Grace Sherwood, the Virginia Witch - William and Mary Quarterly Vol. 4, No. 1 Transcribed by Kathy Merrill for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Grace Sherwood, the Virginia Witch Edward W. James William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 1. (Jul., 1895), pp. 18-22. GRACE SHERWOOD, THE VIRGINIA WITCH. COMMUNICATED BY EDWARD W. JAMES. (Concluded from pages 96, 190, and 242.) Whereas(a) on complaint of Luke Hill on behalf of her Majesty yt now is agt Grace Sherwood for a prson Suspected of witchcraft(1) & having had Sundry Evidences Sworne agt her proving Many Cercumstances to which She could not make any excuse or Little or nothing to say in her own Behalf only Seemed to Rely on wt ye Court should Doe and there upon consented to be tryed in ye water(2) & Likewise to be Serched againe wch experiants being tryed & She Swiming wn therein & bound contrary To custom & ye Judgt of all ye spectators & afterwards being Serched by ffive antient weomen who have all Declared on Oath yt She is not like ym nor noe Other woman yt they knew of having two things like titts(3) on ____________________________________________________ (a) The date of this order is 10th July, 1706, the same day as the last order in the previous number. The court, it is presumed, adjourned to witness the ceremony at what is still known as the witches duck, near William Harper's plantation. The ceremony seemed to the justices to justify Grace Sherwood's imprisonment till a future trial; but as the record is entirely silent respecting any future procedure, she must have been released, but how long after it can- not be said. The history of witchcraft in Virginia would not be complete without some reference to several cases which went up to the general court. In the Robinson Transcripts are the following entries: "December, 1657. -- Barbary Wingbrough arraigned for a witch, but ac- quitted. Who should pay the witnesses referred to assembly. January 12, 1658. -- Capt. Barrett had to appear at the admiralty court to answer the putting to death of Kate Grady as a witch as sea. October 16, 1668. -- Alice Stephens accused as a witch, but not cleared. November 24, 1668. -- Judgment for calling a woman and her children witches. Pardon craved." --- Editor. ---------- Page 19. her private parts of a Black Coller being Blacker yn ye Rest of her Body all wch cercumstance ye Court weighing in their Consideracon Doe therefore ordr yt ye Sherr take ye Sd Grace Into his Costody & to Commit her body to ye Common Goal(4) of this county there to Secure her by irons or otherwise Directed in ordr for her coming to ye Common Goale of ye county to bee brought to a ffuture Tryall there. Sept 1st 1708 Judgmt confest by Grace Sherrwood for paymt of 600 lb tobo to Christor Cocke Due by an accomp & ordr that the Deft pay ye same to ye pl. with cost als Exco. Princess At a court held ye 175h 9br 1708 according to appointmt Anne ffor laying ye county Leavy Prsent Majr Henry Spratt, Captn Henry Chapman, Captn Jno Moseley, Mr. Jno Cornick, Captn George Handcock, Justices. Princess Anne county is Debtor to Mr. Maxmll Boush for being Queens Attry agt Sherrwood (Tobacco) 500 Princess Anne county Virginia; In the Name of Almighty God Amen, The last will & Testament of Grace Sherwood &c. Imprs. I give & bequeath unto my son John Sherwood my plantacon whereon I now live containing one hundred & fourty-four acres (5) of land to him & his heires lawfully begoten for ever to have & to hold forever, likewise I give unto my Son Jno Sherwood at my decease all my personall Estate moveable & immoveable what is in my house or what is without everything whatsoever everything that is mine, I give & bequeath unto my son John Sherwood & to his heirs lawfully begotten, all wholy & solely at my decease Excepting ten Shillings to be given as followeth: I give & bequeath unto my son James Sherwood five Shillings current money of this colony to be paid at my decease. It. I give & bequeath unto my son Richard Sherwood five Shillings current money of this colony to be paid at my decease, After which payment I leave my son Jno Sherwood my whole & Sole Executor over this my last will & Testament to see it faithfully performed, & to ye truth of this my last will & Testamt I have hereunto set my hand & seal being in my perfect & sound minde & memory this 20th day of August in ye year of our Lord God 1733. Selled sined & Decd Grace [mark] Sherwood In the presence of us Princess Anne: At a court held the 1st Jno Willbur, Jno Bray day of October, 1740 Then ye within Jno X Burgess last will of Grace Sherwood decd was Page 20. prsented in court by her Exor who made oath thereto & being proved by ye oaths of all ye witnesses thereto is admitted to record. At a court held the first day of October 1740 Princess William Robinson, Edwd Hack Moseley Anne Thomas Walke, John Nicholas Gent Justices present The last will & Testament of Grace Sherwood decd was prsented in court by Jno Sherwood her Exor who made oath thereto, & being proved by oaths of all the witnesses thereto is admited to record & on the mocon of the Said Jno & his performing what is usual in such cases, certificate is granted him for obtaining a probate thereof in due form. At a court held the 3rd December 1740 Princess Anne Anthony Walke, Jacob Ellegood prsent Nathaniel Newton, Edwd Hack Moseley Gent Justices James Condon, John Nicholas The Inventory of Grace Sherwood decd her Estate being returned is ordered to be recorded. A memorandum of Grace Shearwood's Estate deceas'd To 5 head of cattle to one steer at four years old, To one steer and heifer three years old, two heifers at two years old, one hand mill, one frame table with a draw, one chest and box, one Iron spit, one box Iron, three low chairs, one Inglish blanket, one Iron pot, a pewter dish and bason, this is a true Inctruary. JOHN SHEARWOOD Presented in court the 3d December 1740 and ordered to be recorded. ____________ NOTES. 