THE GHASTLY HISTORIAN

Alse Young, from Windsor, Connecticut, is one of the earliest persons executed for witchcraft in the colonies. She was hanged on May 26, 1647, at the gallows by Meeting House Square in Hartford, CT (which is now the site of the Old State House). Not much exists about Alse’s charges or her trial. As it stands today, two documents confirm Alse’s execution. The first is a journal entry by John Winthrop, Massachusetts governor, which says, “One of Windsor was hanged.” The other is a diary entry by Matthew Grant, the town clerk of Windsor. The diary entry (pictured above) is dated May 26, 1647, and simply states, “Alse Young was hanged.” Alse Young was exonerated in February 2017 by the Windsor Town Council, with a memorial service held in May 2017. Memorial bricks were laid in a park near Windsor Town Hall (pictured above) to commemorate her memory. (Author’s note: Some records may cite her name as Alice or Achsah)

Images courtesy of the New York Times and State of Connecticut Judicial Branch
IMAGE LINK (L) / IMAGE LINK (R)

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