Just in time for Halloween … it’s the Mary Staples story!
In 1651, Goody Knapp of Stratford was accused of witchcraft. She quickly implicated another witch: Mary Staples.
That was Big News. She was the wife of Thomas Staples, who along with Roger Ludlow (later spelled “Ludlowe”) had helped found the community of Fairfield.
Thomas Staples sued Ludlow in New Haven court, for defamation. He won, and in 1654 was awarded 10 pounds in damages.
A tile depicting Mary Staples — donated by Linda Fraxer, and created by Marian Grebow — is part of the Westport Library’s River of Names.
In an era when women were burned or drowned as witches, Mary Staples survived.
In 1884 — more than 2 centuries later, and 49 years after Westport became a separate town from Fairfield — a family descendant named-Horace Staples founded his town’s Staples High School.
And today, 138 years after that, one of Fairfield’s 2 high schools — Fairfield Ludlowe — is named for Thomas and Mary Staples’ nemesis, Roger Ludlow.
After nearly 4 centuries, the rivalry lives on.
