Grace (White) Sherwood (1660 - 1740)

Born 15 Oct 1660 in Virginia Colony

Descendants

Died 12 Oct 1740 at age 79 in Lynnhaven Bay, Princess Anne County, Virginia Colony

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Biography

Grace (White) Sherwood is Notable.

Grace (White) Sherwood was accused of witchcraft in Virginia

Grace (White) Sherwood was a Virginia colonist.

Grace White was born in Virginia in 1660 to John and Susan White. She married James Sherwood, a well thought of landowner and farmer. The precise date of the marriage is unknown, but her father's Will of February 9, 1680 refers to her son James Sherwood, Jr., so the marriage must be in or before early 1679.

Grace White Sherwood is the last person known to have been convicted of witchcraft in Virginia. "Sherwood, a midwife who at times wore men's clothes, lived in what today is the rural Pungo neighborhood, and she later became known as 'The Witch of Pungo.' Her neighbors thought she was a witch who ruined crops, killed livestock and conjured storms, and she went to court a dozen times, either to fight witchcraft charges or to sue her accusers for slander."^[1]

Land Transactions:

By deed dated May 24, 1680, recorded October 15, 1680, Grace's father, John White, Carpenter, of the Parish of Lynnhaven, County of Lower Norfolk, Colony of Virginia, conveyed 50 acres of land on the south side of Basnett's Creek to James Sherwood, also spelled Sharwood in the deed. The deed was witnessed by Richard Bonny and John Gisborne (who she would later sue for libel). The Lower Norfolk County Virginia antiquary, Vol. 1. pp. 88-89.^[2] In anticipation of the receipt of this deed, James and Grace had earlier conveyed these lands in a Deed dated May 16, 1680, recorded September 15, 1680, to Capt. Plomer Bray for ten thousand pounds of Tobacco. The deed to Bray recites that lands were to be given to the Sherwoods by "John White, Carpenter" and that they abutted lands owned by Bray. The Lower Norfolk County Virginia antiquary, Vol. 1. pp. 90-91.^[2]J

In May of 1681, James inherited John White's remaining lands in Princess Anne County under his February 9, 1680 Will.^[3]

Accusations of Witchcraft:

Beginning in 1697, Grace was accused several times of witchcraft. She endured a body examination for marks that would indicate a tie to Satan. Despite several efforts to clear her name in defamation cases, she was unable to do so. Sherwood's husband would die in the midst of these accusations in 1701. Grace, 46 years old at the time, last went to trial in 1706, accused of causing her neighbor, Elizabeth Hill, to miscarry.^[1] The court ordered that Sherwood's guilt or innocence be determined by "ducking" her in consecrated water. By this ordeal, if Grace sank, she would be declared innocent, but if she floated her identity as a witch would be proven. A spot in the Lynnhaven River, off what is today known as Witchduck Point, was chosen. On July 10, 1706, Grace Sherwood was bound and thrown from a boat. She managed to untie herself and rise to the surface, proving to those present that she was a witch. Grace was found guilty and sentenced to prison. She "may have been jailed until 1714, when records show she paid back taxes." ^[1] Contemporary accounts of the trial testimony may be read online at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.^[4]

The Last Years of Grace's Life:

With the help of then Gov. Alexander Spotswood, Grace was able to reclaim her property. She lived quietly for the remainder of her life until she passed away in 1740 at 80. ^{[1] [5][6][7]}

Legacy and Pardon:

Many years later, the church of which she was a member of apologized for its role in the accusations against Grace, acknowledging that she was a born-again Christian and not a witch, something that Grace had always proclaimed. In 2006, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine granted Grace an informal pardon on the 300th anniversary of her conviction.^[5]

Last Will and Testament: On August 10. 1733, Grace Sherwood of Princess Anne County, Colony of Virginia, executed her Last Will and Testament leaving her Estate as follows: first, to her son John Sherwood, all of her Plantation consisting of 144 acres, all her personal property, and the rest and residue of her Estate, except ten shillings given as follows: second, to her son James Sherwood, five shillings; third, to her son Richard Sherwood, five shillings; and fourth, she nominated her son John Sherwood as the Executor of his Estate. Witnesses: Jonathan Willbur, Jonathan Bray, and Jonathan Burgess. The Will was proven in Princess Anne County on October 1, 1740. The Inventory of her Estate prepared by John "Shearwood", Executor, was approved on December 3, 1740.The Lower Norfolk County Virginia antiquary, Vol. 2. p. 57. ^[2]

