The tragic tale of Alse Young stands as a somber precursor to the notorious Salem witch trials, marking the first recorded execution for witchcraft in the English colonies of America. Executed on May 26, 1647, in Hartford, Connecticut, Alse Young‘s fate was intertwined with a devastating influenza epidemic that swept through her hometown of Windsor, Connecticut, profoundly escalating the death rate and fueling a climate of fear and suspicion.
The Shadow of the Gallows: Alse Young’s Execution
Scant Historical Records and Identity
Information regarding Alse Young‘s life and the specifics of her indictment remains remarkably sparse, largely due to the limited and often ambiguous historical records. Initially, the most direct evidence came from the diary of John Winthrop Sr., which in the spring of 1647 simply noted, “One _____ of Windsor arraigned and executed for a witch in Hartford.” It wasn’t until the late nineteenth century that the full name was uncovered with the rediscovery of the Matthew Grant Diary, which plainly stated, “Alse Young was hanged, May 26, ’47.” This crucial detail, found by historian James Hammond Trumbull, solidified her place in history.
What little is known of her personal life reveals she was married to John Young, a carpenter, and they had a daughter, also named Alice. The family resided on Backer Row in Windsor, near the present-day railroad tracks off Pierson Lane. John Young owned various parcels of land, including a home lot and agricultural plots. Notably, their home lot was situated among properties belonging to several married sisters from Windsor, England, the Tinker family, who had different origins than many of Windsor’s initial inhabitants. Most of these families departed Windsor shortly after Alse Young‘s execution, suggesting a possible familial connection or a sense of otherness that may have contributed to her being singled out.
The exact details of Alse Young’s birth, marriage, or her daughter’s birth remain unverified in existing records. One theory suggests she may have married John Young in Cambridge, Massachusetts, although original records are missing. Secondary records indicate a New England marriage for a “Young” in Cambridge in 1638. Further records show land owned by a Young family adjacent to the Holman family, who had a maidservant named Alice Ashby, aged twenty in 1635, who subsequently vanished from historical accounts. Intriguingly, Winifred Holman, a healer in that family, was herself accused of witchcraft years later, linking several of the associated families to similar suspicions.
The Devastating 1647 Windsor Epidemic
The year 1647 proved catastrophic for Windsor, Connecticut, as an influenza epidemic swept through the nascent colonial settlement. Epidemiological data indicates that the town’s death rate more than quadrupled, rising from six deaths in the previous year to a staggering twenty-seven. This public health crisis undoubtedly created an environment ripe for superstition and the search for scapegoats. Prominent families were not spared; two children of the esteemed minister John Warham perished, as did a child of Bray Rossiter, the town doctor. Families of legislative members and those living in close proximity to the Young home also experienced losses. Rossiter, who performed one of the New World’s first autopsies, would later inadvertently set the stage for the Hartford Witch Panic of 1662. The widespread grief and inability to comprehend the rapid spread of disease made it easy for fear to morph into accusations of malevolent forces.
Seeds of Suspicion: Community Dynamics and Allegations
The Thornton Family and Neighborly Accusations
Perhaps the most compelling insights into the circumstances surrounding Alse Young’s indictment stem from her proximity to the Thornton family. Thomas Thornton, a tanner, and his wife Anne, who lived next door to the Youngs, endured an unimaginable tragedy, losing four of their children during the 1647 epidemic. In the wake of this profound loss, Thornton underwent a radical spiritual transformation, eventually becoming a minister. He would later forge a friendship with Cotton Mather, a key figure in the Salem witch trials, known for his fervent belief in witchcraft.
Mather’s Magnalia Christi Americana offers a chilling glimpse into the prevailing mindset. He recounted that Thornton’s daughter Priscilla, who succumbed to the Windsor epidemic, claimed on her deathbed, “I have been much troubled by Satan but I find Christ is too hard for him, sin and all!” Mather further noted Priscilla’s hope that other children would “keep a day of humiliation together that they would get power over their sinful natures.” These statements, recorded by a leading advocate against witchcraft, powerfully suggest a prevailing belief in demonic influence and sin, which, when coupled with the high mortality rate, could easily be projected onto a neighbor.
