Katherine Harrison

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."

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. 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."

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. In October of 1669, all jury members found Harrison guilty of witchcraft but on the 20th of October her execution was stalled. In May of 1670, the courts ordered Katherine Harrison to pay her fees and flee the Wethersfield colony for good.

In June of 1670, Katherine Harrison moved to Westchester, New York, as an order of the court and with hopes of escaping the vandalism and demolishing of her property by neighbors. To her dismay, the neighbors in Westchester complained about her presence and ordered her to leave the city, but once she was brought into court in June of 1670, Westchester allowed her to live where she pleased. In early 1672, Harrison sued 11 of her neighbors for defamation of property. A month later, she signed over all her land to John Gilbert, her daughter's guardian.

Not much is known or recorded about Katherine Harrison after she signed over her estate in 1672. Some evidence suggests that she died in October of 1682 at Dividend, an area outside Wethersfield.