HJ 34 — RESOLUTION CONCERNING CERTAIN WITCHCRAFT CONVICTIONS IN COLONIAL CONNECTICUT.

House of Representatives General Assembly File No.

548782 General Assembly January Session, 20232023(Reprint Houseof JointFile Resolution No.

34548) House ofJoint Representatives,Resolution AprilNo. 12, 2023 The Committee on Judiciary reported through REP.

STAFSTROM34 ofAs theAmended 129thby Dist.,House ChairpersonAmendment ofSchedule the"A" CommitteeApproved onby the partLegislative ofCommissioner theMay House,12, that2023 theRESOLUTION jointCONCERNING resolutionCERTAIN oughtWITCHCRAFT toCONVICTIONS beIN adopted.COLONIAL CONNECTICUT.

RESOLUTION CONCERNING CERTAIN WITCHCRAFT CONVICTIONS IN COLONIAL CONNECTICUT.

WHEREAS, thethecourtsintheearly courtsBritish incoloniesofConnecticut the early colonies of Connecticut and New Haven indicted at least thirty-four women and men for the alleged crimecrimes of witchcraft and convictedfamiliarities twelvewith ofthe them,devil executing eleven, and itconvicted istwelveofthem,executingeleven,anditisnowacceptedbythehistorical now accepted by the historical profession and society as a whole that all the accused were innocent of such charges, and WHEREAS, legal procedures differed at the time and many practices of the courtColonial courts would nonot longer meet modern American standards of proof, so that the miscarriage of justice was facilitated by such procedures, and WHEREAS, the status of women was radically different than it is today, and misogyny played a large part in the trials and in denying defendants their rights and dignity, and WHEREAS,HJ34 community/ strifeFile andNo. panic combined with overwhelming fear and superstition led to these accusations of alleged witchcraft and the subsequent suffering of those accused.

HJ34782 /HJ34 File No.

548782 1WHEREAS, HJ34community Filestrife No.and panic combined with overwhelming fear and superstition led to these accusations of alleged witchcraft and the subsequent suffering of those accused.

548 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that all of the formally convicted and executed are exoneratedabsolved of all alleged crimes relatingof towitchcraft theand chargesfamiliarities ofwith witchcraft.the devil.

The legislature proclaimsspecifically absolves the innocencefollowing ofpeople thebelieved followingto have been convicted and executed people:for the crimes of witchcraft and familiarities with the devil:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that those who were indicted,indicted for the crimes of witchcraft and familiarities with the devil, forced to flee, banished or even acquitted continued to live with their reputations destroyed and their family names tarnished, will have their reputations restored and no longer have disgrace attached to their names, now, being in good standing in the state of Connecticut.

The following indicted for the crimes of witchcraft and familiarities with the devil who were not convicted but still suffered greatly after indictments were:

Goodwife Bailey in 1655, Nicholas Bailey in 1655, Elizabeth Godman in 1655, Elizabeth Garlick in 1658, Unknown person in Saybrook in 1659, Margaret Jennings in 1661, Nicholas JenningsJenningsin1661, inJudithVarletin1662,AndrewSanfordin1662,William 1661, Judith Varlet in 1662, Andrew Sanford in 1662, William Ayers in 1662, Judith Ayers in 1662, James Wakely in 1662, Katherine Harrison in 1668 and 1669, William Graves in 1667, Elizabeth Clawson in 1692, Hugh Crosia in 1692, Mercy Disborough in 1692, Mary Harvey in1692,HannahHarveyin1692,MaryStaplesin1692,WinifredBenham in 1692,1697, HannahHarveyin1692,MaryStaplesin1692,WinifredBenhamin1697, and Winifred Benham Jr.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the State of Connecticut apologizes to the descendants of all those who were indicted,indicted for the crimes of witchcraft and familiarities with the devil, convicted and executed and for the harm done to the accused persons' posterity to the presentHJ34 day,/ andFile acknowledgesNo. the trauma and shame that wrongfully continued to affect the families of the accused.

JUD782 Joint Favorable HJ34 / File No.

548782 2present HJ34day, Fileand No.acknowledges the trauma and shame that wrongfully continued to affect the families of the accused.

548HJ34 The/ followingFile FiscalNo. Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

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782 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

None Explanation This resolution expresses contrition for colonial action as such it does not result in a fiscal impact.impact to the state or municipalities.

None HJ34The /preceding FileFiscal No.Impact statement is prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for the purposes of information, summarization and explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

548In 3general, HJ34fiscal Fileimpacts No.are based upon a variety of consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

548HJ34 OLR/ BillFile AnalysisNo. HJ 34 RESOLUTION CONCERNING CERTAIN WITCHCRAFT CONVICTIONS IN COLONIAL CONNECTICUT.

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782 OLR Bill Analysis HJ 34 (as amended by House "A") RESOLUTION CONCERNING CERTAIN WITCHCRAFT CONVICTIONS IN COLONIAL CONNECTICUT.

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