Witches in my Family Tree

Most people are aware of the witchcraft trials which took place in Salem, MA, in the late 1600s. But these were of a very short timeframe – 1692-1693. There were also a lot of witchcraft trials taking place in Connecticut – the first of which was in 1647, and the last of which may have been as late as 1724. A good synopsis of these can be found in (*1), although there are many other references. There are about 40 names mentioned in this article. As I looked through the list of names, I wondered if any of these were in my ancestral tree – and the answer was “yes!”

Part 1 – James Wakelee

James Wakely/Wakelee is my great*10 grandfather. He was born in England around 1594 and had come to America during the great migration. He had at least one child, Henry, who was born in England in 1620 who had come to America with him. In 1652, his first wife apparently having died, he married Alice Boosey, a widow, in Hartford, CT.

James seems to have led a somewhat contentious life. According to (*2), he was involved in nearly two dozen lawsuits between 1648 and 1662 when he finally fled to Providence, RI, to escape all these charges. He died there in 1690.

Before fleeing to Providence, he had been accused of witchcraft. (I insert here the account of this accusation from *3).

THOMAS BRACY (probably Tracy)—Misfit jacket and breeches—Vision of the red calf's head—Murderous counsel—"Afflictinge"

"Thomas Bracy aged about 31 years testifieth as follows that formerly James Wakeley would haue borrowed a saddle of the saide Thomas Bracy, which Thomas Bracy denyed to lend to him, he threatened Thomas and saide, it had bene better he had lent it to him. Allsoe Thomas Bracy beinge at worke the same day making a jacket & a paire of breeches, he labored to his best understanding to set on the sleeues aright on the jacket and seauen tymes he placed the sleues wronge, setting the elbow on the wronge side and was faine to rip them of and new set them on againe, and allsoe the breeches goeing to cut out the breeches, haueing two peices of cloth of different collors, he was soe bemoydered in the matter, that he cut the breeches one of one collor the other off another collor, in such a manner he was bemoydered in his understandinge or actinge yet neuertheless the same daie and tyme he was well in his understandinge and health in other matters and soe was forced to leaue workinge that daie.

"The said Thomas beinge at Sargant Hugh Wells his house ouer against John Harrison's house, in Weathersfield, he saw a cart cominge towards John Harrisons house loaden wth hay, on the top of the hay he saw perfectly a red calfes head, the eares standing peart up, and keeping his sight on the cart tell the cart came to the barne, the calfe vanised, and Harrison stoode on the carte wch appared not to Thomas before, nor could Thomas find or see any calfe theire at all though he sought to see the calfe.

"After this Thomas Bracy giuing out some words, that he suspected Katherin Gooddy Harrison of witchcraft, Katherin Harrison mett Thomas Bracy and threatned Thomas telling him that shee would be euen with him. After that Thomas Bracy aforesaide, being well in his sences & health and perfectly awake, his brothers in bed with him, Thomas aforesaid saw the saide James Wakely and the saide Katherin Harrison stand by his bed side, consultinge to kill him the said Thomas, James Wakely said he would cut his throate, but Katherin counselled to strangle him, presently the said Katherin seised on Thomas striuinge to strangle him, and pulled or pinched him so as if his flesh had been pulled from his bones, theirefore Thomas groaned. At length his father Marten heard and spake, then Thomas left groninge and lay quiet a little, and then Katherin fell againe to afflictinge and pinching, Thomas againe groninge Mr. Marten heard and arose and came to Thomas whoe could not speake till Mr. Marten laid his hands on Thomas, then James and Katherin aforesaid went to the beds feete, his father Marten and his mother stayed watchinge by Thomas all that night after, and the next day Mr. Marten and his wife saw the mark of the saide afflictinge and pinchinge."

"Dated 13th of August one thousand six hundred sixtie and eight.

"Hadley. Taken upon oath before us.

"HENRY CLARKE. "SAMUELL SMITH."

There seems to be some confusion about dates here, as (*2) says that he fled to avoid prosecution in 1662 and (*1) has that same year, but this account from (*3) contains a date of 1668. And (*1) has a date of 1669 for the other person, Katherin Harrison mentioned in this account. But regardless of this, it seems quite certain that James was accused.

