Joan (or Jane) Wright was born around 1596 inHull, Yorkshire,England. In 1610, she married Robert Wright, and they later emigrated to theColony of Virginia, originally living inElizabeth City.[6] They had two sons, William and Robert.[6] She was a self-professedhealer and described as a "cunning" woman, the term used for those who practiced "low-level" or "folk" magic.[7] She was alsoleft-handed, which deemed her untrustworthy and suspicious by the day's standards.[8] Wright lived and worked as amidwife inSurry County and was referred to as "Goodwife Wright".[3]
In 1626, the Allington family refused to have Wright as their midwife because she was left-handed.[9] The mother fell ill with abreast infection and the newborn baby died shortly after it was born. Quickly, the family and neighbors began to accuse Wright of the infant's demise.[10]
The court heard extensive testimony during the inquiry. Her accusers claimed that she had cursed their local livestock and crops, caused a heavy rainfall, bewitched theirbutter churns, accurately predicted the deaths of several of her neighbors, and cast a spell that caused the death of anewborn baby.[15] During the inquiry, Wright did nothing to dispute the charges of witchcraft, and, in some instances, subtly encouraged this belief.[3]
It is believed that Wright was acquitted despite her admission that she did possess basic knowledge of witchcraft practices.[16][13] In her response to her charges, she remarked, "God forgive them."[17] Available court records do not describe how the hearing ended, and there is no surviving record of a sentence.[18]
A Virginia witch trial loosely based on the story of Joan Wright is featured in a 2017 episode of the British drama television seriesJamestown.[19]
In 2019, an original play, "Season of the Witch" premiered at the Jamestown Settlement. The play is a dramatic retelling of the witch trials in Virginia, with a focus on the story of Wright.[20]
^Davis, Richard Beale (April 1979). "The Devil in Virginia in the Seventeenth Century".The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Richmond, VA: Virginia Historical Society.65 (2): 131–47.
^Preyer, Kathryn. "Penal Measures in the American Colonies",The American Journal of Legal History, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Oct. 1982), pp. 326-353. Published by: Oxford University Press. (Accessed 13 Jan 2021)
