Witchcraft trials occurred in several Maryland counties between the 1650s and early 1700s. While not as widespread as the hysteria in Massachusetts, historians have documented over 30 cases of people prosecuted for allegedly practicing witchcraft in Maryland. The earliest cases involved executions aboard ships bound for Maryland from England. Maryland's only recorded execution on land occurred in 1666 when Rebecca Fowler was hanged in Calvert County for "certain evil and diabolical arts called witchcrafts, enchantments, charms [and] sorceries." St. Mary's County also had three documented witchcraft cases and the enduring folk tale of Moll Dyer, said to have been driven from her home and frozen to
Witchcraft trials occurred in several Maryland counties between the 1650s and early 1700s. While not as widespread as the hysteria in Massachusetts, historians have documented over 30 cases of people prosecuted for allegedly practicing witchcraft in Maryland. The earliest cases involved executions aboard ships bound for Maryland from England. Maryland's only recorded execution on land occurred in 1666 when Rebecca Fowler was hanged in Calvert County for "certain evil and diabolical arts called witchcrafts, enchantments, charms [and] sorceries." St. Mary's County also had three documented witchcraft cases and the enduring folk tale of Moll Dyer, said to have been driven from her home and frozen to
Witchcraft trials occurred in several Maryland counties between the 1650s and early 1700s. While not as widespread as the hysteria in Massachusetts, historians have documented over 30 cases of people prosecuted for allegedly practicing witchcraft in Maryland. The earliest cases involved executions aboard ships bound for Maryland from England. Maryland's only recorded execution on land occurred in 1666 when Rebecca Fowler was hanged in Calvert County for "certain evil and diabolical arts called witchcrafts, enchantments, charms [and] sorceries." St. Mary's County also had three documented witchcraft cases and the enduring folk tale of Moll Dyer, said to have been driven from her home and frozen to
Witchcraft trials and executions were facts of life in
colonial Marland. !ro" Southern Marland to the Eastern Shore and as far north as Anne Arundel #ount, historians ha$e docu"ented at least %& cases of 'ersons 'rosecuted or 'ersecuted in the %())s and earl %*))s +ecause of accusations that the 'racticed witchcraft. There wasn,t the sa"e sort of hsteria in Marland that there was in Massachusetts, where %- "en and wo"en were executed and "an i"'risoned for witchcraft in %(-&. .ut Marland and nei/h+orin/ 0ennsl$ania and 1ir/inia all had witchcraft trials, accordin/ to Ha/erstown2+ased historian 3ohn Nelson. Two of the earliest witchcraft cases in the Marland State Archi$es in$ol$e executions a+oard shi's +ound for Marland fro" En/land. Two "en who recentl had arri$ed on the #harit of 4ondon told colonial o5cials in St. Mar,s #it in %(67 that the shi',s crew had han/ed an old wo"an na"ed Mar 4ee after she was accused of sorcer. Her su''osed cri"e8 su""onin/ a relentless stor" that so"e on +oard +la"ed on 9the "ale$olence of witches.: The second shi'+oard execution in$ol$ed Geor/e Washin/ton,s /reat2 /randfather, 3ohn Washin/ton of West"oreland #ount, 1a. He accused shi' owner Edward 0rescott in %(6- of han/in/ Eli;a+eth Richardson as a witch. 0rescott ac<nowled/ed the han/in/ at his trial +ut was ac=uitted after he said the shi',s ca'tain, 3ohn Green, was the one res'onsi+le. The trial was in 0atuxent, in either Anne Arundel or #harles counties. Marland,s onl recorded execution for witchcraft on land occurred Oct. -, %(>6, in #al$ert #ount. Re+ecca !owler was han/ed after a ?ur found her /uilt of 9certain e$il and dia+olical arts called witchcrafts, enchant"ents, char"s @andA sorceries.: Hannah Edwards, also of #al$ert #ount, was ac=uitted in %(>( of si"ilar char/es. St. Mar,s #ount is rich in witchcraft histor, with three cases in the historical record and a fol< tale that is 'erha's Marland,s +est2<nown +it of witch lore. There is no historical record of Moll Ber, +ut her le/end is as endurin/ as the >*62'ound +oulder in front of the Old 3ail Museu" in 4eonardtown that su''osedl +ears her hand 'rint. The re'orted witch is said to ha$e +een dri$en fro" her ho"e on the coldest ni/ht of the ear + townsfol< who +urned her ca+in. Ber died of ex'osure and was found with her hand fro;en to the roc<, the stor /oes. Read "ore8 htt'8CCwww.washin/tonti"es.co"CnewsC&))7CoctC%)C&))7%)%)2 %)&7%(2D*7*rCEix;;&r#MrF7Wn !ollow us8 Gwashti"es on Twitter
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