The New England Coven of Traditionalist Witches was founded in North Haven, Connecticut, in the late 1960s by “Lady Gwen Thompson” (1928-1986). Lady Gwen, a hereditary witch, claimed that her family tradition originated in Somerset, England, and was brought to the United States via Nova Scotia. This tradition, handed down through many generations, was blended with popular occultism to form the present structure known today as the New England Covens of Traditionalist Witches (N.E.C.T.W.).

Lady Gwen feared that her family tradition would fade into obscurity. To preserve it, she began teaching students outside her family in the late 1960s. Not everyone born into a family tradition is destined to follow the path, but Lady Gwen’s commitment ensured the survival and growth of her practices.

Gwen’s letters reveal a deep interest in her ancestors, typical of New Englanders. She knew the names and life stories of many of her forebears and shared these tales with her initiates. Coven members who knew Gwen’s mother and other family members confirm that Gwen possessed a genuine Family Tradition, tracing back to one Adriana Porter (ca. 1850-1946).

Theitic of the Coven of Minerva and Professor Robert Mattheissen of Brown University researched Gwen’s long version of the Wiccan Rede, which she sent to Green Egg magazine. Their findings, published in “The Rede of the Wiccae,” support the authenticity of Gwen’s claims to some extent, providing genealogical details of her family’s history. Gwen’s tradition assimilated elements from the popular occultism of her time, such as the emerging “Wiccan” neopagan model, rituals for the “Wheel of the Year,” and other practices not originally part of her inherited lore. Her theology leaned more towards Luciferianism, typical of pre-Gardnerian Witches, rather than the usual neopagan duotheism.

In the early 1970s, Owen R., who had joined the coven around the time of Ed Buczynski’s departure (see New York Coven of Welsh Traditionalist Witches), served as Lady Gwen’s High Priest. In 1973, Owen moved with Lady Gwen and her daughter to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where she founded two additional covens before relocating to Massachusetts.

Lady Gwen left the original New Haven coven in the hands of Kerry and Stock. This coven subsequently hived off many others, evolving into the N.E.C.T.W. Tradition. The Coven of Minerva is considered the most direct successor to Gwen’s original coven, and Theitic also serves as the Historian of the Tradition. Later in life, Gwen altered the spelling of her Craft name to “Gwynne.” She passed away in 1986 while visiting relatives in Nova Scotia.