Friday, July 10, 2026

Question: When did Virginia end witchcraft trials?

Answer: The last witchcraft trial on record in Virginia took place in 1730. A woman named Mary was accused of using witchcraft to find lost items and treasure. She was convicted and whipped 39 times. This is described as likely the last criminal case of witchcraft tried in any of the mainland colonies.

Five years later, in 1735, the British Parliament repealed the Witchcraft Act of 1604, replacing it with a new act that criminalized only the pretense of witchcraft. Witchcraft cases had already become rare in Virginia by the early 18th century, with no executions for the crime recorded in the colony.