1. "Witchcraft, the practice of witches," a supernatural power which it was thought in old times people could acquire by making compacts with Satan. The witch, almost always an old woman, sold herself, soul and body, and he conferred on her the power to turn herself into a cat or hare, and to ride through the air on a broomstick, and torture or otherwise punish her enemies. Satan was represented in proxy by a man in black. After the bargain has been completed, she receives a piece of money of him, and writes with her own blood, on a piece of parchment, her name and makes her mark, and sometimes would put "one hand to the sole of her foot and the other to the crown of her head." The devil then gave her "an imp or familiar spirit to be ready at call, and to do whatever it was directed." Page 21 2. When a woman suspected of witchcraft was subjected to trial by water she was "stripped naked and cross bound, the right thumb to the left toe, and the left thumb to the right toe," and cast into a river or some other deep water, where it was believed she would not sink if guilty. 3. "The special mark of a witch was a third pap or teat on some part of her body." "In a discourse written by John Bell, minister of the gospel at Gladsmuir, 1705, is written: 'This mark is sometimes like a little Teate; some- times like a blewish spot: and I myself have seen it in the body of a confess- ing Witch like a little powder mark of a blea colour, somewhat hard, and withal insensible, so as it did not bleed when I pricked it.'" 4. The last trial for witchcraft in England was that of Jane Wenham, who was convicted at Hertford in 1812, but was not executed. "The last execu- tion in Scotland took place in 1722, after conviction before the sheriff of Suth- erland" and the last one in Europe at Posen, Germany, in 1793. In the North American colonies in New England in 1692. Before the year 1700 only a few very bold and courageous men dared to speak against the existence of witchcraft. In 1768 John Wesley wrote: "The English in general, and in- deed most of the men of learning in Europe, have given up all accounts of witches 'as mere old wives' fables.' I am sorry for it, and I willingly take this opportunity of entering my solemn protest against this violent compliment which so many that believe the Bible pay to those who do not believe it." By a resolution passed in 1773, the divines of the Associated Presbytery declared their belief in witchcraft, and in 1785 a body of seceders from the Scotch kirk confessed "that the penal statutes agains witches have been repealed by Parliament contrary to the express law of God. (Exod. xxii.18.)" 5. Maximillian Boush was in Virginia in 1699. "These are to desire ye Mr. Maximillian Boush on her majties behalfe to appeare and presente on ye behalfe of or Sovraigne Lady Queen Ann all & every Such Suit or Suits for any Matter or cause needfull or necessary in ye County Courts of princess Ann norfolke or Nansemond weh shall at any time hereafter be brought for & on ye behalfe of or sd Lady ye Queen aforsd: and for yor soe doing this Shall be yor warrant given undr my hand ye 26th day of octobr Anno Dom: 1708. S. THOMSON A.G." 6. "Anne &c to all &c Whereas by one Inquisition Indented taken in the County of Princess Anne in the Second year of our Reign by virtue of a war- rant directed to William Randolph Gent then our Escheator for the said County of Princess Anne. It appears that one hundred & Forty Five acres of land lying & being in the sd County of Princess Anne doth Escheat to us from John White late of the same County decd. And whereas Grace Sherwood hath made humble Suitt our Lt Governr of our sd Colony & Dominion for & hath ob- tained a Grant of the Same land. Therefore know ye that for divers good Causes & Considerations as thereunto moving but more especially for & in con- sideration of the sum of two pounds of Tobacco for Every acre of the said land for our use already paid by the sd Grace Sherwood to our Receiver Gen- eral of our Revenues in this our sd Colony & Dominion of Virginia. We have Given Granted & Confirmed & by these prsents for us our heirs and Successrs we do Give Grant unto the said Grace Sherwood and to her heirs & assigns forever all & every part and parcel of the sd one hundred and fourty five acres of land lying and being at a place called and known by the name of Muddy Page 22. Creek a branch of Corotock bay in the parish of Lyhaven in the sd County of Princess Anne and bounded as followeth to Wit: beginning at a pine standing at the head of a Small creek or Cove issuing out of the sd Muddy Creek and running thence bounding on a line of markt trees divides this land and the land of James Sherard South Easterly, 13 degrees fifty five pole to a hickory in the old line, thence bounding on the old line of markt trees South Westerly Sixty nine degrees ninety four pole to a corner pine, thence bouding on the old line of marked trees north westerly fifty six degrees Sixty two ple to an old corner gum standing by the side of a Poquoson dividing this land and the land now in the possession of John Dawley, thence running down the East side of sd run poquoson and marsh to muddy Creek, thence running down the sd Creek the several courses thereof and bounding thereon to the mouth of a small Creek dividing this land and the land of Edward Canon, thence bounding up the west side of the sd Creek or run to the first mentioned pine, with all &c To have hold &c To be held &c Yielding & paying &c Provided &c In Witness &c Witness our Trusty & wel beloved Alexander Spotswood our Lt Governr &c at Williamsburgh under the seal of our sd Colony the sixteenth day of June one thousand seven hundred & fourteen. In the Thirteenth year of our Reign. A SPOTSWOOD". Authorities quoted: Enclyclopaedia Britannica, History of the Bermudas (Lefroy), Article "Matthew Hoplins" in the Dictionary of National Biography, Rationalism in Europe (Leckey), History of England (Macaulay), The Witchcraft Delusion in New England (Introduction), Samuel G. Drake, Brand's Popular An- tiquities, the records in the clerks' offices of Norfolk and Princess Anne counties, and the records in the Land Office, Richmond, Virginia.