Best of: Ann "Goody" Glover

Episode Summary

The episode tells the story of Anne "Goody" Glover, a poor Irish Catholic immigrant who was the last woman hanged for witchcraft in Boston in 1668. She worked as a housekeeper for the Goodwin family and was accused of witchcraft after the Goodwin children began acting strangely following an argument with Goody's daughter. Goody was unable to recite the Lord's Prayer in English during her trial, which was considered evidence of witchcraft. Other supposed evidence included dolls found in her home and claims by Reverend Cotton Mather that she engaged with the devil. Goody maintained her innocence but was found guilty in a trial criticized for its flimsy evidence. She was hanged in front of a mocking crowd. The episode notes that Goody's case influenced the more famous Salem witch trials and shows the anti-Catholic prejudice in Puritan Boston at the time. Despite the injustice, Goody displayed courage and steadfastness during her trial. In 1988, the Boston City Council named November 16th Goody Glover Day in her honor.

Episode Show Notes

Ann "Goody" Glover (unknown-1688) was hanged for suspected witchcraft in Boston.

Episode Transcript

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SPEAKER_05: Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Aria Goodman, the graphic designer at WMN, and I'm so excited to be introducing this best of episode of Womanica. Today's episode was originally part of our October 2019 theme, Witches and Saints. She was the last woman to be hanged for witchcraft in Boston, but her trial went on to influence many of the cases of the infamous 1692 Salem witch trials. Stories of witches are always fascinating, and I found particular attachment to this one as this woman and I share a nickname. Now, here's host Jenny Kaplan to talk about Anne Goody Glover. SPEAKER_04: Little is known about Anne's early life. She was born in Ireland and moved to Barbados at some point after Oliver Cromwell's invasion of Ireland in 1649. It's not entirely clear how she got from there to Boston, but by 1680, Anne was living with her daughter Mary in Puritan Boston and working as a housekeeper for a man named John Goodwin. In the summer of 1688, John's 13-year-old daughter, Martha, accused Anne's daughter of stealing clothes from the family laundry. Anne denied the accusation and ended up in a major fight with the young Goodwin children. During the fight, the Goodwin children started acting strangely, supposedly because of the argument. When the doctor was called in, he couldn't figure out what was wrong with the children, so he chalked it up to witchcraft. Anne was quickly arrested and officially charged with witchcraft, a very serious allegation in 1680s Boston, where fear of witches ran rampant. The leading accuser in her trial was none other than Reverend Cotton Mather, who had gained significant infamy for his actions during the Salem witch trials a few years later. During her trial, Anne was unable to answer questions in English, though she apparently understood the language. At first, she was accused of speaking the language of the devil. When Anne's accusers finally realized she was speaking Irish they were able to find an interpreter and continued the trial. Still, her inability to speak English was a mark against her. Anne was asked to recite the Lord's Prayer during her trial, which she was able to do in Irish and broken Latin, but not in English. Being unable to say the Lord's Prayer in English was considered to be the mark of a witch. That belief speaks to the significant anti-Catholic prejudice impured in Boston, as most Catholics of the period, like Anne, would likely only know the Lord's Prayer in Latin. Other evidence supposedly proving Anne's witchcraft were small, doll-like figures found during a search of her home and an account from Reverend Mather that claimed Anne engaged in trysts with the devil and his minions in her prison cell. Reverend Mather wrote that Anne was a scandalous old Irish woman, very poor, a Roman Catholic, and obstinate in idolatry. Anne was found guilty of witchcraft and was hanged on November 16th, 1668 in front of a mocking crowd of onlookers. Anne! Robert Califf, a Boston merchant who knew Anne, wrote that her behavior at her trial was like that of one distracted. They did her cruel. The proof against her was wholly deficient. Anne's daughter supposedly suffered a mental breakdown as a result of the trial. In 1988, grappling with the city's dark history, the Boston City Council officially named November 16th Goody Glover Day in honor of Anne. All month, we're bringing you the best of villainy, magic, and mystery. Tune in tomorrow for another of our favorite episodes. SPEAKER_04: Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow. SPEAKER_07: Your home is important. It's where you raise your family and your biggest financial investment. For your home improvement projects, visit iheart.dibella.us for your roofing, siding, window, and bath renovations. 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