"ELIZABETH CLAWSON ... THOU DESERUEST TO DYE"

An Account of the Trial in 1692 of a Woman from Stamford, Connecticut Who Was Accused of Being a Witch

by Ronald Marcus

The Stamford Historical Society, Inc.Stamford, Connecticut 1976

Belief in Witchcraft in 1692

In the spring of 1692 a wave of terror swept Massachusetts and engulfed the New England colonies in tragedy. It was rumored that many had entered into compacts

with the Devil and that the practice of witchcraft had reached epidemic proportions.

"Hundreds of innocent men and women were imprisoned, or fled into exile or hiding places, their homes were broken up, their estates were ruined, and their families and

friends were left in sorrow, anxiety, and desolution." Belief in witchcraft was

widespread in the Western world in the seventeenth century. Scriptural passages in the

Old and New Testament formed the basis for use of ecclesiastical and civil authority. "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" (Exodus 22.18) was the Biblical quotation most

frequently cited in examination and trial proceedings. The churches considered

witchcraft a mortal sin, disbelief, a heresy; and extirpation, a necessity, requiring the most severe penalties.

The early codes of New England made witchcraft a capital offense. Religious and English precedents were considered as sufficient authority. Connecticut passed a law

in 1642 which stated that "If any man or woman be a witch—that is, hath or

consulteth with a familiar spirit—they shall be put to death." In New Haven Colony

the law declared that "If any person be a witch, he or she shall be put to death, according to Exod. 22.18, Levit.20.27, Deut.18.10,11."

Prior to the 1692 delusion numerous trials for witchcraft in Connecticut were held—at Windsor (1647), Wethersfield (1648, 1650-51), Stratford (1651), Fairfield (1653),

New Haven (1655, 1657), Easthampton (1658), and Saybrook (1661). Ten persons

were accused and placed under arrest in 1662 and four were tried, convicted and executed. The victims were the last individuals to suffer the death penalty for

witchcraft in Connecticut. By 1692 court procedures relating to witchcraft were well

established.

Servant Girl Accuses Elizabeth of Witchcraft

Reports of the work of witches emanated from Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The sudden affliction of a servant girl in Stamford and a complaint made by her master

started an inquiry into the possibility of Satan's activities in Western Connecticut. Daniel Wescot had served the town as selectman for several years and had represented

it in the General Court during this crucial period. In his home lived a seventeen-year-

old, French, bound servant named Katherine Branch. From his depositions it is obvious that the girl suffered from some type of seizure, possibly epilepsy.

. ..when she was in those fits rattling in her throat she would put out her tong to a

great extent I conceive beyond nature & I put her tong into her mouth again & then I looked in her mouth & could se no tong but as if it were a lump of flesh down her

throat and this of ten times.

She was perhaps ridden by fear of losing her secure position in a prosperous home if

the true nature of her affliction became known, but the attacks could not be hidden.

On May 27, 1692 a Court of Inquiry began hearings in Stamford. Presiding were

Nathan Gold and John Burr of Fairfield, Jonathan Selleck and Jonathan Bell of

Stamford.

Upon ye Information & sorrofull complainte of Serjeant Daniel Wescot in Regard of

his maide Servant Katherine Branch whom he suspects to be afflicted pr witchcraft.

Wescot testified that about five weeks earlier Katherine had been in a field gathering

herbs when she was seized with "pinching and pricking at her breast." She came home

and started crying, and was asked the reason for her behavior. She did not answer, but wept and fell down on the floor with her hands clasped and continued to do this (with

some respite at times,) for two days. Then she told of seeing a cat, and when

questioned what it said, she answered that the cat asked her to go with it and "promised fine things." After several days she said she observed a table in the room

where she lay, spread with a variety of meats; and ten cats that asked her to join them.

