Throughout the centuries there have been many horrific executions performed across different
lands, but some in Britain that were so sadistic was the execution of children. Many were brought
to the gallows throughout the years for their involvement in many different crimes, from
theft to murder and arson. At places of execution such as Tyburn, people took their final deaths,
but one of the most shocking executions in history is of Hannah Ocuish, a 12 year old
girl it’s believed who had a learning difficulty who in New London Conneticut was condemned
for the murder of a 6 year old girl. But what is the story behind this? Join us today as
we look at the horrific execution of the 12 year old American girl, and remember to support
our channel please make sure to subscribe.
Much of Hannah Ocuish’ life was written about in a sermon titled God Admonishing His
people of their duty, a sermon occasioned by the execution of Hannah Ocuish, a Mixed
Girl aged 12 years and 9 months.’ In this it shows the racial prejudice she had to deal
with at her early life, and she was charachterised as a scary violent criminal who even at the
age of 6 almost killed someone during a robbery. It was said, ‘AS the Public may wish to
be informed more particularly respecting the criminal, Hannah Ocuish, than they have yet
been: we have collected the following particulars, which it may not be improper to annex as an
appendix to the preceding discourse. She was born at Groton.—Early in life she discovered
the maliciousness and cruelty of her disposition: as appears from the following fact, which
was represented in evidence before the grand-jury. When about six years old, she with a brother
about two years older than herself, meeting a little girl at a distance from the neighbourhood,
they endeavoured to get away her clothes and a gold necklace which she had on.
After beating the child until they had almost killed her, they stripped her, and disputing
about the division of the clothes the child recovered, and getting away came home, covered
with blood. This affair was immediately examined into, and the select-men of the town concluded
to bind them both out. Their mother, who is one of the Pequot tribe of indians, is an
abandoned creature, much addicted to the vice of drunkenness.—She, it seems, not liking
to have the girl bound out; brought her away and left her at a house, about three miles
from the city of New-London, promising to return in a few days and take her away again.
But she did not return 'till after several months, when urging the family to keep her
longer they at length consented.—She continued in this family until she was apprehended for
the crime, for which she was executed. Her conduct, as appeared in evidence before
the honorable Superior Court was marked with almost every thing bad. Theft and lying were
her common vices. To these were added a maliciousness of disposition which made the children in
the neighbourhood much afraid of her. She had a degree of artful cunning and sagacity
beyond many of her years. —In short, her mind wanted to be properly instructed, and
her disposition to be corrected.”
The victim in Hannah Ocuish’ crime was six year old Eunice Bolles, who was the daughter
of a wealthy farmer. She was found dead on the 21st July 1786, and Ocuish was then questioned
and she claimed there were four boys who were involved. But these could not be found, and
then she confessed to her crimes. It was said that, ‘On the 21st of July, 1786, at about
10 o'clock in the morning, the body of the murdered child was found in the public road
leading from New-London to Norwich, lying on its face near to a wall ... The neighborhood
turned out to hunt for the murderer; Hannah was questioned and claimed that she had seen
four boys near the scene of the crime. When a search failed to turn them up, Hannah was
interrogated again, and then taken to the Bolles home to be charged with homicide in
the presence of the dead child. She burst into tears and confessed. Only at this late
point in the narrative is the reader offered a sequential account of the crime. Five weeks
earlier, Eunice had reported Hannah for stealing fruit during the strawberry harvest, and Hannah
had plotted revenge. Catching sight of her young enemy headed for school one morning,
Hannah had lured Eunice from her path with a gift of calico, then beat and choked her
to death.’
The day after the murder she confessed, and was arrested and was indicted by a grand jury
for murder. The only evidence against Hannah Ocuish was her confession which was never
corroborated and was just taken as truth. She could have been coerced into confessing,
and many have been subjected to unfair treatment. Her confession stated she had baited Bolles
and beat her to almost death with a rock before she strangled her and then tried to stage
an accident. Hannah Ocuish pleaded not guilty and allegedly at trial was unfazed and calm,
and it’s likely she did not know what was happening. But the court found her guilty.
The judge said, ‘The sparing of you on account of your age would as the law says be a dangerous
consequence for the public, by holding up and idea that children might commit such atrocious
crimes,’ and with this Hannah was sentenced to death. The fact she was young and had a
disability did not mitigate anything, and they wanted swift justice to be imposed on
her. Whilst inside of prison awaiting her execution, she became incredibly anxious and
spent her final days in tears.
She was brought to a gallows, and she thanked the Sheriff for his kindness as the executioner
placed the noose around her neck from the gallows. Onlookers said she ‘appeared greatly
afraid, and seemed to want somebody to help her,’ but then as a man pulled down on the
rope wrapped around her neck she was hanged, and was executed. She was only just 12 when
she was executed on the 20th December 1786 in front of the crowd in New London, and remains
one of the youngest people ever sentenced to death.
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