There are twelve documented cases of people accused of witchcraft trials from southern Maryland to the Eastern Shore and as far north as
Anne Arundel County from the 1600's-1700's. Not many people know about the Maryland witchcraft trials because there wasn't the well
known hysteria as there was in Salem Massachusetts. Two of the earliest witchcraft cases in the Maryland State Archives involve executions
aboard ships bound for Maryland from England. Two men, who recently had arrived in Maryland from the ship Charity of London, told
officials in St. Mary's City in 1654 that the ship's crew had hanged an old woman named Mary Lee. She supposedly confessed of being a
witch, she was hung and her body was thrown overboard.

She supposedly summoned a relentless storm that people on board said it was from “the malevolence of witches.” John Bosworth, the
captain escaped blame for Mary's death by saying that he was in his cabin when she was hung.

October 16, 1654 Mrs. Manship was accused by Peter Godson, went to trial and was acquitted.

The second execution in 1658 was a woman named Elizabeth Richardson, who was hung on ship who was owned by Edward Prescott.
This execution actually involved George Washington's great-grandfather, John Washington of Westmoreland County, VA. Edward Prescott
was able to escape responsibility when his captain John Green was.

In 1665 Elizabeth Bennett of St Mary's Maryland was charged by Philip Calvert and was acquitted or "Cleared by Proclaimation."

John Cowman in 1674 Maryland was charged and convicted for under the Statute of James I for witchcraft, conjuration, sorcery or
enchantment against Elizabeth Goodale. He received a reprieve from execution from the Upper House of the Assembly.

On October 9, 1685 Maryland hung their only witch on land in Calvert County. Rebecca Fowler was hanged after a jury found her guilty of
"certain evil and diabolical arts called witchcrafts, enchantments, charms [and] sorceries." Also in Calvert County, in 1686, Hannah Edwards
was acquitted on similar charges.

In St. Mary's County there is a strange local story even though there are no documents to support it. A woman by the name of Moll Dyer
was supposedly driven out of her home on the coldest night of the year by the townsfolk that burned down her home. She died of exposure
that night and was found next to this pound boulder (now in front of the Old Jail Museum in Leonardtown) with her hand frozen to the rock.
The rock is still supposed to have the handprint of Moll.

The last Maryland witchcraft trial was held in Annapolis in 1712. Virtue Violl of Talbot County was found not guilty of using witchcraft to
harm the health of an invalid neighbor.