Extra 52: Rise Above
Added 2017-08-28 10:00:02 +0000 UTCSimplicity can sometimes be the enemy of common sense. It's a battle that's taken far too many lives, but every now and then, someone manages to rise above it all.
Comments
I adore this extra. Grace Sherwood, sometimes called the Witch of Pungo, is one of my favorite figures in American history. She was the last person convicted on charges of witchcraft in the state of Virginia and she remains a folk heroine and the subject of much storytelling right up to this day. In a square near the Sentara Bayside Hospital in Virginia Beach, there is a statue of a smiling woman surrounded by forest animals and carrying a basket of garlic and rosemary, commemorating her ordeal and the 2006 posthumous pardon granted to clear her name. Not too far from this statue, incidentally, is a little thoroughfare called Witchduck Road. Three guesses how the road got its' name. One final note on the story of Grace Sherwood. While the general consensus seems to be that this much-maligned midwife went peacefully to her eternal reward in 1740, local legend tells a slightly different tale. It's said that before her funeral, a massive storm struck Princess Anne County, drenching the area with torrential rainfall. The floodwaters rose quickly and carried off the coffin awaiting burial, with the late great Grace Sherwood inside. More colorful sources, including a ballad by a local folk band, say that the flood floated Goody Sherwood for seven days and seven nights. There is no historical evidence to support either the storm or the floating coffin, but I like to think that dear old Grace would smile to know that she's remembered still. Not as a witch, but as a strong, smart, independent woman who never failed to leave a lasting impression.
AutumnWillow
2017-09-12 16:09:20 +0000 UTC
