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Today, we understand that witches riding broomsticks or wearing pointed hats are mere myths. However, not too long ago, people attributed everyday misfortunes, such as poor harvests or illnesses, to witches. When these accused individuals passed away, their stories persisted—and sometimes, tales were even invented posthumously. Here are their stories.
Lilias Adie // Torryburn, Scotland
In 1704, Lilias Adie confessed to witchcraft and claimed to have consorted with the devil. While imprisoned for her 'admissions,' she died before her trial. To ensure she couldn’t rise from the dead and seek vengeance, townsfolk buried her in tidal mud and placed a massive stone atop her grave. (The BBC notes this method was also used for suicides, as people then believed such acts were linked to devilish influence.)
Despite the extreme precautions, the supposed witch didn’t stay buried—not because her vengeful spirit returned, but because her skull was stolen in the 19th century and eventually displayed at the St. Andrews University Museum. The heavy stone slab, however, still lies in the mud to this day.
Rhoda Ward // Bridgeport, West Virginia
During the winter of 1786–1787, Rhoda Ward contracted chicken pox. To make matters worse, rumors spread that she had been seen vomiting bent pins during her illness. This bizarre claim led to her trial in January 1787. In her official statement, she said, 'If I did, I was unaware of it, though it might have happened. Had the pins not been shown to me and I not been told I expelled them, I would have thought it was a fever-induced delusion.'
Ward was acquitted in both her initial trial and a second one 12 years later. Yet, her unmarked grave in Bridgeport continues to evoke an eerie feeling among locals.
Susan Gavan // Aurora, Nebraska
According to local legend, stepping on Susan Gavan’s grave will result in death within nine years or by the age of 21. This superstition likely arose because her grave is uniquely enclosed by a small fence. There’s no evidence Gavan was ever accused of witchcraft, and her 1882 obituary was entirely respectful. In 2005, the cemetery superintendent suggested that her reputation as the town witch likely originated from children, who found her fenced grave unusual compared to others.
Hannah Cranna // Trumbull, Connecticut
Following the mysterious death of Hannah Cranna Hovey’s husband, who fell off a cliff, villagers accused her of using witchcraft to curse those who refused to help her with firewood or food. It’s also rumored that Cranna predicted her own death and requested her casket be carried into the cemetery. When locals tried using a sleigh instead, the coffin fell off, which they interpreted as a sign to honor her wishes.
Meg Shelton // Woodplumpton, England
Legend has it that Meg Shelton used supernatural abilities to steal milk and grain, sicken cattle, and ruin crops. Frustrated by her actions, villagers placed a large rock over her grave to stop her from rising. The boulder, though seemingly too small to cover a coffin, was effective because Shelton was buried vertically, headfirst, to prevent her from escaping.
The Witch of Yazoo // Yazoo City, Mississippi
Willie Morris brought the Witch of Yazoo to life in his book Good Old Boy: A Delta Boyhood. As the tale goes, this unnamed witch would entice fishermen from the river to her cabin, where she subjected them to torture and death. In 1884, the sheriff and his deputies attempted to arrest her, but she escaped and drowned in quicksand in a nearby swamp. With her dying breath, she vowed to return and set the town ablaze. True to her word, Yazoo City experienced a devastating fire in 1904, destroying the business district, over 100 homes, and all but one church. When locals inspected her grave, they found the chain-link fence around it shattered.
Whether the fire was truly the work of a witch or not, the town has embraced the legend. In the 1990s, they erected a tombstone/monument amidst the broken chains as a tribute.
Elizabeth Graham // Tallahassee, Florida
After 23-year-old Bessie Graham passed away in 1889, leaving her husband and two young children behind, her grieving husband decided to honor her memory with the largest and most impressive tombstone in the cemetery. He also inscribed it with a verse from Edgar Allan Poe’s “Lenore.”
“Ah! Broken is the golden bowl.The spirit flown forever!Let the bell toll! A saintly soulFloats on the Stygian River;Come let the burial rite be readThe funeral song be sung;An anthem for the queenliest deadThat died so youngA dirge for her the doubly deadIn that she died so young.”
The towering monument, the eerie poem, and the grave’s unusual westward orientation have led locals to believe Bessie was a witch—though they consider her a 'good' one.
Bathsheba Sherman // Harrisville, Rhode Island
Popularized by the 2013 film The Conjuring, Bathsheba Sherman was accused of sacrificing an infant to the devil by piercing its neck with a knitting needle in the 19th century. Though acquitted, her legend persisted. Some tales claim she turned to stone upon her death, and The Conjuring portrays her spirit haunting the Perron family in the 1970s. Sadly, her grave has faced repeated vandalism since the movie’s release.
