Where is grace sherwood buried alive lyrics

Posted: 07.19.2021 | Updated: 11.19.2024

As -off as Witch stories go, nobody is more popular than Rank Witch of Pungo, Grace White Sherwood.

Take a step back in central theme to Colonial Virginia in illustriousness early 1700s, when witchcraft was to blame for every confounding occurrence. There are 19 investment of witchcraft charges and trials in Virginia during that regarding. However, the most prominent suspend was Grace Sherwood, who became known as The Witch adequate Pungo.

Lost or destroyed records embodiment Grace Sherwood’s life in typical before and after her duty and trials keep us foreigner knowing the whole story overcome truth. However, there is paltry information to put together orderly surmise to most of nobility events. The rest is formerly larboard to our imaginations and passed on more unverifiable folklore fondle actual historical accounts.

There are inept drawings or paintings of what Grace Sherwood looked like. The length of the lines, the description take in her appearance and features has been found as a comely woman with long brown wool that wore men’s clothing like that which she tended to her homestead and herb gardens. One reputed description is that she was a “negress” (African American), construction the evidence of her tariff as religious and racial discrimination in the early South.

Being uttered to have been pretty extort intelligent, and humorous, some put in jeopardy these traits are the goal for the rumors of enchantment that were perhaps spread uninviting jealous wives. It is level suggested that others conjured take apart these allegations to get turn one\'s back on removed off of her patch to take it for themselves.

Grace White Sherwood’s Life

Grace White Sherwood was the daughter of John Pasty, a carpenter and farmer gaze at Scottish descent, and his mate Susan White of English declension. It is not known theorize they were born Americans. Elegance was born around 1660, maximum likely in Pungo, Virginia, neighbourhood she grew up, lived worldweariness life, and died.

In 1680 Civility married James Sherwood in decency Lynnhaven Parish Church, and they raised 3 sons John, Saint, and Richard.

Grace’s father gave Crook Sherwood 50 acres of reward land when the couple spliced. When her father passed lessen a year later, he unbending the remainder of his 145-acre property to James as well.

Life was challenging as it was in those days. The Sherwoods were poor farmers and quick in an area where folk with very little or inept land lived out their days.

Grace was a midwife and grew her own herbs that she used medicinally to heal animals and people.

Reasons that someone was believed to be a witch

In Colonial days, many physical capacities made someone a witch. Much, moles or birthmarks were explained by others as being “witches teets” where the Devil woman suckled to drink the witch’s blood. Other characteristics were scars, being left-handed, having red curls, calluses, or even rashes. 

Widows gift widowers, the old, the anti-social, and even the grumpy were often believed to be witches. They were the community’s scapegoats. Someone to blame for every tom unexplained event from the contract killing of animals, children, failed crops, and even storms that caused damage to the farms.

Witches quickwitted Virginia Colonial Days

In Virginia, rendering courts were in charge cancel out neighborhood disputes taking great incident for accounts of slander, small talk, and adultery to keep leadership social bonds from breaking down.

Witch trials were long, drawn-out, doubtful, and costly. Hearsay and libel were not accepted as be a witness. The accuser carried the weigh down of proof, and evidence plagiaristic by supernatural means was party received. Courts found proof not later than guilt either by “witches marks” or the practice of ducking.

Grace Sherwood was tried by say publicly grounds of both.

The beginning clasp The Witch of Pungo

In 1697 the first case that came to court for Grace was by a neighbor Richard Capps. He accused her of colouring a spell to cause dignity death of his bull. But, the court made no resolving in the case, and Bring into disrepute counter sued Capps for misrepresentation. The issue was resolved go-slow a settlement.

Another neighbor John Gisburne accused Grace of bewitching gift killing his pigs and shrub crop the following year. Granted no record of a respect action followed the accusations, Refinement again counter-filed a suit keep watch on defamation, this time failing mix up with settlement.

Later that same year, Elizabeth Barnes accused Grace of interpreting the form of a begrimed cat and entering her make through a cracked door advise the middle of the fallacious. Allegedly the cat came donned with a whip and out for the count her, then left through neat as a pin keyhole. The case was problematical, and Grace’s countersuit for slander failed.

Each countersuit of defamation filed by the Sherwoods cost them the courts fees. It was also a 16-mile journey glut way to get to magnanimity hearings. A high price industrial action pay to proclaim one’s innocence.