Like many of these witchcraft accusations, it is only took the word of a single individual and an event from their dreams to make that accusation. Nonetheless, the accusation was taken seriously. In the case of James, he fled to avoid prosecution, but other individuals, generally women, were put to trial and sometimes found guilty and killed.

A Google search of “James Wakely witch” will produce over 100 references to this unfortunate individual. I’m not sure that I should be proud to have him as my ancestor as regardless of whether he was a victim on the charge of being a witch, he seems to not have had the best of character with the number of other court proceedings in which he was involved. But it is interesting to have a personal connection into this facet of our colonial history.

Part 2 – Mercy Disbrow

James Wakely/Wakelee was in my family on my mother’s side. But there is another name in (*1) that is from my father’s side of the family. The name is recorded here as “Mercy Disborough”, but is more properly the name Disbrow. My great*3 grandfather, Silas Russell, married Hester Disbrow. Mercy Disbrow is my great*8 grandmother.

Unlike James, who fled to avoid persecution, Mercy went to “trial.” She asked to be tried by being pushed into a pond where it was believed that if you floated you were guilty (*4). She did float, and at a subsequent trial was thus found guilty. However, the governor was against the whole idea of witchcraft because of the hysteria then taking place in Salem and she was released on a technicality.

Cobblestone Magazine published an issue on Connecticut History in 2001 that contains a nice two-page article on Mercy Disbrow (*5).

Part 3 – Mary Staples, Mary Harvey, Hannah Harvey

This trio of women were mother, daughter, and granddaughter. Mary Staples is my great*10 grandmother.

As noted in (*6), this was a somewhat complicated scenario. In 1653 when Goody Knapp was tried and executed as a witch, Thomas Staples’ wife Mary placed herself under suspicion, to which her unusual intelligence had already made her liable, by expressing doubt, for example "it was long before she could believe this poor woman was a witch, or that there were any witches, till the word of God convinced her.” Mr. Ludlow reported the suspicions of her to Rev. Mr. Davenport, but Thomas Staples boldly brought the matter to an issue by suing Mr. Ludlow for slander in the New Haven Colony Court, which awarded him damages of £10. In 1692, during the witchcraft epidemic, Mrs. Staples was accused again, together with her daughter Mary Harvey and granddaughter, Hannah Harvey, but no evidence sufficient for indictment was produced.

Part 4 – Mary Barnes

Mary is my great*9 grandmother. She was the last person hanged in Connecticut for witchcraft. Her full story can be found in (*7). Her daughter and my great*8 grandmother, Sarah, was 20 at the time of Mary’s hanging. Sarah married William Scovill and two of her great*3 grandchildren, James and William Scovill, were the founders of Scovill Manufacturing Company in Waterbury – the place that my great grandfather, grandfather, and father worked for many years. (*8, *9)

Part 5 – John and Joan Carrington

One of the few couples executed for witchcraft, John and Joan lived in Wethersfield, CT. They are my great*9 grandparents (*10). Their daughter, Rebecca, who was only a year old when they were executed was my great*8 grandmother.

Conclusion

I was surprised by the number of my ancestors who were on this list. Some were acquitted, one fled to escape persecution, one was found guilty but escaped due to a technicality, and three were actually hanged. This is an interesting part of Connecticut history and fortunately/unfortunately a number of my ancestors were involved.

Notes:

*1 - http://www.damnedct.com/connecticut-witchcraft-trials

*2 - http://dunhamwilcox.net/source_files/wakelee.htm

*3 - http://levigilant.com/Bulfinch_Mythology/bulfinch.englishatheist.org/witch/ConnWitch.html

*4 - https://www.fairfieldcitizenonline.com/news/article/Way-Back-When-1692-12309397.php

*5 - http://shop.cricketmedia.com/cobblestone-back-issues/connecticut-history.html

*6 – “Witch-Hunting in Seventeenth-Century New England”, edited by David Hall

*7 - https://digitalfarmington.org/digital-farmington-project/mary-barnes-last-witch-hanged-in-connecticut/

*8 - https://ramblinrussells.blogspot.com/2018/10/silas-bronson-library-waterbury-hall-of.html

*9 - https://ramblinrussells.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-mill-on-mad-river.html

 *10 - https://www.legendsofamerica.com/john-joan-carrington-witches/