The Witch Trial of Bethel, Ohio
When it comes to witches in America, you may think of places like Salem, Massachusetts, or New Orleans, Louisiana. There may be a few other cities springing to your mind right now (and if so, drop them in the comments) but I’m betting Bethel, Ohio wasn’t on the tip of your tongue. But all the way in 1805, over 100 years after the Salem Witch Trials, this small town had its own.
Our story begins with the witch’s seemingly favorite victim (at least in America): a young woman. In particular, the two oldest daughters of the Hildebrand family. The daughters, while young and still at home, soon began to act out in a way not fitting their ages. They would cry and scream and react to beings only they could see. These afflictions prevented them from being helpful members of the household, or prospects for marriage, and the family did what they could to find a cure.
In an act of desperation, the Hildebrand family decided to try and trap the being harassing their two daughters with…magic.
Yes, you read that right. In fact, this is one of my favorite kinds of magic: apotropaic magic. The idea behind apotropaic magic is magic used to turn away from harm or other evil influences. For example, wearing the evil eye and knocking on wood is believed to be a form of apotropaic magic. Ironically, it is also used by people who are afraid of magic. Doesn’t quite line up. But, nonetheless, the Hildebrands created a binding bag.
“A large bag of linsey-woolsey was made and held by a member of the family, while the other members went through some ceremony, at the conclusion of which it was supposed the witch had been forced to take refuge in the bag, which was quickly closed, and after being firmly tied was carefully laid on the porch of the house, where it was cut into a thousand pieces with a sharp axe. The fragments were then gathered together and burned; and one would surely supposed that if the witch had perchance escaped death while the bag which confined it was cut into fine shreds, the fire would put an end to its existence.” source
Unfortunately, the linsey-woolsey bag didn’t do its job and the young women continued to be tormented by an unseen force. So, the Hildebrands and the community began to look around for likely suspects. And thus arose Nancy Evans, the Witch Hunter’s preferred victim: an older woman.
Nancy Evans, and the Evans Family, were the closest neighbors to the Hildebrands. Nancy Evans was an older woman who purportedly owned a black cat. And this was all it took for the accusations that Nancy was attacking the eldest Hildebrand daughters via witchcraft.
Despite Nancy and her family's insistence on her innocence, the Hildebrand family continued to blame them. The Hildebrands began avoiding the Evans family and the rest of the small community also began to shun the Evans family. Then, the Hildebrands’ decided to call the justice of the peace to solve the alleged witch problem. As I noted earlier in the blog, this all happened in 1805...meaning Ohio was a brand new state! This also meant that there weren't any state laws for or against witchcraft so the justice of the peace wasn't quite sure what to do. The Hildebrand insisted that their daughters' souls depended on getting Nancy Evans out of the community. Unsure of what was to be done, Ohio decided to get medieval with some good old fashion witch-weighing.
Witch-weighing is, well, exactly what it sounds like. You create a scale with the bible on one side and the accused witch on the other. If the accused witch was lighter than the book, she was without a doubt a witch.
And Nancy Evans agreed to be weighed. So, when the day came she took her seat on the scale and the bible was placed on the other scale. When the scale was released it immediately showed Nancy as much heavier than the bible and she was immediately acquitted.
There is no mention after the trial if the tormenting of the Hildebrand daughters continued. After the trial, the Evans family moved to Brown County, Ohio. While the trial wasn't confirmed as the reason, it isn't a leap of imagination to imagine that they were happy to no longer be neighbors with the Hildebrands. Nancy Evans passed away in Brown County, highly respected by all those who came to know her.
The image is a vintage postcard of Bethel, OH.
Thanks to Sandy H. Crane for this blogstonishing suggestion!