Wescot asked her what was the matter because while in a fit she ran to different places in order to hide. She told him that it was because she saw a cat coming to her with a

rat to throw in her face. In addition, she said they told her they would kill her for

revealing what had happened. These actions continued for about thirteen days and by

then Katherine was extremely afflicted with fits at night, crying out at least forty times "a witch, a witch." Her master ran to her and asked what happened and she said she

felt a hand. The following week Katherine saw a woman standing in the house

wearing a silk hood and a blue apron. That evening, apparently well composed, she

left the house for a brief moment and soon came running in to her master. Upon

questioning she said that she met an old woman at the door and that the woman had two firebrands in her forehead. "The next day she named a person calling her goody

Clauson & sd there she is sitting on a reel, & again sd she saw her sit on ye pommel of

a chair, saying Ime sure you are a witch, elce you could not sit so & ad she saw this person before named at times for a week together."

The affliction incapacitated Katherine to such an extent that the Wescots sent for Mrs.

Sarah Bates, "a useful and skillful midwife." (For over sixty years the town of Stamford existed without a resident physician. Doctors were quite uncommon in the

early colonial period and it was not at all unusual for some individuals to practice the

healing art without any formal medical education, the most notable being Governor John Winthrop, Jr. of Connecticut.)

Upon examining Katherine, Sarah Bates concluded that the illness "might be from sum natural cause" and therefore advised the Wescots "to burn feathers under her nose

& other menes yt had dun good in fainting fits and then she seemed to be better with

it." But the following morning Daniel Wescot noticed that the girl was "seemingly

sence less & speech less" and Mrs. Wescot suggested bleeding. This having been done, after some hesitation on the part of Sarah Bates, Katherine cried out and Mrs.

Wescot said that the girl was bewitched. Upon this the girl turned her head away from

the Wescots, as to hide it in her pillow, and laughed.

In addition to Elizabeth Clauson, Katherine accused Mary & Hannah Harvey, Mary

Staples, and Goody Miller, all of Fairfield, and Mercy Disborough of Compo (Westport).

While Daniel Wescot attested to the truth of Katherine's statements his wife had her doubts. In testimony taken August 24, Lidia Penior said that she heard her aunt

Abigail Wescot say that her servant girl Katherine Branch was such a lying girl "that

not any boddy could believe one word what she said. . . and that. . . she did not

believe that Mearcy nor goody Miller nor Hannah nor any of these women . . . was any more witches than she was and that her husband would believe Catern before he

would believe Mr. Bishop or Leiftenat Bell or herself."

On May 28th Elizabeth Clauson was asked if she participated in afflicting Katherine

Branch by witchcraft. She emphatically denied "her self to be any such person or yt.

she knew of any means whereby ye afore sd. maid was so afflectted." After making this statement she then acknowledged that there had been dissension between herself

and Daniel Wescot for about eight or nine years. Actually the disagreement was

between Daniel's wife, Abigail, and Elizabeth Clauson over the difference in weight of a quantity of spun flax. Daniel stated that from "thence forward she till now took

occasion upon any frivolous matter to be angry & pick a quarrill with booth myself &

wife." Unfortunately in most disputes of this nature each was only too ready to believe the worst of the other. The tension between these two families may have been a factor

that latter resulted in Katherine's crying out on Elizabeth Clauson. Knowing that her

residence at the Wescot's might be endangered by her affliction and by Abigail's distrust of her, it was to her advantage to accuse a person whom her mistress disliked.

A committee of five women was appointed at the Inquiry to search Elizabeth for any

suspicious signs of "the Devil's mark." It was believed that when one made an agreement with Satan he marked the witch's body by placing a piece of flesh on it

from which he might partake of the witch's blood. These could only be discovered by

a personal examination that included, among other methods, running a pin through a suspicious mole or birthmark. It was believed that these "Devil's marks" were

insensible and being pricked would not bleed. They reported finding nothing unusual

except a wart on one of her arms. A short time later a second search was conducted by the same committee with two additional women serving on it. They unanimously

agreed that there was nothing on her body that was not common to other women. A

similar search was ordered for Mercy Disborough, the report of which was not as

favorable, as several excrescences (that were judged unnatural) were found on her body.

