England’s Last Witch May Have Survived Execution, New Research Reveals
A new historical investigation suggests that Alice Molland, known as England’s last witch, may not have been executed as long believed. Molland, sentenced to death for witchcraft in 1685, has held a somber place in history as the last person in England to be executed for witchcraft. However, historian Mark Stoyle of the University of Southampton argues that she may have survived the noose, potentially living a quiet life until her death in 1693. This discovery would mean England’s final witchcraft execution took place in 1682, marking a twist in the dark history of witch trials.
New Evidence Suggests England’s Last Witch Survived
Alice Molland’s conviction and supposed execution in 1685 have puzzled historians for over a century. Her death sentence at Exeter Castle in Devon, southwest England, was considered the last of its kind. However, Stoyle’s research indicates that Alice may actually have been Avis Molland, a woman who was imprisoned but later released. According to Stoyle, Avis, a likely candidate for accusation due to her social standing as a poor, single woman, died free in 1693, years after her alleged execution.
Stoyle unearthed references to an “Avis Molland” in city records from 1685, just three months after Alice’s supposed trial. This, combined with other documentation, has led him to reconstruct much of Avis’s life, suggesting she was imprisoned but ultimately survived. Stoyle notes that England’s witch trials overwhelmingly targeted women of low social standing, often poor and unmarried, who were vulnerable to accusations.
Witch Trials and Miscarriages of Justice
England executed around 500 people for witchcraft between 1542 and 1735, with hundreds more across Europe. Most of the victims were marginalized women, who, in many cases, simply fit the social profile that stoked public fear. The trials were driven by societal paranoia, with older, single women often becoming the primary targets. According to Stoyle, laws intended to combat threats to the monarchy were ironically weaponized against women in local communities.
Campaigns like Justice for Witches, led by activists such as Charlotte Meredith, seek posthumous pardons for those wrongly convicted. John Worland, a retired police inspector who has researched witch trials in Essex, echoes the call for remembrance, noting that such trials were frequently triggered by neighborhood disputes rather than genuine suspicion.
A Twist in History’s Tale
Stoyle’s findings, soon to be published in The Historian, are a significant contribution to the record of historical witch trials. Even if his theory is incorrect, Stoyle emphasizes that it has shed light on the overlooked life of Avis Molland. Judy Molland, who championed the memorial plaque for Devon’s executed women, remains convinced that Alice Molland existed independently. For Judy and many others, the question remains open—if not Alice, then another innocent woman certainly suffered similar injustice.
The search for answers continues, as historians bring new perspectives to these centuries-old stories of injustice. Whether or not England’s last witch truly survived, the ongoing research highlights the importance of examining history to honor those who were unjustly condemned.
