New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-10
WITCHCRAFT IN VIRGINIA.
TRIAL IN PRINCESS ANNE COUNTY
TRAGEDY AND COMEDY ~ AN OLD RECoRD-A
WOMAN DUCKED AND EXAMINED FOR

WOMAN DUCKED AND EXAMINED FOR
THE DEVILS MARKS.
| In the popular mind the story OF witchcraft In
J America il summed up in tba epidemic which
| ragged 20o years ago in Salem. That the other
| colonies, especially those on the more southern
seacoast also affected by 1t. Is seldom cailed
| to mind. Neither is 1t generally remembered that
the outburst OF the superstition was but tcm-
porary spasm In Salem. which died out within
year, and left the community in horror-stricken
contemplation OF Its awful insanity. All The
more interesting. therefore. Is the record or a
| trial for wtchcraft which took place In Virginia
nearly fifteen years after the Salem episode; but
lest II should be thought that this trial. the story
OF which will be told herein. is extraordinary In
respect of time. 1t should be remembered that
prosecutions for witchcraft and even capital pun
| shment on conviction endured in Great Britain
till near the end of the first quarter Of the eigh-
| tenth century.
The facts In the Virginia case are set forth In
| a transcript OF the court record which Mr. Peter
TIendrick. OF this city. brought back from Princess
| Anne Courthouse last May. The period covered
| by the transcript which is duly attested by A. T..
! Kiam. clerk OF the County Court OF Princess
Anne County, is about eight years and the crcum-
! stances they can be read In the record. point
to a long standing quarrel among neighbors In
| September. 1898. James Sherwood and Grace. his
| Wife the husband evidently being impeaded
| cording 10 the rules OF law. sued John Gisburne
| and Jane. hs wife. for SANDER, laying the cam
| ages at 100 sterling The cause Of action is
| thus set forth THAT the defendants had wronged.
| DETAINED and abused the said Grace in her good
name and reputation. saying that she Is a witch
and bewched their plggs to death and bewtched
| their cotton etc" The was tried before
| Jury. and verdict found for the defendants.
similar suit was tried AT the same term the pain
| tins again being Sherwood and wife. and the de-
| PENDANTS Anthony Barnes and Elizabeth. his wife.
| ~ csad In liz befu
Barnes having said that "the said Grace came to her
one night and rid her and out OF the Key Hole
crack Of the door like black cati.' etc. Again
| the jury found Tor the Defendants which may be
| taken AZ proof either that Grace Sherwood was
| strongly under suspicion OF being witch or was
! very unpopular woman in her neighbornood The
| latter theory 3 supported by the next chapter Of
| the story which is civil proceeding brought by
| Grace Sherwood against Luke HI and wife. IAN
action" to use the words OF the record, "of ress-
| pass Of Assault and Battery Setting forth no the
! DEFENDANTS wife had assaulted Bruised. Manned
and Barbarousy Beaten the plaintiff to her great
damage MY Pounds sterling" The jury found for
the planiir In the Of twenty shlllings fo7 which
sum judgment, VAS awarded. Between the sander
| suits ana this action years had elapsed The
prosecution Of Luke HI. and wife for the assault
| proved 20 be Grace Sherwood's undong for short
| time later In January 1906 the HIS wen, before
,he C,ur; and publicly accused her 81 wi'chcraf.
For the present. transcript, u the record may be
left to tel Of the progress Of the prosecution:
| Princess Ann So. ..
| Cci Mos,iey capt chapman. Mr.. Jno. Corn.ck.
| %1 E!lm ThorrowgooI Capt. IIanicocke, Mr..
'' suite f5r suspicion q achcrat trough by Luke
| I'M against Grace Sherwood Is ordered TO be re-
| terrel TIL tomorrow
caI, ae IN TsPF ,s I5$ M T Rch .a%s
| .r,inst Grace Sherwood on Suspicion OF witch
| crlft hy LUX. I'm g. and the matter being afirr
| a long Tine Icbatei and ordered that the SAID I'M
pay All fccs 81 TINS complaint and that the sItJ
" & DE- Senp,n, hy jury II women to ~cide The
saii difference and the Sheriff IS Likewise ordered
| 20 sommon an able jury accordingly
HI court ncla the IN March l5o's resent
| Mr. John Rlchason Major Henry spra't,, Mr. Jn9
! Cornlck. Mr. WIN. Smith. capt Geo. Handbook
Where. complain, has been made de, to o6 this I Day
| Sherwood Of the County have .has) been long
time suspected OF wiichcratt and haye has been
las, Court was ordered to sommon Jury OF women
% Tho court to search her on ne sa,d Snspi's"n
lnni,rx anI InspecSion mo all circumstances After
w. OF tho jury have serchi Grace Sherwood AMI
| have found Two things Ike Tits with small Other
| Spoits Elizabeth Barnes forewOman. Sarah iial-
| RS Margih watkins. Hannah Davis sarah Good
Tssul1 Henley Brllgit Fable Wapley. Mary Collie
| At court held the - May l10t. Present Nj
| MAJOR Henry Spmit. Capin Henry 'hapmsn, Jus.
uces Whereas former Complaint was n,o o,.sh
rraft, which by the Attorney GENERALS Report 10
hls Excellency In Council was 10 general and not
them that Princess Ann court might n they thought
mt have her examined De nOvo and the Court Being
| of opinion that there IL great cause or suspicion
Doe therefore order that IN" sheriff. tax ihr sail
Grace into his SAFE custody untll sac ShiH CIV
bond and Security for her appearance 10 ne next
stables OF that ballwl'k g9e with the Shsrru ana
places carefully for all Images and such IKE Things
| as may any way strengthen the Suspicion. and Il
| is likewise ordered that the Sheriff. sommon an
| able Jury Of women also all Evidences cam
give In anything AGAINST h,r IN rN'I.h," III - orlnl
of Sovereign Lady the Queen 10 atteni me next
| Court Accordingly.
| The next few entries need not b" set out IN fnll
ON June 6. Mavmililn Boush was requested by The
court - present Information against the accused
women in behalf Of our Sovereign Lady, the
| Queen. In order 10 her being brought 10 regular
Trval" The next day 1t appeared that the women
whom the sheriff had summoned 10 examine me
prisoner had refused to do 40. and they were or
| dcred to appear In court AMI b" punished Tor con
tempt and another jury was called for ,'ricr Shrr-
wood compelled 10 give bombs Tor h"r apirii,
| ancc AT the next court. and that she be OF good
| behaviour towards Her Majestic and all her leSe
CONNECTION with the failure 10 obtain the second jury
Of women That the iorewoman OF hr "t h
| body OF the accused woman Of suspicious spots
and proiubcranccs was Elizabeth 'arneS: IN
| Sherwood had sued for SANDER In 1859. Those
| who are familiar with the various means used IN
searching out witches will recognize the purpose 81
| This hunting for peculiar mlrks on the bodies OF
The victims Of the terrible superstition Evidence of
this peculiar nature was the Invention oi hopkins the
notorious Wchnnder-tieneral, of England. VINO sent
hs agents throughout the country ON nlhlSito s
| uremcnts and abnormal growihs. were supposed To
be- the PAGES at which me witches gave suck 10
| the dcv's lmps. when they were not obvious re-
| sori was had to prlckngs With needles In order 10