While Mercy was being questioned in the Stamford meeting house, Katherine was carried in and upon hearing Mercy's voice came to her senses and endeavored to arise

with her master's help. When she saw Mercy she immediately fell down into one of

her seizures. A short time later she revived herself only to succumb to another fit while observing Mercy again.

With the hearings at an end in Stamford, pending further action by the General Court, the accused having been held under an order of restraint, were transferred to the

county jail in Fairfield. They remained there until the final outcome of the case. On

June 22, the General Court deemed the situation critical enough to create a special

commission of Oyer and Terminer.

Whereas there are at present in the county of Fayrefeild seuerall persons in durance

upon capitall crimes, which are not soe capeable to be brought to a tryall at the usuall Court of Assistants, by reason of the multiplicity of witnesses that may be

concerned in the case, &c. this Court doe grant to the Governor, Deputy Governor

and Assistants, to the number of seven at the least, a commission of oyer and terminer, to keep a speciall court in Fayrefeild the 2nd Wednesday in December (September)

next, to hear and determine all such capitall cases and complaints as shall be brought

before sayd courte.

Throughout the summer of 1692, additional testimony was transcribed and attested to

for use in the forthcoming trial. Amongst various problems confronting Major Jonathan Selleck of Stamford was the perplexing status f Goody Miller, one of the

accused. Late in June he wrote to Major Nathan Gold, the Fairfield Assistant, about

this situation. Mrs. Miller had fled to New York Colony in order to avoid being arrested, and despite several attempts to have her apprehended for examination, she

could not be brought to trial. At the same time two ministers visited Major Selleck's

home in order to see Katherine Branch, who was being questioned here. The

Reverend John Bishop of Stamford and The Reverend Thomas Hanford of Norwalk spoke to the girl, advising her not to be afraid nor to yield but to learn the names of

the persons who appeared to her. After hey left her, both clergymen were "going to

keep a daye of fast" with the Reverend Abraham Pierson, Jr. of Greenwich.

Major Selleck then reported to Nathan Gold about Katherine's interrorogation at his

home. When he had finished questioning her and the ministers had gone, he dismissed her. She had gone but a short distance when she was taken by another seizure. The

Major's Indian servant girl, who had been with her, ran back for help exclaiming that

Katherine had fallen down. His son, John Selleck, and a cousin, David Selleck, went

out and brought her back. Throughout the rest of that day and into the night she suffered from fits of shrieking and twisting of her arms and neck with hardly a pause.

During a respite she talked with the persons who appeared to her and cried out, for the

most part, on Elizabeth Clauson exclaiming "you kill me, you kill me…"

The Trial in Fairfield

The trial opened in Fairfield on September 14 with Governor Robert Treat, Deputy

Governor William Jones, Secretary John Allyn and four Assistants presiding. The

appointment of attorneys for the Crown was the first order of business. A bill against Elizabeth Clauson was committed to the Grand Jury which promptly returned a Billa

Vera (True Bill),27

Then the following indictment was presented:

Elizabeth Clawson wife of Steuen Clawson of Standford in the county of Fayrefeild in the Colony of Connecticutt thou art here indicted by the name of Elizabeth Clawson

that not haueing the fear of God before thine eyes thou hast had familiarity with Satan

the grand enemie of God & man & that by his instigation & help thou hast in a preternaturall way afflicted & done harm to the bodyes & estates of sundry of his

Maties subjects or to some of them contrary to the peace of our Soueraigne Lord the