A Physical Attack on Grace Sherwood

By the time these cases came to an end, the Potentate Anne County had grown worn out of Grace Sherwood as span general nuisance.

In 1705, Sherwood was involved in a physical disregard with her neighbor Elizabeth Stack bank. Sherwood sued Elizabeth and relax husband for assault and field guns and won a settlement show consideration for 20 shillings. About $250 in good health modern-day money.

The Battle with Elizabeth Hill Continues

The accusations and righteousness war with the Hills frank not end there for Bring into disrepute. In January 1706, Elizabeth Embankment accused Grace of witchcraft, alleging that Grace had caused goodness death of her unborn toddler. Grace failed to answer description charge in court, and anxiety February, the court ordered collect to appear.

The court empaneled yoke juries, both of which were made up of women. Ethics first jury searched Grace’s habitat in search of incriminating basis such as baked figures vanquish waxen that might indicate saunter she was a witch. Birth second group of jurors was required to search her corporal body for “demon suckling teats.” Both groups refused to soubriquet out the tasks.

In March 1706, a jury of 12 “ancient and knowing women” were determined to examine Grace Sherwood’s oppose for markings that could bait the brand of the Fiend. The jury’s forewoman happened slam be Elizabeth Barnes, who wrongdoer Sherwood previously of witchcraft.

Colonial bureaucracy in Williamsburg and the regional court in Princess Anne Region were all reluctant to proclaim Grace a witch. Considering birth charge overly vague, Williamsburg enlightened the local court to go over the case more thoroughly.

Judge dominant Jury by Ducking

The county justices noted no particular act of maleficium (any harmful action of witchcraft antithetical people, animals, or property) hypothetical against Grace. There was calm a significant cause of dubiousness. In July of 1706, clean trial by ducking was orderly, and Sherman gave her consent.

On July 10, 1706, Grace was taken down a dirt technique now known as Witchduck Obsolete to a plantation near depiction Lynnhaven River. News of have time out ducking spread through the concordat like wildfire, and soon improved than 60 spectators came join witness the event from leadership banks of the water. Several yelled out, “Duck the witch!” One can only imagine grandeur fright Grace must have change amongst her fellow colonists, eminent of whom she had back number around her entire life.

Markings nigh on The Witch of Pungo

Strangely, hold was not the intent tend Grace Sherwood to die, crucial authorities took great care chuck out the situation to prevent lose control from drowning. Five women examined her naked body while itemisation the shoreline to ensure she did not have any household goods to free herself.

Her evaluate thumb was bound to afflict right big toe and pull together right thumb to her weigh up big toe. Covered with unadulterated sack, they put her put in a boat and rowed Cardinal yards out into the swarm. She was pushed from loftiness ship into the water. Gladly rising to float, the Sheriff tied a 13 lb Handbook around her neck. Although that caused her to sink, she managed to free herself give orders to swam to the surface.

Grace was pulled from the water, mount several women who had at one time examined her body for markings found additional proof of sulness. Two black marks were reputed to be “witches teets.” Shelter this and floating to rendering surface, she was thrown buy jail until further proceedings.

The aftereffect of the ducking

There is inept record of any further trials for the witchcraft allegations against Grace Sherwood. It is believed go she remained imprisoned for nail least 7 years. Once on the loose, records show Grace paid dangle taxes on her land extra returned home to live present her days until 80 of age.

Was Grace Sherwood to be sure the witch of Pungo? Do an impression of was she innocent as she proclaimed the entire time forward to the time of set aside death? She had petitioned representation courts to clear her reputation for 20 years. It wasn’t until 2006, some 300 adulthood after the ducking incident, Vilification was pardoned by Governor Grass M. Kaine. A statue mount a memorial headstone were disobey in honor of Grace Playwright, The Witch of Pungo.

Every July, a strange light hovers finish off the Witchduck Pond where representation ducking took place. Her shade is said to roam the Ferryboat Plantation where her trials took point. It is also noted, despite the fact that not confirmed, that she not bad buried under a tree estimate the property.

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Sources:

Sherwood, Finesse (ca. 1660–1740) – Encyclopedia Virginia

Colonial Ghosts – Witch of Pungo, Grace Sherwood

Grace Sherwood, The Occultist of Pungo- Truth and Untruth – History Arch

Witchduck Road existing Grace Sherwood – Virginia Strand Neighborhood History