Ed. — From the Sunday, July 7, print edition.
VIRGINIA BEACH — The Witch of Pungo: Grace Sherwood in Virginia by Dr. Scott O. Moore provides an in-depth historical accounting of Virginia’s most famous witch.
It’s more than a history of Sherwood’s known life. Moore provides insight and context to the legend of her 1706 “ducking” that has permeated local lore in Virginia Beach for centuries. In Moore’s telling, the history and legend of the woman reveal much about the community in which she lived.
Moore, a history professor at Eastern Connecticut State University, divides his book into three sections describing the history, legend and impact of Sherwood.
The first part provides as thorough a review of the living, breathing woman as possible, considering the paucity of primary documents. This section also looks at the complex social and religious factors that contributed to allegations of witchcraft across Europe and in the British colonies, particularly in New England and Virginia.
The second section reveals how commonly held ideas taken as truth today are not supported by the history.
“Once the records of Sherwood’s trial were published, authors […] began using these legends to give life to the incomplete history revealed by transcripts,” Moore writes. “As a result, Grace Sherwood’s history became inextricably linked with her legend.”
The legend of Grace Sherwood became more entrenched in the public psyche as her story was told widely in national publications beginning in the 19th century. Descriptions of a beautiful, independent midwife alongside fantastical tales including her overnight, trans-Atlantic journey in an eggshell were told side-by-side, conflating fact and fiction in ways that became more and more entwined with each telling.
The last leg of the book, “From Legend to Cultural Icon,” explores how the printed word of journalists, historians and local leaders in the 20th century became a “standardized canon.”
Princess Anne County merged with Virginia Beach to form the modern city, and development began to explode. Meanwhile, “down county” residents – whether they’d been here for generations or were newly transplanted – embraced the legend as a connection to their past and their rural values.
The nation was undergoing a monumental shift, and the historical Grace Sherwood was something of a blank slate. The feminist movement of the 1960s collided with the rapid growth of Virginia Beach. Sherwood’s legend could incorporate ideals of a capable, rural healer on an isolated homestead who also happened to be an independent widow who didn’t require the assistance of a man to manage her own estate.
I’ve been a fan of Sherwood since reading the children’s book by Louisa Venable Kyle as a child, and I now have a better understanding of the line between history and legend – or how we turn our truths about the past into tales – even as my appreciation for the woman herself has deepened.
The Witch of Pungo is a perfect summer read for vacationers and locals alike. The writing is quickly paced and doesn’t get bogged down. It provides an in-depth view of history without ever being dismissive of the popular legend which permeates our area in southern Virginia Beach.
Moore shines a light on the myths that have formed in the giant holes left in the historical record, and how those myths are shaped by the community while also shaping the community in return.
Ed. — The independent bookstore Read Books is scheduled to host an event with Moore, who will discuss his book and sign copies, at 10 a.m., Friday, July 19, at Sawdust Road, 1791 Princess Anne Road, in the village of Pungo.
Doucette is a marketing manager for a technology firm. She lives in Back Bay.
© 2024 Pungo Publishing Co., LLC
