Dorchester’s Witch Trial

My work holds a series of “Lunch and Learns” where coworkers share their expertise. One of my coworkers is an author of a few books about history, hauntings, and ghosts in the North Shore of Massachusetts. During his talk he explained that before the 1692 Salem Witch Trials, one of the earliest witch trials in New England took place right here in Dorchester. I was so intrigued. I quickly jotted down this note and couldn’t wait to do some further research. I have always been super interested in the history of the Salem witch trials, and I am even more interested in Dorchester.

Google did not disappoint. I was quickly able to get to the bottom of this little-known historic event. In 1648, Alice Lake of Dorchester was accused of witchcraft and executed. Apparently this was the only witch trial in Dorchester. Some articles and sources say that Alice lost an infant and her grief made others in the settlement so uncomfortable it was mistaken as witch craft.

The Dorchester Reporter has a great 2008 article about Alice Lake, even interviewing a family member of hers. Side note - can you believe how long ago 2008 actually was? The article can be found here.