Katherine Harrison was a landowning widow who was subject to a historically notable 17th century witch trial in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Harrison was a servant earlier in her life, but when her husband who was a farmer died, she inherited property and wealth. Accusations of witchcraft followed this. Harrison was the last convicted witch in Wethersfield, Connecticut in 1669. This case served as an important example "in the development of the legal and theological responses to witchcraft in colonial New England."
Widowhood
On 3 September 1666, her husband, John Harrison, died. He left behind a will dated 6 August 1666 in which a substantial amount of money and land was to be distributed to his wife and three daughters: £60 to his eldest daughter Rebeckah, £40 to his second daughter, and £40 to his youngest daughter Sarah. The estate and role of "sole Executrix" was left to his wife, Katherine Harrison.
On 6 September 1666, just days after the passing of her husband, Katherine Harrison petitioned the court to settle £210 to her oldest daughter and £200 to each of the younger daughters because of "inconsiderate portions left to them by their father." This was assumed to be denied by the courts since she later signed over the estate to her daughters and appointed Jonathon and John Gilbert as her daughters' guardians.
The death of Katherine Harrison's husband is prominent because before his death, Harrison was never formally accused of any witchcraft. John Harrison left his wife one of the wealthiest women in Wethersfield and she chose not to remarry.
Witchcraft accusations
In the summer of 1668, just two years after Katherine Harrison was widowed, she was tried as a witch following several different testimonies. It was reported that Mr. Griswold was the main accuser of Katherine Harrison practicing witchcraft. Harrison stated that "the said Michael Griswold would Hang her though he damned long agoe". Michael Griswold claimed Harrison called his wife Ann a "savage whore." Within a month, Harrison filed a petition against their accusations of slandering, but soon gave in, acknowledging herself as "a female, a weaker vessel, subject to passion" and made her confession to her fault in slandering and offered to repair "the wound" she may have put in Griswold's name. Harrison eventually paid them £40 for slandering.
On October 6, 1668, Harrison wrote to the courts to seriously consider her state as a widow and recognize the attacks that have occurred on her property. She alleged that her livestock had been vandalized, with several examples of brutal attacks. She explained her oxen were being bruised so severely they were unserviceable or developing broken ribs and back, her pigs were being earmarked, and young cattle left with a weapon stabbed in it and being wounded to death. Harrison also noted that her cornfield was damnified with horses. She went on to claim that the damage to livestock and property all occurred after her husband's death. To account as a witness for the acts of vandalism, Harrison listed many individuals including Jonathan and Josiah Gilbert.
There was no record of the court ever responding to Harrison's requests or investigating her grievances.
Testimonies
John Welles was a neighbor of Katherine Harrison. He explained in his testimony from June 29, 1668 that his parents had cattle that were often late returning home. One evening his mother sent him to see if he "could [meet] them". The second time he was sent by his mother, he "went about half way [across] the street and could [go] no further" saying his "legs were bound." He claimed to have seen Katherine Harrison "rise up from a cow that was [not] of her [own]" holding a pail. Welles claimed this had happened about seven or eight years prior to his testimony.
At 50 years old, Thomas Waples testified on August 7, 1668 that Harrison was a "noted [liar]" that has read William Lilly's book in England and spun excessively, a common argument made against women accused of witchcraft as the myth told that the spindle assisted witches in flying their sabbath. Waples also accused Harrison of telling fortunes to Captain Cullet, who refrained from Katherine's services for her "evil conversation." He also noted that Gooddy Greenesmith also accused Harrison to be a witch.
Mary Olcott testified on August 8, 1668 with evidence of Katherine Harrison's act of fortune-telling, explaining how a woman named Elizabeth, who was currently married to Simon Smith, was told by Katherine that "[she] should have [been] married to William Chapman." After Katherine married John Harrison, she then allegedly told Elizabeth that her husband's name would be Simon.