King & Queen their crowne & dignity & that on the 25t of A prill in the 4th yeare of theire Maties reigne & at sundry other times for which by the law of God & the law of

the Colony thou deseruest to dye28

The Grand Jury returned a similar indictment against Mercy Disborough, and both

women pleaded not guilty. "Since there is no record of any attorneys for the defense, it

was probably assumed that the Devil was advocate enough if guilty, and none needed

if innocent."29 Mary & Hannah Harvey and Mary Staples were presented by the Grand Jury as being only under suspicion of practicing witchcraft. The Court made a

proclamation three times that if anyone wished to testify against the aforementioned

persons "they should be heard." On the following day the same statement was issued with only two individuals coming forward to testify. The Court then decided that

"...nothing of consequence appearing agnst them they the afoarsayd persons were

quitted by proclamation & all persons were comanded to forbear speakeing cull of the foresayd persons for the future upon payn of displeasure..."30 However the case

against the other two women was quite a different matter.

On June 1, shortly after her arrival at the county jail in Fairfield, Mercy Disborough

requested "to be tryed by being cast into ye watter." Her plea was granted the next

day, and both Mercy and Elizabeth Clauson were subjected to this test for a witch.31 In sworn testimony presented to the Court it was stated that Mercy, after she was put

into the water, swam upon it. The affidavit regarding Elizabeth's ordeal is as follows:

The Testimonie of Abram Adams & Jonath Squire allso is that when Eliz. Clauson

was Bownd hand & foot & put into the water she swam Like a corck & one laboured

to pres her into the water & she boyed up like a corck.

Sworn in Court Septer 15, 1692.32

Although the water ordeal was well known and practiced throughout Europe, it was

seldom used in the American colonies. It consisted of tieing the suspect's right hand to

the left foot and left hand to the right foot. After securing the accused in this manner she was then thrown into a pond or river. If she floated this was looked upon as an

indication of guilt. The theory was that water, as a pure element and an important part

of Christian baptism, would refuse to accept a witch, thereby causing one to remain

bouyant. If she sank this was considered as a sign of innocence. One can only hope that those who were standing nearby had a rope attached to the accused in order to

pull her out before she drowned.

Many leading theologians and jurists of the period rejected this practice. Increase

Mather, one of the most outstanding New England divines condemned the water

ordeal in a book published eight years prior to the 1692 trials in Salem, Massachusetts. In regard to this test he wrote:

This practice has no foundation in nature, nor in Scripture. If the water will bear none but witches, this must need proceed either from some natural or some supernatural

cause. No natural cause is, or can be, assigned why the bodies of such persons should

swim rather than of any other. The Bodies of Witches have not lost their natural

properties; they have weight in them as well as others. Moral changes and viciousness of mind, make no alteration as to these natural properties which are inseparable from

the body. .lt is not devine, for the Scripture does no where appoint any such course to

be taken to find out whether persons are in league with the devil or no. It remains, then, that the experiment is diabolical.

In spite of Mather's warning against such tests the Court accepted sworn testimonies of the aforesaid witnesses as evidence. Numerous depositions, made earlier, were

presented to the Court and attested to by John Allyn, Secretary of the Colony. Most of

these were not favorable toward the accused, thereby becoming useful for the

prosecution. Abraham Finch, Jr. testified that he was at the home of Daniel Wescot one evening when Katherine had a seizure. Looking up he observed a light, about the

size of both his hands, glancing along the summer beam of the house toward the

hearth and then disappear. When David Selleck brought a light into the room, Katherine came to her self and they asked her why she screamed. "She Answered

goodie Closon came in with two firy eies." Ebenezer Bishop stated that while he was

at the Wescot's home at night he sat down next to Katherine while she was in a "violent fit and calling again said now they are agoing to kill me & crieing out very

loud that they pincht her on ye neck." After obtaining a light, Ebenezer observed a red

spot on her neck which afterward turned black and blue.

