One Bad Harvest Away from a Witch Trial

About this episode

This episode explores the story of Grace Sherwood, the only woman in Virginia ever convicted of witchcraft, delving into the folklore and societal fears of the time.

This week on Champagne and Murder, Please ... we’re heading back to the muddy marshes and whispered grudges of colonial Grace Sherwood. A woman who knew herbs. A neighbor feud that spiraled like smoke through chimney cracks. A trial that involved ducking, gossip, livestock accusations, and an entire town practically foaming at the mouth over butter, curses, and bad luck. Because apparently in the early 1700s, if your crops died and your ale tasted weird, it was definitely your hot independent neighbor’s fault. But beneath the legend of “The Witch of Pungo” is something far darker and far more human: fear, isolation, survival, and the terrifying power of being labeled different . We’re unpacking the folklore, the facts, the petty colonial drama, and the story of the only woman in Virginia ever convicted of witchcraft. So pour yourself something bubbly, light a candle that smells vaguely haunted, and settle in... because this episode feels like wet moss, candle soot, and accusations whispered through crooked teeth. Encyclopedia Virginia: Grace Sherwood Virginia Museum of History & Culture: Grace Sherwood City of Virginia Beach: Grace Sherwood History Smithsonian Magazine…

People in this episode

Host: Brittany

Topics covered

• witch trials
• colonial history
• folklore
• accusations
• survival
• fear
• isolation

Keywords

• witchcraft
• Grace Sherwood
• colonial Virginia
• herbs
• neighbor feud
• ducking trial
• accusations
• folklore
• survival
• fear

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Encyclopedia Virginia, Virginia Museum of History & Culture, City of Virginia Beach, Smithsonian Magazine

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