Children:

By way of Grace's Last Will and Testament, we know that Grace and James had three sons, John, James Jr. and Richard. The Lower Norfolk County Virginia antiquary, Vol. 2. p. 57. ^[2] Daughters have been attributed to either James and, by speculation, a first wife, or James and Grace, but further research is required to support these claims.^[8][9]

Notable Reference

James, Edward Wilson, The Lower Norfolk County Virginia antiquary at Vol. 2, Part 3, pp. 88-94; Vol. 2, Part 4, pp.139-141; and Vol. 3 pp. 34-38, 53-57.^[2] contains Court orders and testimony in a number of civil and other proceedings as well as Wills, probate and land transaction involving Grace Sherwood and her family.

Research Note

Grace's Will as witnessed by Jonathan Bray. The relationship between Plomer Bray (grantee in the 1690 deed) could be explored as a potential source of information.

Grace (White) Sherwood was accused of witchcraft in witch trials

"In Princess Anne county, Virginia, in 1705, Grace Sherwood was tried at the Court-house on " The Ferry'" plantation for witchcraft. She was found guilty and ducked in a beautiful inlet of Lynnhaven Bay, called to this day " Witchduck," afterwards the property of Thomas Williamson, Esq. The prosecution was conducted by Maximilian Boush, for her Majesty, Queen Anne, who received for his fee, five thousand pounds of tobacco. Grace Sherwood was incarcerated in the gaol of the county adjoining the old court-house on the " Ferry "plantation, and all the proceedings are to this day (1897) to be seen in the records of Princess Anne county. The trial lasted from January 3, I705, to July I0, I706, and the court consisted of, Colonel Edward Moseley, Lieutenant-Colonel Adam Thorowgood, Captain John Moseley and others.

Legend

Legend has it that Grace "The Witch of Pungo" still walks the area where she was ducked. Following her death in 1740, reports surfaced that her body had simply vanished. This story, along with tales of "unnatural" weather and lurking black cats, has carried her legacy through to present day. Ferry State Plantation House "home," historic site is used as a museum and educational center. The original site was founded in the mid 1600s and has held courthouses, a school, a tavern and finally, the Walke Mansion in 1791. You can visit this site in Virginia Beach, VA. To learn more:

https://www.ferryplantation.org/

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, Va. Gov. Gives Informal Pardon to Witch, The Washington Post, July 10, 2006 Available here
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} James, Edward Wilson, The Lower Norfolk County Virginia antiquary, Vol. 1. pp. 88-89, (P. Smith, 1951, New York, New York) Available here
3. ↑ Abstracts of Lower Norfolk Wills, pg. 76 from Norfolk County (formerly part of Princess Anne County), Virginia, Wills Book 4, f. 98.
4. ↑ Grace Sherwood: The "Witch of Pungo," Virginia Museum of History & Culture Available here
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Wikipedia: Grace Sherwood
6. ↑ Encyclopedia Virginia: Grace Sherwood
7. ↑ Whitehurst family history
8. ↑ Sims, Henry Upson, The Genealogy of the Sims Family of Virginia, the Carolinas and the Gulf States (Kansas City, MO: E L Mendenhall Inc., 1940), pp. 82-83. (Also attached as Image in this Profile.)
9. ↑ FamilySearch Profile for James Sherwood

• Edwards, J.W., Grace Sherwood, the Virginia Witch, The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 242-245 (April 1895) Available here
• Witch Of Pungo Statue
• Find A Grave: Memorial #58856020
• Families of Lower Norfolk and Princess Anne Counties - an article from The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Volume 5. p.331. [1]
• Witkowski, Monica. Sherwood, Grace (ca. 1660–1740). (2021, February 12). In Encyclopedia Virginia. [2]
• History Arch - Learning About and Discussing History [3]

See also:

• https://virginiahistory.org/learn/grace-sherwood-witch-pungo
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/10/AR2006071000495.html
• http://carolshouse.com/witch/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Sherwood

See Also:

• Pictures and plaques.