There have been stories of witches throughout history.  Every period of time has their own stories and versions of witches and witchcraft.  Here are three stories and examples of witches: The Pendle Witches, The Witch of Pungo, and The Story of Bridget Bishop who is actually my 4th great grandfather’s 4th great grandmother.

            One of the most famous witch trials in England history is of the Pendle Witches or Lancashire Witches.  In the county Lancashire of England in 1612, ten people were hanged because of witchcraft.  The Pendle Witches were accused of murdering seventeen people with witchcraft.  There were thirteen total witches, but only ten of them were hung then.  Two of the witches died waiting for trial and one who didn’t live in Lancashire was hung in Yorkshire.  The witches were accused of selling their souls to spirits in return for the ability to kill or make lame who they wanted to.  A feud between two families, Demdike and Chattox, started the Pendle Witches.  The unusual part was that all the witches did not try to hide their accusations.  They even made statements about them being involved with witchcraft.

            The story of The Witch of Pungo is one of the best-known stories in Virginia. Neighbors of Grace Sherwood, The Witch of Pungo, accused her of witchcraft in 1698.  Her neighbors thought Grace had bewitched their crops.   As time went on more allegations came up against her.  A jury was ordered to search her body for markings of the devil.  They never found any markings on her, so she was to be tried by “dunking”.  Dunking is a method to judge witches.  They would have their right thumb tied to their big left toe and their left thumb to their big right toe.  While being thrown into a lake.  The belief was that water is pure so it would resist evil, and make a witch float instead of sink.  Grace was thrown into the lake and floated.  She then was put into jail for eight years on witchcraft.

            Bridget Bishop who is my 4th great grandfather’s 4th great grandmother was born between 1632 and 1637.  Bridget was married three times and her last marriage was to Edward Bishop.  Bridget Bishop was the first witch to be hanged in Salem.  Bridget had the most accusations against her for witchcraft then any other accused in Salem.  It was probably due to her flamboyant life style and the exotic dress she would wear.  She was a member of Mr. Hale’s church in Beverly and stayed in good standing till her death.  Bridget Bishop often gossiped about her and her husbands fighting, held parties at her home till late in the night, and drank along with playing shovel-board, which was a forbidden game at the time.  Many people said that her “dubious moral character”, her bad conduct, and disrespect to the Puritan standards made her a prime target for witchcraft.  Her first time in court was in 1680 where she was accused of witchcraft, but was cleared of the charges.  Then again on April 18, 1692 she was accused of witchcraft.  People stated that she made some of their children pass away when they were completely healthy, and some of the afflicted girls cried out saying that Bridget was causing them pain.  Also her sister’s husband accused her of talking with the devil all night and the devil came in bodily contact with her.  On June 10, Sheriff George Corwin hung Bridget at Gallows Hill.  At the hanging she showed no remorse and proclaimed her innocence.

            Those were only three accounts of witch trials, but witches have been accused throughout history.  The stories of the Pendle Witches and The Witch of Pungo are some well-known stories from parts of the world.  Then the story of Bridget Bishop is a fun family history story that I’ve heard many times growing up.

Grace Sherwood was a midwife, a healer and a friend to children and animals. Her neighbors thought she also was a witch who ruined crops, killed livestock and conjured storms. She was born in 1660 the daughter of a carpenter and the wife of a planter in the county of Princess Anne, a wife and mother of 3 sons. The town decided she should be tried by ‘dunking’. This entitled her thumbs being tied to her big toes and being tossed into the Lynnhaven River off of what is now known has Witchduck point on July 10th 1706 at 10am. The theory was if she floats she was guilty as water was pure and would reject un-pure souls. If she was innocent she would sink and also drown. Sherwood floated and was then imprisoned for 8 years and then released once she was able to pay the back taxes on her property. She worked the farm and stayed there until her death in 1740 at the age of 80.

On July 10th 2006 the 70th Governor of Virginia, Timothy M Kaine released Grace Sherwood of her conviction.

The following statement was released by the mayor and put on a plaque under Grace’s Statue.

“I am pleased to join the Mayor of Virginia Beach in extending best wishes as you work to promote justice in the 1706 “Witch Ducking” case of Grace Sherwood. With 300 years of hindsight, we all certainly can agree that trial by water is an injustice. We also can celebrate the fact that woman’s equality is constitutionally protected today, and women have the freedom to pursue their hopes & dreams. The historical records that survive indicate that Ms. Sherwood, a midwife and widowed mother of three, survived her “trial by water” in 1706. Those records also indicate that one of my predecessors, Governor Alexander Spotswood, eventually helped her reclaim her property. The record also indicates Ms. Sherwood led an otherwise quiet and law abiding life until she died at the age of 80. Today, July 10, 2006, as 70th Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, I am pleased to officially restore the good name of Grace Sherwood. Sincerely, Timothy M. Kaine, Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia”
The statue was erected due to the efforts of Belinda Nash who has also worked to clear Grace Sherwood’s name and was the one who brought the case before the governor.