The case of the surfing witch

© Christy K. Robinson
This story illustrates the common attitude toward 17th-century women whowere unusual or stood out from the crowd. Mary Dyer was never publicly or officially accusedof being a witch, but because of the times, and because of their beliefs andindependent actions, there were widespread rumors that she and Anne Hutchinsonwere witches. This was a danger every woman faced in the 17th century if shedidn't have the strength and protection of her husband's wealth and status. 
In 1643, William Hutchinson had recently died and Anne Hutchinson and her younger children had moved away from Rhode Island to Dutch territory (near the Bronx) where they expected to be safe from the Massachusetts Puritans who were hounding her to recant, and attempting to annex Rhode Island to regain control over the very people they'd expelled for heresy in 1638! William Dyer, John Clarke, Roger Williams, and others were working diligently (and successfully) to obtain the first patent for Rhode Island from England. It defined their boundaries to prevent annexation and it allowed separation of civil and religious powers.  
The first paragraph of the pamphlet's text speaks of the outrage of women aspiring to education and learning. Both Mary Dyer and Anne Hutchinson were learned women with keen minds and quick wits.
Now that the American scene is set, please think about their families, friends, and colleagues back in England--people they'd left only three to eight years before. The followingis a pamphlet that was published in 1643 England, during witch hunts byMatthew Hopkins. The story tells how during the English Civil War, soldiers found awoman surfing (like kids go boogie-boarding at the beach) on the River Newburyand killed her. 
No doubt the soldiers were ogling the surfing woman in herwet, clingy dress. These were the Puritan (Parliamentarian) forces of OliverCromwell, the Ironsides regiment, and the woman's sarcastic wish for the Puritan Earl of Essex to"win the field"  against the royalists was the last straw. Looking backfrom the 21st century, she probably wasn't even considered a witchuntil after she was killed--this story was a cover-up invention to justifythe soldiers' mob mentality and murderous actions.

AMOST Certain, Strange, and true Discovery of a WITCH
Being taken by some of the Parliamentary Forces, as she was sliding On a small planck board and sayling on it over the River at Newbery, Together with the strange and true manner of her death, with the propheticallWords and Speeches she used at the same time.
Printed by John Hammond 1643.


"Many are in the belief that this silly sex of Woman can by nomeanes attaine to that so vile and dammed a practice of sorcery and Witchcraftin regard to their Uleterateness [illiterateness] and want of learning, whichmany Men of greate learning have become. Adam by temptatation toucht and tastedthe deceiving apple so some high learn'd and read, by the same Tempter thatdeceived him hath bin ensnared to contract with the Devil as for example in theinstancing a few English, Bacon of Oxford, Vandermast of Hollande, Bungy ofGermany, Fostus of the Bame place, Franciscus the English monke of Bery, DoctorBlackleach and divars, others that were tedious to relate of, but how weakeWoman should attain unto it many are incredible of the same and many tooare opposite of opinion gainst the same, that giving a possibility to theirdoubtings that the malice and inveterate malice of a woman entirely devotedto her revengefull wrath frequenting desolate and desart places and givingway unto their wicked temptation may have commune with that world roaring Lionand covenant and contract upon condition, the like hath in divars places andtymes been tried at the assises of Lancaster, Carlile, Buckingham andelsewhere, but to come to the intended relation of this Witch's andSorceresse's doings as is manifestly and credibly related by Gentlemen,Commanders and Captaines of the Earle of Essex his Army.

A part of the Army marching thro' Newbery some of the Souldiers being scatteredby reason of theyre loytering by the way in gathering Nuts, Apples, Plummes,Black berries and the like, one of them by chance in climbing up a Tree beingpursued by his fellows or Comrade in Waggish Merriment jesting one with anotherespied on the river being there adjacent a tall lean slender Woman as hesupposed to his amasement and great terrour treading of the water with herfeete with as much ease and firmnesse as if one should walk or trample on theearth, wherewith he softly calls and beck'ned to his fellows to behold itand with all possible speed that could be to obscure them from her sight, whoas conveniently as they could they did observe, this could be no littleamasement unto them you may think to see a Woman dance upon the water, norcould all their sights be deluded, though perhaps one might, but arrivingnearer to the Shore they could perceive there was a planck or dealeovershadowed with a little shallow water that she stood upon which did beareher up, anon rode by some of the Commanders who were eye-witnesses as muchas they and were as much astonished as they could be, still too and fro shefleeted on the water, the boord standing firm about upright, indeed I haveboth heerd and read of many that in tempests and on Rivers by casualty havebecome ship-wrack'd or cast over-boord where catch'g empty Barrells, rudders,boords or plancks have made good shift by the assisting providence of God toget on shore, but not in this woman kind, when as little thinking who perceivedher tricks, or that she did imagine that they were the last she should evershow, as we have heard the Swan sings before her death, at last having beensufficiently upon the water he that deceived her alway, did so then, blindingher that she could not see at her landing the ambush that was laid for her,  comingupon the shore she gave the boord a push, which they plainly perceived andcrossed the river, they searched after her, but could not find her she beinglanded. The Commanders beholding her gave orders to lay hold on her and bringher to them straight, the which some were feerfull, but some being morevalorous than other some, boldly went to her and siesed upon her by the armesdemanding what she was, but the woman no whit replying any words unto them theybrought her to the Commanders to whom, tho' mightily she was urged she didreply as little, so consulting with themselves what should be done to her, itbeing so apparently appear'd she was a Witch, being lothe to let her goeand as loth to carry her with them, so they resolved with themselves to make ashot at her, and gave orders to a couple of their Souldiers that were approv'dgood marksmen to charge and shoot her strait, which they purposed to doe, sosetting her strait again a Mud Banke or wall two of the Souldiers according totheir command made ready when having taken aime, gave fire and shot at her,as thinking sure they had sped her, but with a deriding and loud laughter atthem she caught theyre bullets in her hands and shewed them, which was strongertestimony than the water that she was the same that their imagination thoughther so to be, so resolving with themselves if either fire or sword or halterwere sufficient to make an end of her, one let his Carbine close to herbreast, where discharging, the bullett back rebound'd like a ball and narrowlyit missed his face that was the shooter, this so inraged the Gentlemen that onedrew out his sword and manfully ran at her with all the force his strengthhad power to make, but it prevayled no more than did the shot, the Womanstill, tho' speechless, yet in a most contemptible way of scorn still laughingat them, which did the more exhauste their furie against her life, yet oneamongst them had heerd that piercing the temples of the head it would prevaylagainst the strongest sorcery and quell the force of Withcraft, which wasallowyd for trial, the Woman hearing this knew that the Devil had left her andher power was gone, whereupon she began aloud to cry and roare, tearing herhaire and making piteous moan, which in these words expressed were, And is itcome to passe that I must dye indeed, why then his Excellencie the Earle ofEssex shall be fortunate and win the field, after which no more words could begot from her, wherewith they immediately discharged a Pistoll underneatheher eare at which she strait sunk downe and dyed, leaving her legacy of adetested carcasse to the wormes, her soule we ought not to judge of, though theevills of her wicked life can scape no censure. FINIS."  
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