The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-27
TRAGIC STORY OF
GRACE SHERWOOD
Condemned for WitchCraft on
Account Of Beauty
WAS DUCkED IN RIVER
Many Weird and Impossible Stories
Are Told of Grace Sher~ood's
Life In Pincess Ann
County, Va.
BY WILLIAM Holman.

D1 WlEElH" EiOmfNNs
Norfolk, August 26.-(special) Nova
days the only witchcraft charged against
women who are young. beautiful and of
sympathetic heart is the subtle witchery
of their loveliness. Two centuries ago,
however, the good farmer folk of Prin-
cess Anne county, Virginia, thought diff
ferently. In 17O5, long after Salem Witch
craft and Witeh's Hill had passed into
history, they imprisoned Grace Sherwood
on a charge of witchcraft and subjected
her for many months to indignities of
every sort. Many Of the descendants of
the people living in Princess Anne coun-
ty at that time who are now living on
the same spot believe her to have been
guilty of witchcraft.
Surviving the lapse of two centuries,
though somewhat faded we still have the
pen portrait of Grace Sherwood as she
was at that time. The old chronicles tell
of her as having been a tall and stately
woman with dark hair and a face so
beautiful that 1t was constituted one Of
the counts in the Indictment against her
at the trial. The women said no mere
mortal could be so beautiful. They said
their husbands praised her too much ana
she had turned their heads with her
witcheraft.
They acknowledged, however that the
brown eyes of Grace Sherwood cleaned
upon them with tenderost sympathy when
ever they were sick or in trouble. Yet
still they declared that this was done
only in order to harm them.
I'D oI,or 40
brought by her neghbors, Luke Hill and
wife. They charged that she had brought
through sorcery a distemper upon their
cattle. She was arrested and confined in
the old Jail of Princess Anne county,
which Is still standing. The justices of
the court which tried her were Colonel
Moseley, Lieutenant Colonel Thorrowgood,
John Richason, John Cornick, Captain
Chapman and Captain Hancock. She was
arrested on January 3, 1705. After month
of discussion the court ordered that Luke
Hill should pay the costs of the trial
and that Grace Sherwood should be tried
by a jury of women. Eliza Barnes was
forewoman of this jury. Other members
of the jury were Sarah Norris, Margaret
Watkins, Hannah Dimis, Ursula Henly,
Anna Brights, Exable Waplies and Mary
Cotle. THEY promptly decided that she
was a witch.
The case dragged along until July, when
the court rendered the following remark
! able decision: whereas for this SEVERAL
courts We business between Luke Hill and
Grace Sherwood on suspicion of witch
| craft have been for several things omit
-
search her We court being doubtful that
they should not get one to search her
and we court being willing to have all
means tried to either aequit her or give
more strength to We suspicion vt she
might be dealt with as deserved therefore
1t was ordered US day by her own con-
sent to be tryed in we water by ducking.
But We weather being soc bad and rainey
vt possibly 1t might endanger her health.
It is therefore ordr. vt ye sheriff. be re-
quested to secure We body of We said
Grace till we time be forthcoming for her
to be death with
Nearly a year later Grace Sherwood, the
weather being clear, was taken to John
Harper's plantation on the bank of the
Lynnhayen river. People went in great
numbers from Norfolk from the planta-
tions on Sewelrs Point nearby, where
will be held next year the jamestown
and from Newport News.
In the presence of this multitude, the
sheriff, the justices of the court and the
jury of women, Grace Sherwood still
stately, still beautiful despite all her suf-
ferings, was repeatedly ducked. The spot
is to this day known as 'Witch's Duck"
After this she was taken back to prison
and kept there for many months. Finally
she was released.
Many Strange Stories.
The legions of Princess Anne county
recite impossible stories of Grace Sher-
woods life. These legends set forth that
she was thrown into Lynnhaven river.
near the present site of the jamestown
exposition. On this occasion, 1t is said, her
hands were tied and a milestone was fas-
tened about her neck. Almost Instantly
legends tell, she came up to the surface
with the milestone still about her neck,
but with her hands free. With the stone
still fast to her neck she reached the
other shore none the worse for her ter
rible experience. This Is cited as con-
elusive proof of her having been a WITCH
On another occasion she is said to have
visited a brig which was lying In Hamp-
ton Roads with only the cook on board.
She ordered this person to take her to
England. saying she had been treated
cruelty in this country and wished to
leave. He replied that he was unable to
hoist the sails not to speak of other de-
tails of navigation. At this. according to
the story the cook has handed down to
posterity. she ordered him to go into the
cabin. When she ordered him on deck
again few hours later tho ship was en-
tering Portsmouth harbor In England. The
sails moved in obedience to her command
without the medium of Drawn arms to
pull on brace or sheet
Indeed. after her death there was
scarcely anything too marvellous to at
tribute to Grace Sherwood, the bewitching
beauty of Princess Anne county. OF whom
no doubt the colonial DANES of the neigh
borhood were insanely jealous.
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