“The bodies of witches as rebels against God could not be placed among the Elect, the saints in a church cemetery. No respect whatsoever was afforded a witch. And some of them were excommunicated from the church before their execution.” (Source.)

Lady Janet Douglas

(c. 1498 – 17 July 1537) Janet was a Scottish noblewoman accused of attempting to murder the king, and she was executed by burning during the reign of James V of Scotland. While history is unclear if she was formally accused of witchcraft, she did, in fact, suffer a horrible, wretched, tragic fate by being burned at the stake after being accused by a rejected suitor. (Wikipedia, link here.)

“The whole complexion of this shocking tragedy bears such savage traces of a furious and unmanly revenge against a noble and unprotected female, who was the only member of her family on whom ‘the advisers of the Crown’ could lay their hands, that it can hardly be compared with any other event either in ancient or modern history.” (Source.)

Places we’ve performed:

NEW YORK:

Luckily, the Dutch influence in New York kept the witch-hunting to a minimum. (Wikipedia source here.)

Elizabeth Garlick: In 1657-1658, she was accused and tried for witchcraft following the mysterious death of a 16-year-old girl named Elizabeth, the daughter of a prominent colonist. According to the court records, her trial had been for “some detestable and wicked Arts, commonly called Witchcraft and Sorcery, [you] did (as is suspected) maliciously and feloniously, practice…” (Found not guilty.)

Jane Kanniff: “She was odd in dress, preferring parti-colors of wondrous diversity, queer in the fashion of arranging her hair. She was unsocial in a neighborhood where every one knew each other; and morose or erratic when forced to meet people.“(Source.) A twice-married widow and medicinal herbalist, she was accused because local housewives’ butter churned badly, and a cow failed to produce milk after being found standing in a wagon. (No outcome recorded.)

Ralph and Mary Hall: In 1665, Ralph and Mary Hall of Setauket were accused of witchcraft and causing the death of their neighbor, George Wood, along with his child. (Acquitted.)

Witch of Esperance: Unknown name. She was accused of witchcraft by local residents and blamed for causing failed crops and livestock deaths. The woman did not speak English and was not able to defend herself against the accusations. (Murdered by neighbors.)

CONNECTICUT:

Connecticut hanged Alice Young, the first person condemned for witchcraft in the American colonies in 1647.

A website has been established to remember the victims HERE. (The following is copy/pasted from this website.) For more information and details, please click through to the site. Thank you to The Connecticut Witch Trial Exoneration Project for this incredible resource! This will help us remember the victims.

All individuals noted as hanged, convicted, acquitted, or indicted were absolved by the Connecticut General Assembly on May 25, 2023.

PENNSYLVANIA:

Just one.

Margaret Mattson: Tried 1683 in Philadelphia.

Of Swedish-Finnish descent, Nils and Margaret were reputed healers working from Finnish tradition. Per land records, they had a batstow (bastu) or sauna/bathhouse, which the English would have found as strange and indecent, since both men and women would be inside unclothed, but they did tolerate it.

Mattson’s alleged crimes included making threats against neighbors, causing cows to give little milk, bewitching and killing livestock and appearing to witnesses in spectral form.

A popular legend tells of William Penn dismissing the charges against Mattson by affirming her legal right to fly on a broomstick, saying “Well, I know of no law against it.”

Mattson was found guilty of having the reputation of a witch, but not guilty of bewitching animals. Neither woman was convicted of witchcraft, as such a conviction was not legally possible in Pennsylvania at the time. She released on her husband’s posting recognizance bonds and promising six months’ good behavior. (Wikipedia.)

The Real Victims

Places we’ve performed:

NEW YORK:

CONNECTICUT:

PENNSYLVANIA: