Interviewer
Unknown
Abstract
This recording features an unnamed woman reading an article from the Charlotte Observer, dated August 21, 1927, titled “Weird Legends out of the Past: Witches of York,” by Earnest Jackson. The article recounts four legends of witchcraft from York County, South Carolina, describing beliefs and stories that had been preserved through local tradition. Jackson notes that two of the accounts, concerning Mrs. Bobbi Fox and Mrs. Rebecca Biggert, were related by Dr. Maurice A. Moore, a York County historian and investigator who died in 1899. The stories of Mrs. Abigail McPherson and Abner Wayne were reportedly preserved through oral tradition and had not previously appeared in print.
The recording relates the four stories in detail. The account of Mrs. Bobbi Fox describes her alleged ability to cast spells and an attempt by local residents to cure Nathaniel Rainy by obtaining her blessing. The story of Mrs. Abigail McPherson concerns a woman reputed to transform herself into a crow and spy on her neighbors. Mrs. Rebecca Biggert is described as a witch who allegedly rode Moses Gatty at night to gatherings of witches, while a local “witch doctor” eventually claimed to cure him. The final story, concerning Abner Wayne, describes his attempt to spy on a New Year’s gathering of witches by hiding in a chimney, where he was discovered, covered with pins, and expelled from the gathering. The recording preserves the article’s descriptions of these legends, including references to local places, families, and traditions in York County.
The recording includes several interruptions and fades, including telephone ringing, brief periods of missing audio, and an instruction to turn the tape over before the second part of the reading. A child can also be heard laughing briefly during the recording. The material provides documentation of early twentieth-century efforts to preserve and recount York County folklore and oral traditions.
Publication Date
1977
Unique Identifier
Accession 186, No. 109
Format
1 Cassette; MP3; WAV;
Length
00:35:15
Restrictions
Open under the rules and regulations of the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections at Winthrop University
Recommended Citation
Witches and York County Multiethnic Heritage Project, "Witches of York “Weird Legends of the Past” - Acc. 186, No. 109" (1977). Winthrop University Oral History Program. Accession 186, No. 109.
https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/oralhistoryprogram/779