Witch or martyr? It seems the last woman to be hanged as a witch in Boston may have been a martyr.
After falling ill (and perhaps spreading her illness to the children in her care) Ann Glover was convicted of being an “idolatrous Roman Catholick” and a witch.
She was hanged on Boston Common on November 16, 1688. Today, just a 15 minute walk away, the parish of Our Lady of Victories holds a plaque commemorating her martyrdom.
Her cause for martyrdom has not yet been put to the Vatican.
Glover’s trial also set the tone for the infamous Salem Witch Trials in 1692, during which 19 men and women were hanged for witchcraft.
Reverend Cotton Mather and his anti-Catholic prejudices played a major role in these trials. He also played a major role in denouncing Ann. Read more