THE WITCHCRAFT DELUSION IN COLONIAL CONNECTICUT; 1647-1697; BY JOHN M. TAYLOR; 1908

ELIZABETH (CLAUSON) CLAWSON

THE INDICTMENT

Elizabeth Clawson wife of Stephen Clawson of Standford in the country 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 pretematurall way afflicted &done harm to the bodyes &estates of sundry of his Maties subjects or to some of them contrary to the peace of or Soueraigne Lord the King &Queen their crowne &dignity &that on the 25t of Aprill 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 dye.

THE TESTIMONIES

JOSEPH GARNEY—The maid in fits—Joseph's subterfuge—“"The black catt”—“The white dogg”—Witches three

Joseph Garney saith yt being at Danil Wescots uppon occation sine he went to Hartford while he was gone from home Nathanill Wiat being with me his maid being at work in the yard in her right mind soon after fell into a fit. I took her up and caried her in &laid her upon the bed it was intimated by sum that she desembled. Nathanel Wiat said with leaue he would make triall of that leaue was granted and as soon as she was laid upon ye bed then Wiat asked me for a sharp knife wch I presently took into my hand then she imediately came to herself and then went out of ye room into ye other room &so out into ye hen house then I hard her presently shreek out I ran presently to her and asked her what is ye matter, she was in such pain she could not Hue &presently fell into a fit stiff. We carried her in and laid her upon ye bed and then I got my kniffe ready and fitting under pretence of doing sum great matter then presently she came to herselfe &said to me Joseph what are you about to doe I said I would cutt her &seemed to threten great matters, then she laid her down upon the bed &said she would confess to us how it was with her and then said I am possessed with ye deuill and he apeared to me in ye hen house in ye shape of a black catt &was ernist with her to be a witch &if she would not he would tear her in pieces, then she again shreekt out now saith shee I see him &lookt wistly &said there he is just at this time to my apearance there seemed to dart in at ye west window a sudden light across ye room wch did startle and amase me at yt present, then she tould me yt she see ye deuill in ye shape of a white dogg, she tould me that ye deuill apeared in ye shape of these three women namly goody Clawson, goody Miller, &ye woman at Compo. [Disborough] I asked her how she knew yt it was ye deuill that appeared in ye shape of these three women she answered he tould me so. I asked her if she knew that these three women were witches or no she said she could not tell they might be honest women for ought she knew or they might be witches.

Daniel Wescot—Exchanging yarn—A quarrill—The child's nightmare

The testimony of Daniel Wescote saith that some years since my wife & Goodwife Clauson agreed to change their spinning, &instead of half a pound Goodwife Clawson sent three quarters of a pound I haueing waide it, carried it to her house &cnvinced her of it yt it was so, &thence forward she till now took occation upon any frivolous matter to be angry &pick a quarrill with booth myself &wife, &some short time after this earning ye flex, my eldest daughter Johannah was taken suddenly in ye night shrecking&crying out, There is a thing will catch me, uppon which I got up &lit a candle, &tould her there was nothing, she answerd, yees there was, there tis, pointing with her finger sometimes to one place &sometimes to another, &then sd tis run under the pillow. I askd her wr it was, she sd a sow, &in a like manner continued disturbd a nights abought ye space of three weeks, insomuch yt we ware forcd to carry her abroad sometimes into my yard or lot, but for ye most part to my next neighbours house, to undress her &get her to sleep, & continually wn she was disturbd shed cry out theres my thing come for me, whereuppon some neighbours advisd to a removal of her, &having removd her to Fairfeild it left her, &since yt hath not been disturbd in like manner.

The aboue testimony of Daniell Wesocott now read to the wife of sayd Daniell Shee testifys to the whole verbatum &hath now giuen oath to the same before us in Standford, Septembr 12th 1692.

Sworn in Court Septr 15 1692

LIDIA PENOIR—A lying gairl

The testimony of Lidia Penoir. Shee saith that shee heard her ant Abigal Wescot say that her seruant gairl Catern Branch was such a lying gairl that not any boddy could belieue one word what shee said and saith that shee heard her ant Abigail Wescot say that shee did not belieue that Mearcy nor goody Miller nor Hannah nor any of these women whome shee had apeacht was any more witches then shee was and that her husband would belieue Catern before he would belieue Mr. Bishop or Leiftenat Bell or herself. The testor is ready to giue oath to sd testimony. Standford, Augt 24th 1692.

ELEZER SLAWSON—A woman for pease—A good word

The testimony of Elezer Slawson aged 51 year.

He saith yt he liued neare neighbour, to goodwife Clawson many years & did allways observe 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 liue in pease for we are naibours &would neuer to my obseruation giue threatning words nor did I look at her as one giuen to malice; &further saith not

ELEAZAR SLASON. CLEMENT BUXSTUM.

The above written subscribers declared the aboue written &signed it with their own hands before me JONOTHAN BELL Comissionr.

In closing the citations of testimony in the Clawson case, other performances of Catherine Branch, the maid servant of Daniel and Abigail Wescot, are given to emphasize the absurdities which found credence in the community and brought several women to the bar of justice, to answer to the charge of a capital offense.

Elizabeth Clawson was found not guilty.