Societal Suspicions: Fertility and Survival
The survival of Alse Young’s single child amidst the death of so many others, particularly within her immediate vicinity, likely fueled local suspicions. In a highly communal and superstitious society, such an anomaly could be perceived not as good fortune, but as evidence of unnatural protection or even a pact with evil. Furthermore, Alse Young may have been targeted due to her comparatively low fertility, having only one child. At the time, societal stereotypes often portrayed childless or infertile women as objects of suspicion, susceptible to jealousy, and thus more prone to aligning themselves with Satan. The stain of her conviction had far-reaching consequences, not only for her immediate family but also in opening the floodgates for the brutal witch-hunts that would plague New England in the ensuing decades.
The Lingering Aftermath: Family Lives and Unanswered Questions
John Young’s Departure and Legacy
Following Alse Young’s hanging, her husband, John Young, sold his Windsor property in 1649 and relocated to Stratford, Connecticut. Interestingly, he joined his former Windsor neighbor, Thomas Thornton, indicating their continued friendship despite the grim circumstances. A primary document, a note from Thornton to John Winthrop Jr. (an alchemical physician and future Governor of Connecticut) in 1652, describes John Young’s chronic illness, serving as the only existing record that definitively proves the marriage of Alice and John Young.
John Young “departed this life April 7, 1661,” and was buried the following day in Stratford. Despite suffering from illness for seven months, he left no will, nor did he name his daughter, Alice Jr., or her sons as his heirs. His property remained unclaimed for seven years before being sold to a man named Rose.
Alice Young Jr.: A Daughter’s Enduring Stain
Alse Young’s likely daughter, Alice Young Beamon, married Simon Beamon of Springfield, Massachusetts, in Windsor, Connecticut, in 1654. This marriage occurred a mere two and a half weeks after Lydia Gilbert became Windsor’s second victim of a witchcraft indictment. Alice Jr. and Simon Beamon settled in Springfield, raising at least a dozen children. Years later, following her husband’s death, Alice Young Beamon and her son Thomas were themselves accused of being witches. However, this was more a case of slander than a formal witchcraft accusation, with Thomas successfully defending his mother. Alice Jr. was never indicted for any crime, a testament to her resilience in the face of her mother’s reputation. Her marriage in 1654 suggests that her mother was likely not as old as some unsubstantiated theories have proposed at the time of her execution.
Where History Hides: The Unknown Execution Site
The Enduring Mystery of the Gallows Location
The exact location where Alse Young and the ten other victims of Connecticut’s witch trials met their tragic end remains shrouded in mystery. Very few records directly pertain to these events, leaving historians to grapple with conflicting accounts. One theory suggests the hanging site was near the Old State House, on what was once Hartford’s old town green or Meeting House Square, where a jail, stocks, and pillory were located. However, historian and minister William Deloss Love, in his book The Colonial History of Hartford, proposed that the gallows were situated on a hill near Albany Avenue, specifically at the present-day intersection of Albany Ave. and Irving Street. Other suppositions point to present-day Trinity College, though historians largely dismiss this, identifying it instead as a site for Revolutionary War hangings.
In essence, the precise location where these individuals lost their lives in a horrifying tragedy, fueled by superstition, misogyny, and intense religious fervor, is unknown. This enduring uncertainty only deepens the poignancy of their story.
Conclusion: Remembering America’s First Accused Witch
The story of Alse Young serves as a chilling reminder of the dangers inherent in societal fear and prejudice. As the first person executed for witchcraft in the American colonies, her fate in 1647 Connecticut set a dark precedent, predating the more famous Salem trials by decades. The confluence of a devastating epidemic, societal anxieties, and scant evidentiary records led to a judgment rooted in superstition rather than justice. Though the details of her life and the exact site of her execution remain obscured by time, Alse Young‘s legacy underscores the urgent need to understand the historical forces that can lead communities to commit such profound injustices. Her story compels us to remember the innocent lives lost to irrational fear and to continually advocate for reason, empathy, and due process in the face of societal pressures.
