Witch
The Hartfordshire Wonder
Bewitched, she swelled, raved and fasted for months while imps came calling.
Stand where it happened
- What's there
- The parish church holding her baptism record
- Legend from
- 1669
- Tone
- Eerie
Ahead is St Mary's, Ware, where the baptism of Jane Stretton, the bewitched 'Hartfordshire Wonder' of 1669, is still in the register.
In 1669 a pamphlet called The Hartfordshire Wonder, or Strange News from Ware, told of Jane Stretton, a wheelwright's daughter whose baptism is recorded at St Mary's, Ware, in 1649. Her father had insulted a local cunning man, and soon after, the man's wife twice asked Jane for small favours. Jane then suffered raging fits, her body swelled and twisted, and she lay for months apparently eating nothing. Toads, frogs and mice were said to be imps haunting her, and pins, flax and a knife turned up in her mouth and bed. Neighbours blamed witchcraft, though nobody was ever prosecuted.
One sourceOnly one written account of this legend has been found so far.