Alice Glaston (c. 1535 – 13 April 1546) was an 11-year-old English girl from Little Wenlock who was hanged in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England, under the reign of Henry VIII.[1][2][3] She is likely the youngest girl ever to be legally executed in England, though 8- or 9-year-old John Dean was hanged for arson in 1629.[3] The crime for which she was hanged is unknown, but it is speculated that she was accused of either murder or witchcraft.[4] She was hanged with two other people.[5] Sir Thomas Butler, vicar of Much Wenlock, records Glaston's burial at his church.[6]
Alice Glaston | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1535 Little Wenlock, Shropshire, England |
| Died | 13 April 1546 (aged 11) Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Criminal status |
|
| Conviction(s) | Unknown |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
In October 2014, writer Paul Evans released The Spirit Child, a speculative supernatural radio play about the events leading to her execution.[7]
In 2024, writer J Ashley started work on novel Dreams of an Eleven Year Old Witch, a story based on the story of Alice Glaston, and the innocence of her childhood. The book plays mostly on speculation and guess work owing to little available information on the young girls life and subsequent execution.
See also
edit- Capital punishment in the United Kingdom
- John Dean, 8- or 9-year-old boy who was the youngest person executed in the history of England
- Elizabeth Hicks
- Hannah Ocuish
- Mary (slave)
References
edit- ^ Butler, Sir Thomas (1861). The Cambrian Journal, 49. London. p. 89.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Alice Glaston". 19 March 2010.
- ^ a b "Children & juvenile executions".
- ^ Samantha Lyon (2013). A Grim Almanac of Shropshire. The History Press. ISBN 9780752489445.
- ^ deVire, David (2016). Tail of the Tigress: Views on the Road to Gender Equality. Backdaw Publishing. p. 211. ISBN 9780995457614.
- ^ BUTLER, Sir Thomas (1861). Extracts from the Register of Sir Thomas Butler, Vicar of Much Wenlock, in Shropshire [1538-1562] ... By the Rev. Charles Henry Hartshorne. Reprinted from the "Cambrian Journal," etc. R. Mason. p. 11.
- ^ "The Spirit Child". The Radio Times. 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
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