There’s no shortage of haunted history in Virginia Beach. With area lore going back to 1607 and plundering pirates in the mix, we’re bound to be spookier than your average town. But did you know: Virginia Beach has its very own witch? Read on to learn about the legendary Grace Sherwood, her mysterious past — and how you can celebrate her this Halloween.
Bewitched, or Just Bold?
In the late 1600s, Grace Sherwood lived with her husband, James, and their three sons on a peaceful (but not necessarily profitable) Pungo farm. Grace worked the land alongside her husband, growing and preparing herbal remedies that she used to care for people and animals.
Assisting in area births as a trusted midwife, Grace was known for being deeply nurturing and a bit of a non-conformist — choosing the comfort and practicality of pants over the corsets and petticoats of the day. Certainly, Grace stood out in tiny, provincial Pungo. But was it her fashion choices, her herbal alchemy or feminine mystery that led to her being accused of witchcraft?
Superstitious Neighbors
Grace was first accused of dabbling in the so-called Dark Arts in 1697, when a local man claimed she used a spell to kill his bull. Despite an acquittal and subsequent settled defamation suit for this initial claim, Sherwood would be accused of more than a dozen different “crimes” in the coming years — including bewitching pigs, destroying crops and even “transforming herself into a black cat” in order to “beat and whip” one of her neighbors. Each case was inconclusive and followed by a defamation suit, with the Sherwoods paying their court costs each time.
By 1706, Grace was a widow in grave debt, and it was under these sad circumstances that her most famous trial took place. When neighbor Elizabeth Hill accused Sherwood of causing her miscarriage, the local court system convened a panel of 12 elderly women to conduct a physical examination. The panel reportedly found two “witch’s marks” on Grace’s body — moles or black spots believed, in those days, to be evidence of a pact with the devil.
Trials and Tribulations
The Princess Anne County Sheriff thus took unlucky Grace into custody. To determine her guilt or innocence, Sherwood was “ducked” — a barbaric practice that involved tying the suspect’s thumbs to her opposing toes, covering her with a sack, binding a 13-pound Bible to her neck and tossing her into the Lynnhaven River. It was believed that only pure souls would sink.
Sherwood’s survival, of course, sealed her fate as the only convicted witch in Virginia. After serving a nearly eight-year sentence, Sherwood lived quietly to the age of 80 and was eventually buried in the area now aptly known as Witchduck. While the exact location of her grave is unknown, area residents have reported seeing a woman with long, wet hair skulking along the riverbank in the dead of night, whispering, “I be not a witch. I be a healer.”
Redemption and Celebration
In 2006, then-Governor Tim Kaine issued the legendary Witch of Pungo an informal pardon, commissioning a statue of Sherwood to “restore her good name” and honor her lifelong legacy of healing. While this may have calmed her spirit and reduced ghost sightings, you can still get an earful with the “Grace Sherwood” episode of historian Scott Moore’s Witch Hunt podcast — or with his book “The Witch of Pungo: Grace Sherwood in Virginia History and Legend.”
And today, Virginia Beach continues to celebrate Grace Sherwood. A delightful Witch of Pungo musical tells her tale for two weeks every summer, on the Oceanfront’s 26th Street Stage. Back Bay Farmhouse Brewing Company releases its sought-after seasonal Witch of Pungo Pumpkin Ale (with commemorative t-shirts, naturally) every autumn. And Blue Pete’s Restaurant hosts a family-friendly Witch of Pungo Festival every October — with face-painting, a bounce house, seasonal snacks, craft cocktails, readings from a local medium and more.
Hoping to make first-hand contact with Grace’s spirit? Visit the Ferry Plantation House, which was once the site of the courthouse where Sherwood was convicted. It’s one of the most haunted structures in town, and its Friday Night Frights, which allows you to rent out the entire home for private paranormal experiences and investigations, sell out in minutes every year.
Cover Photo Art by @njdanzi
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Written by Staci Amend
As a Californian living in Colorado, writer Staci Amend takes a “why not both” approach to the whole mountains vs. oceans debate. She covers travel, nature, beauty and fashion for a variety of publications and brands — and is happiest when surrounded by hand-painted tile, struggling to pronounce her next meal. A Huntington Beach native and longboarder, she tries to time her Virginia Beach visits with the East Coast Surfing Championships.