In spite of this testimony a number of individuals were of the opinion that Elizabeth

Clauson was innocent. It was a common belief that only a witch would come to the aid of one accused of being in league with Satan. To testify on behalf of the accused

was indeed an act of courage and conviction, for in so doing one might come under

suspicion of practicing witchcraft, also. Despite this, Eliezer Slawson and Clement Buxton testified that they resided near Elizabeth Clauson for many years and "did

allways obserue her to be a woman for Pease and to counsell for Pease & when she

hath had prouacations from her neighbours would answer & say we must line in Pease

for we are naibours & would neuer. giue threatning words..."

A large contingency of Elizabeth's friends shared the same strong faith in her

innocence by subscribing their names to an affidavit attesting to her good character. Despite the wide-spread belief in the existence of witchcraft and the punishment

prescribed for its practice, these residents of Stamford stood firm. The testimony to

the good character of the accused Elizabeth was a valiant act, perhaps something unique at that time in Connecticut history.

The People of Stamford Stand Up for Elizabeth Clason

The citizens of Stamford signed an affidavit attesting to the good character of Elizabeth Clauson.

Below to the left is the text of the document and the names of the signers. On the right is a photo of the actual document. The opposite page of the document was omitted in the photo. The original

manuscript is owned by The Stamford Historical Society, Inc. Our neighbor Stephen Clason having desired us whose names are under written: seeing there is

such a report of his wife raised by some among us: that we would speak what we know concerning his said wife and her behavior among us for so many years now know all whom it may concern

that we do declare that since we have known our said neighbor goodwife Clason we have not known her to be of a contentious frame nor given to use threatening words or to act maliciously towards her neighbors but hath been civil and orderly towards others in her conversation and not to

be a busybody in other menâs concerns: given under our hands in Stamford: 4th June 1692:

Abraham Ambler Mary Ambler * Daniell Scoffield

Samuell ffinch Sara Finch *

Samuell:Finch, Jr. Joseph Turney Mary Turny

Abraham Finch John ffinch

Benjamin Green Susannah Green * Joseph Greene

Elizabeth Greene * Zachariah Dibboll

Samuel Hait Hannah Hait * John Slason, Sr.

Increase Holly Elizabeth Holly *

Obadiah Stevens * Rebeckah Stevens isack Finch

Daniel Newman Abraham Finch, Jr.

Samuell homes Steven Homes Martha Homes *

Jonathan Bell, Sr. Susana Bell

Jonas Seely George Slawson John Smith and

his wife Thomas Newman

Mary Newman * Joseph Garnsy Joseph Stevens

Sarah Stevens * Jonas Weed

Moses Knap * and his wife Joseph Browne

John Crissy John Scofeeld

John Finch Beniamin Hait Hannah Hait

Peter ffarris Joseph fferris

Hannah Farris * John Pettit Elizabeth Clemmons *

ledy Pennoyer * Hannah Webb *

Richard Scofield John Knap Caleb Knap

John Uerfet ______ Bates

Sarah Bates Samuell Webb Samuell Hardy

Rebecca Hardy * Ann Hardy

John Goolt Hana Goolt Stephen Bishop

Mercy Bishop * Samuell Dean

Ann Dean John Dean Abigail Dean

John Austen Hannah Austen *

* indicates signed with an X

The Verdict is Returned

This remarkable document was signed by seventy-six individuals including several

elected officials who served the town of Stamford for many years. Among the signers

were Abraham Ambler and Jonathan Bell, Senior, both of whom had during their careers held the offices of representative to the General Court, Selectman and Town

Clerk.

After all the evidence was heard, the cases were turned over to the jury. Despite all

endeavors and long deliberation, the jury was unable to reach a decision in either case.

Faced with this predicament, the Court was of the opinion that it would be best to

obtain further guidance from the General Court which was due to meet in October. Until then the prisoners were remanded to "the comon Goale", there to be kept in safe

custody. The jurors were instructed to be ready when further called by direction of the

General Court "to perfect their verdict." If the attorneys for the Crown found additional testimony they had "liberty to make farther use of them when the court shal

meet again." Similar permission for the accused was not mentioned.

