Witchduck Bay: The Grace Sherwood story Paperback – Large Print, October 6, 2021

Have you ever heard of Witchduck Road in Virginia Beach, VA? In 1705, a woman named Grace Sherwood was accused of witchcraft. She was tested by water by being tossed from a boat to see if she sank or floated. If she floated, she was guilty because the pure waters had rejected her. If she sank, she was innocent but could possibly drown. This sounds like that scene from Monty Python's Holy Grail. But this actually happened. Grace was found guilty and was jailed for seven years. She was only freed when a new preacher from Scotland came to the parish of Lynnhaven Church. I grew up nearby and heard the stories and folklore my whole life. Now that I am retired, I started researching the story of this woman and the times she lived in. The Salem MA. witch trials had concluded just thirteen years before. But this singular instance in Virginia was the only trial by water in English America at that time. I found lots of information that often gets overlooked because it doesn't fit the accepted local narrative. So using every bit of information I could find, I wrote a more compelling story about Grace. I wrote a few short pieces for the local newspaper but this is a more ambitious work. Many of the place names in our area reference this event but don't really inform the curious about what really happened. We have Witchduck Road, Witchduck Bay and Witchduck Point. Newer developments seeking to cash in on the legend have names like Sherwood Lakes and Witchduck Lake. But Grace was a real woman with a husband and children. I believe she just got caught up in the fever of the times. She may also have been a little feisty and had a sharp tongue with some of her neighbors. I also believe greed was one of the key factors in Grace's persecution. All the people in my story were real and either knew Grace or knew of her. I don't know if they interacted with her in the ways I depict. I also drew on some of the local folklore about her because there is often a kernel of truth in the heart of every legend. For instance, it is commonly believed around here that Grace was a midwife, healer and skilled herbalist. There are no primary source documents that support this notion but I included it in my story because it's so persistent. Read more