientific Skepticism

John Winthrop Jr. came back from England and took charge of witchcraft cases.

His membership in the Royal Society and knowledge of alchemy and natural magic helped him question supernatural claims. The scientific teachings of John Dee and Robert Fludd shaped how he doubted witch claims.

He used science to challenge ghost sightings and supposed magical events. The once perfect conviction rate for witchcraft cases dropped sharply once he took control again.

A Servant’s Rise to Wealth Stirred Up Jealousy

Katherine Harrison started as a servant but got a fortune worth 1,000 pounds when her husband John died in 1666. This made her one of the richest people in Wethersfield.

She practiced medicine and told fortunes, which made neighbors wonder about her skills. Soon after she got rich, someone damaged her property and her animals began dying strangely.

Her jump from servant to rich widow upset the strict Puritan social order and turned community anger into dangerous claims.

Thirty Witnesses Testified Against the Wealthy Widow

In 1668, Katherine Harrison faced charges of showing up as a ghost, telling fortunes, and calling on the devil. More than 30 people spoke against her during the long court case.

The first jury couldn’t agree, and when a second jury found her guilty, the judges raised concerns. Most proof came from people claiming to see her ghost or spirit, with little real evidence.

The case got so complex that officials called a special court with Governor Winthrop himself in charge.

Winthrop Created Rules That Made Witch Convictions Nearly Impossible

Governor Winthrop and his assistant Gershom Bulkeley established groundbreaking new standards for witch trials.

They ruled that multiple witnesses needed to see the same supernatural act at the same time for a conviction. Claims about seeing ghosts or spirits weren’t enough without solid physical evidence to back them up.

The court overturned Harrison’s death sentence and released her in May 1670. These new rules made it almost impossible to convict anyone of witchcraft going forward.

Connecticut Went from Witch-Hunter to Most Tolerant Colony

After her release, Katherine Harrison received orders to leave Connecticut Colony. She moved to Westchester, New York to start a new life.

Connecticut transformed from the most aggressive witch prosecutor in New England to the most tolerant.

No one else faced execution for witchcraft in Connecticut after Harrison’s case, though occasional accusations still popped up.

The legal precedent from her trial influenced other colonies and helped bring an end to witch trials throughout New England.

On May 25, 2023, the Connecticut state legislature finally cleared the names of all witch trial victims.

Visiting Buttolph-Williams House, Connecticut

The Buttolph-Williams House at 249 Broad Street in Wethersfield gives you a look at America’s first witch trials that happened 30 years before Salem.

Tours run Thursday through Saturday at 10am from May to October, starting at Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum on 211 Main Street. Tickets cost $10 and you need to book ahead.

You’ll see 17th-century cooking tools and colonial furniture, plus special “Witches and Tombstone Tours” that connect the trials to the Ancient Burying Ground.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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