Massachusetts is working to fully atone for its witch trial legacy nearly 400 years after the first person was executed there for witchcraft
In this Sept. 16, 2023 photo, provided by Alexina Jones, people dressed as witches gather near a newly installed marker, in Pownal, Vt., that recognizes the survivor of Vermont's only recorded witch trial. Widow Krieger was said to have escaped drowning in the Hoosic River when tried as a witch in 1785, according to the Legends and Lore marker.
The Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project, made up of history buffs and descendants, is hoping to persuade the state to take a fuller reckoning of its early history, according to Josh Hutchinson, the group's leader. “It’s important that we correct the injustices of the past,” said Hutchinson, who noted he counts both accusers and victims among his ancestors."We’d like an apology for all of the accused or indicted or arrested.”
Another accused Boston witch, known as Goodwife Ann Glover or Goody Glover, was hanged in the city in 1688. A plaque dedicated to her is located on the front of a Catholic church in the city's North End neighborhood, describing her as “the first Catholic martyr in Massachusetts." It's one of the few physical reminders of the city's witch trial history.
For many, the distant events in Boston, Salem and beyond are both fascinating and personal. That includes David Allen Lambert, chief genealogist for the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Massachusetts has already made efforts to come to terms with its history of witch trials — proceedings that allowed “spectral evidence" in which victims could testify that the accused harmed them in a dream or vision.
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