A discovery of witch trials

By Tom Kuser,

Ann Lopez

Published November 2, 2023 at 7:00 AM EDT

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Dr. Katherine Hermes in Hartford’s Ancient Burying Ground at the gravesite of Samuel Wyllys a magistrate on several notorious witchcraft trials in the 1600s. Credit: Julie Winkel (Passed down in the family for nearly 200 years, the Wyllys papers are the source of much of what is known today about CT witchcraft cases.)

Dr. Katherine Hermes has expanded the history of witch trials in Connecticut. Last year, the historian and publisher of Connecticut Explored Magazine was researching information on the Ancient Burying Ground in Hartford, Connecticut, when she uncovered something surprising - legal documents for a witch trial that occurred long after they supposedly ended in the state. The Full Story host Tom Kuser spoke with Dr. Hermes about her discovery.

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Tom Kuser

Tom has been with WSHU since 1987, after spending 15 years at college and commercial radio and television stations. He became Program Director in 1999, and has been local host of NPR’s Morning Edition since 2000.

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Ann Lopez

Ann is an editor and senior content producer with WSHU, including the founding producer of the weekly talk show, The Full Story.

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