Grace Sherwood

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Charge:	Witchcraft
Sentence:	Prison
Years Imprisoned:	7
Year Crime:
Year Convicted:	1706
Year Cleared:	2006
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Virginia
County or Region of Crime:
City of Crime:	Virgina Beach
Result:	Pardoned Posthumously
Summary of Case:	"Grace Sherwood was wrongly convicted of witchcraft on July 10, 1706. Near present day Virgina Beach, Virginia. Sherwood aroused the envy and jealousy of neighbors because she was an independent woman who didn't remarry after her husband died, she wore long trousers, and she was skilled in the use of herbs as medicinal remedies. Accused of witchcraft, she was "ducked" by being thrown into water 200' deep with her hands tied to her toes. If she drowned she would be considered innocent, but if she survived she would be considered possessed by demonic spirits since the "pure water" rejected her. After working her hands free, and knowing how to swim, she swam to the surface. Found guilty of witchcraft, Grace Sherwood was imprisoned indefinitely. She was released in 1713 after 7 years imprisonment. She was the only person convicted of witchcraft in Virginia based on water "ducking". Sherwood was pardoned by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine on July 10, 2006, the 300th anniversary of Grace's wrongful witchcraft conviction. Grace Sherwood thus became the first person posthumously pardoned in Virginia history."
Conviction Caused By:	Scurrilous accusations by jealous neighbors and women who didn't share Grace Sherwood's independent spirit.
Innocence Proved By:	"Pardoned by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine on July 10, 2006, the 300th Anniversary of Grace Sherwood's wrongful conviction of witchcraft. Grace Sherwood thus became the first person posthumously pardoned in Virginia history."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:
Age When Released:
Sex:	Female
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"''Witch of pungo'' pardoned by governor after 300 years, Denise Watson Batts, The Virginian-Pilot (Hampton Roads, VA), July 11, 2006"
Information Location 1:	http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=107374&ran=91513
Information Source 2:	"Beach woman trying to clear witch of pungo's name, Denise Watson Batts, The Virginian-Pilot (Hampton Roads, VA), May 14, 2006"
Information Location 2:	http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=104433&ran=209729
Information Source 3:	"After Toil and Trouble, 'Witch' Is Cleared, Ian Shapiro, Washington Post, July 12, 2006"
Information Location 3:	http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/11/AR2006071101218_pf.html
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Grace Sherwood

Charge:

Witchcraft

Sentence:

Prison

Years Imprisoned:

7

Year Crime:

Year Convicted:

1706

Year Cleared:

2006

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Virginia

County or Region of Crime:

City of Crime:

Virgina Beach

Result:

Pardoned Posthumously

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Scurrilous accusations by jealous neighbors and women who didn't share Grace Sherwood's independent spirit.

Innocence Proved By:

"Pardoned by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine on July 10, 2006, the 300th Anniversary of Grace Sherwood's wrongful conviction of witchcraft. Grace Sherwood thus became the first person posthumously pardoned in Virginia history."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Female

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"''Witch of pungo'' pardoned by governor after 300 years, Denise Watson Batts, The Virginian-Pilot (Hampton Roads, VA), July 11, 2006"

Information Location 1:

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=107374&ran=91513

Information Source 2:

"Beach woman trying to clear witch of pungo's name, Denise Watson Batts, The Virginian-Pilot (Hampton Roads, VA), May 14, 2006"

Information Location 2:

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=104433&ran=209729

Information Source 3:

"After Toil and Trouble, 'Witch' Is Cleared, Ian Shapiro, Washington Post, July 12, 2006"

Information Location 3:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/11/AR2006071101218_pf.html

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: