The Wicked Witch of Monroe: Hannah Cranna

Horror Stories - The Wicked Witch of Monroe: Hannah Cranna

When Hannah Cranna was still alive she was known as "the wicked witch of Monroe" a reputation that has continued to follow her for over 150 years after her passing. Unlike other supposed witches the story of Hannah Cranna doesn't end up at the end of a noose or in ashes around a stake. Hannah Cranna lived a comfortable life on her property near a place called Cutlers Farm Road in Monroe. Hannah Cranna died of a regular death when she was 77 years old.

Hannah Cranna's life was not exactly ordinary or she wouldn't be known today. Hannah Cranna is known for allegedly dabbing in the black arts. According to story's people told her reputation as a witch didn't start until her husband Capt. Joseph Hovey had passed away. Hannah Crannas actual name is Hannah Hovey but she got the name Hannah Cranna while she was still alive. People blamed Hannah Cranna for being being involved in her husbands death.

Her husbands death story went something like this one night Capt. Hovey went out for a walk and had somehow fell off a cliff resulting in his death. No one believed that Capt. Hovey could've just fell off the cliff so rumors started going around that Hannah Cranna had somehow bewitched Capt. Hovey causing him to become dazed and confused till he inadvertently fell to his death. After Hannah Cranna became a widow her behavior changed. She would often demand that the neighbors give her free food and fireworks and if they refused to give her the items she asked for she would rely on her witch reputation and threaten them.

A story I heard was that when one of the local farmers wife had denied Hannah Crannas demands for a fresh baked pie Hannah cursed her and the poor woman was never able to bake again. Another story goes that after Hannah caught a man fishing for trout fish in a brook on her property without her permission Hannah laid a curse on the fisher man and the man never caught a fish again.

The story's had continued and Hannah Cranna had supposedly continued to curse people. Hannah Cranna had a house on Craig Hill that was said to be guarded by snakes where she would help the ones who had venerated her and poured down misery on the ones who had dared crossed her. It was said that Hannah Cranna kept a rooster that was named Old Boreas. Shortly after that rooster crowed it's last crow Hannah told her neighbor that her death was near.

She told her neighbor "My coffin must be carried by hand to the graveyard. And I must not be buried before sundown." Hannah Cranna died the very next day. As it was snowing heavily the locals decided to ignore her instructions and instead tried pulling her casket across the snow with a sled. But as soon as they started pulling the casket toward the graveyard the coffin fell off the sled and slid all the way back to her front door.

They tried multiple times but failed every time. They had then decided to avoid the supernatural wrath of Hannah Cranna and decided to just carry her casket to the graveyard by hand. After much struggling they eventually got Hannah Cranna into her grave and just after sunset. Happy to get rid of Hannah Cranna the locals went back to Hannah's house only to discover that the house had been engulfed in flames.