When Goodwife Stover died, the men
of Harpswell Neck refused to carry her coffin to the
Meeting House for a Christian burial, Some of the
women of the town went against their husbands'
wishes. Six fisherwives carried the coffin of Hannah
Stover all the way from South Harpswell to Harpswell
Center.
Ezra Johnson was one of the men that
had accused. Hannah Stover, He called her a “witch
wife.” When the women finally reached the Meeting
House, Ezra Johnson spoke out against Hannah again
He said that he had a cow that had been “bewitched”
an a broken seine that Hannah Stover hid caused. He
said that two days before Hannah Stover died, he had
been taken in his sleep to Potts Point where he was
dragged up and down the sides of a ship. He accused
Hannah because he said he heard her voice while this
was happening.
While Ezra Johnson was still
accusing Hannah of being a witch her stepdaughter,
Mercy Stover, and also Goody Cole spoke up. They
reminded people of Hannah Stover's kindness and the
help that she gave to Harpswell people. At this time
Parson Eaton took over. He said that Hannah should
be buried, The men still refused to touch the
coffin, so the women carried it the rest of the way
and Hannah Stover was buried in the old graveyard
behind the Meeting House.
“We have buried a witch!” Ezra
Johnson growled.
“We have made the grave of a.
saint,” Parson Eaton replied.