In 1653, Roger Ludlow* — one of the founders of both the colony of Connecticut and the town of Fairfield — accused Mary Staples of being a witch.
Roger Ludlow
Staples was Ludlow’s neighbor. Her husband Thomas sued Ludlow for slander. Ludlow was fined 15 pounds.
Mary Staples was the great-great-great-grandmother of Horace Staples. 231 years later, he founded Westport’s high school.
Ludlow was the namesake of Fairfield’s first high school, and a middle school.
This Saturday at 7 p.m., Fairfield Ludlowe High School hosts Staples High in a boys lacrosse game. The winner will receive a witch’s broom, commemorating the rivalry between the high schools and their famous ancestors.
Who will win? No one knows. But it should be a great game. The Wreckers are 9-2; the Falcons are 7-2.
Yet one thing is certain: When they first met in 1653, Mary Staples trounced Roger Ludlow.
*It’s unclear from his signature whether he spelled his last name with or without an “e.” Both schools named after him include the letter; most historical references do not.
This is a witch — not Mary Staples. She was acquitted of the charge.
