Alice Glaston

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
Bornc. 1535
Little Wenlock, Shropshire, England
Died13 April 1546 (aged 11)
Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England
Cause of deathExecution by hanging
Criminal status
  • Executed
    (13 April 1546 (1546-04-13))
Conviction(s)Unknown
Criminal penaltyDeath

In October 2014, writer Paul Evans released The Spirit Child, a speculative supernatural radio play about the events leading to her execution.[7]

See also

References
  1. Butler, Sir Thomas (1861). The Cambrian Journal, 49. London. p. 89.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. "Alice Glaston". 19 March 2010.
  3. "Children & juvenile executions".
  4. Samantha Lyon (2013). A Grim Almanac of Shropshire. The History Press. ISBN 9780752489445.
  5. deVire, David (2016). Tail of the Tigress: Views on the Road to Gender Equality. Backdaw Publishing. p. 211. ISBN 9780995457614.
  6. 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.
  7. "The Spirit Child". The Radio Times. 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.


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