Elizabeth Shaw and Infanticide in Connecticut: History, Legend, and Interpretation

This article examines a documented historical case and the folklore that developed around it. Readers are encouraged to distinguish between historical records, later legend, and modern paranormal interpretation.

A glowing woman dressed in white has long been reported along Plains Road near Windham Center, sometimes described as moving toward the Windham Inn.

Witnesses often characterize her appearance as brief and sorrowful. The identity of this figure — and the reason she is associated with the area — has been the subject of speculation for generations.

The story most often connected to these reports centers on Elizabeth Shaw, a young woman executed in colonial Connecticut in 1745. While certainty is impossible, her documented history provides the foundation for one of Windham’s most enduring legends.

Elizabeth Shaw and Infanticide in Colonial Connecticut

Colonial-era village scene representing the historical setting of Windham, Connecticut, during the mid-18th century.

Elizabeth Shaw was approximately 19 years old when she was executed on December 18, 1745. Historical records describe her as intellectually impaired, a characterization that must be understood within the limited and often biased language of the colonial period.

Shaw gave birth to a child out of wedlock — an act considered both a moral and legal transgression in Puritan New England. Fearing social punishment and religious condemnation, she abandoned the newborn in nearby woods. The child died.

Shaw’s father discovered the situation and, according to historical accounts, turned his daughter over to local authorities after failing to secure a confession. Some records and later historians have raised suspicions that Shaw’s father may have been responsible for the pregnancy, though no formal charges were ever brought against him.

Trial, Pardon, and Execution

Elizabeth Shaw was tried quickly in a court composed entirely of men. She was convicted of infanticide and sentenced to death by hanging. After her sentencing, her father reportedly traveled to Hartford to seek a pardon from Governor Jonathan Law, which was granted.

Due to weather delays, however, the pardon did not arrive in time.

Elizabeth Shaw was transported to the gallows near Windham Green seated atop her own coffin, a common but brutal practice of the era. She was executed by hanging, carried out by a man named Winthrop. Her death remains one of the earliest documented executions of a woman in Connecticut.

From History to Legend

Over time, Shaw’s story transitioned from historical record to local folklore. Reports of a “Lady in White” walking along Plains Road are often attributed to her, though no contemporary accounts from the 18th century describe supernatural activity connected to her execution.

Legends frequently assign symbolic imagery — white clothing, sorrowful demeanor, silent wandering — to women whose lives ended in public punishment or social disgrace. These patterns appear throughout New England folklore and are not unique to Windham.

The Windham Inn and Paranormal Claims

Elizabeth Shaw has also been associated with the Windham Inn, where residents and guests have historically reported unexplained sensations and sightings of a female presence sometimes referred to as “Betty.” It is unclear whether this name emerged organically or as a later reference to Shaw’s story.

The Windham Inn was constructed in 1783, several decades after Shaw’s execution. While the timelines do not align, the history of the land prior to the Inn’s construction remains unclear. It is possible the area served other functions before the current structure existed.

Members of the Eastern Connecticut Paranormal Society (E.C.P.S.) have investigated the Windham Inn and surrounding areas. During these investigations, experiences interpreted through mediumship, spirit box sessions, and flashlight response experiments have been reported. These interpretations remain subjective and are presented as investigative observations rather than verified historical evidence. Elizabeth Shaw and infanticide in Connecticut is one example how urban legends are created.

Reflection

Elizabeth Shaw’s story is one of fear, social control, and irreversible punishment within a rigid colonial legal system. Whether or not modern reports of paranormal activity are connected to her life, her execution left a lasting imprint on Windham’s historical memory.

The legend of the Lady in White reflects how communities process injustice, tragedy, and unresolved questions over time. While folklore continues to evolve, the historical record reminds us that Elizabeth Shaw was a real person whose life ended under circumstances shaped by fear, power, and societal judgment.