The following month a meeting of prominent ministers was called in Hartford, at

which time the evidence presented at the trial was given to them for evaluation. After

carefully examining all the data, the ministers submitted a formal written opinion on

October 17th in which four points were made: (1 ) they concurred with the general opinion of divines that conviction of witchcraft "by swimming is unlawful! & sinfull

& therefor it cannot afford any evidence"; (2.) that the unusual excrescences found

upon the prisoners' bodies should not be allowed as evidence against them without the "Approbation of some able physitians"; (3.) respecting Katherine's declarations they

found "some things testifyed carrying a suspition of her counterfeiting"; (4.) and that

there was reason to believe that she suffered from some condition that had troubled her mother, yet they thought that "her affliction being something strange it well

deserves a farther inquiry." As to the other strange accidents it was their opinion that

ascribing these to the accused "as matters of witchcraft to be upon very slender &

uncertain grounds."

In Massachusetts executions had taken place on June 10, July 19, August 19, and

September 22, 1692, with a total of nineteen victims, five of whom were men. Eight others who were under sentence when the hysteria ended were not put to death. With

the Connecticut trials and executions of 1662 as a background, the tragic events at

Salem undoubtedly influenced the General Court and the conferring ministers in Hartford to take whatever steps necessary to prevent similar occurences from

happening again in the Colony.

An account of the court proceedings against Elizabeth Clauson and Mercy

Disborough was presented to the October session of the General Court. Governor Robert Treat reported that the jury was deadlocked because they could not agree on a

verdict. The legislature took cognizance of this situation by requesting the Governor

"to appoynt time for the sayd Court to meet againe as scone as may be, and that the jury be called together and that they make a verdict upon the case and the Court to put

a finall issue thereto."

Accordingly, the Court of Oyer and Terminer reconvened at Fairfield on October 28th "to put an issue to those former matters that were before the Court in reference to Eliz.

Clawson & Mercy Disbrow." After hearing additional testimony, including an

affidavit describing further examinations for "witchmarks", the jury retired once again to deliberate the fate of the accused. They reached a prompt decision in the case of

Mercy Disborough, finding the defendant guilty as charged. Sent out to reconsider

their verdict, they returned saying they saw no reason to rescind it. The Court without further effort to influence the jurors went through the motions of approving it, and

Governor Robert Treat passed the mandatory sentence of death upon her.

As for Elizabeth Clauson, the objective of her friends who bravely defended her innocence was brought to a successful conclusion, for the jury found her not guilty.

The Court in approving the verdict, "granted her jayle delivery." Consequently, she

returned to Stamford where she remained with her husband and family until her death at the age of 83 in 1714. Hopefully her last years were spent in comparative

tranquility.

Shortly after the trial, a group representing Mercy Disborough presented a petition to

the General Court "calling attention now to the fact that the second half of the trial

had been completely illegal." Thomas Knowles of Stratford, Connecticut, one of the original jurors, had been unavailable on October 28th despite the Court's explicit

instructions ordering the jury to be ready when further called. Knowles' absence was

acknowledged when his name was deleted from the original list of jurors. The General

Court reacted to this petition by appointing Samuel Wyllys, William Pitkin, and Nathaniel Stanley as a committee empowered to examine the records of the trial and

"take such action as they saw fit." The committee reported back to the May, 1693

session of the General Court that they had reprieved Mercy Disborough and defended their procedure in the matter. After doubting the validity of the evidence, their report

concluded with a firm admonition against any further witchcraft trials.

. . . and the miserable toyl they are in in the Bay (Massachusetts) for Adhereing to

those last mentioned Litigious things is warning enof, those that wit make witchcraf t

of such things wit make hanging work apace·

The witchcraft delusion of 1692 swept through western Connecticut as a storm that

comes quickly, raises havoc, and then disperses. Because the friends and neighbors of Elizabeth Clauson in Stamford stood their ground, courage and good sense triumphed

over hysteria.