Bathsheba Thayer was born on Rhode Island in 1812, and, in her early thirties, she married Judson Sherman who was one year older than her on March 10, 1844. About five years later they had a son named Herbert. The Shermans owned a farm in which Judson worked during the long days while Bathsheba kept house and looked after their young son. Although it is believed that the Shermans had several other children, a girl and two more boys, there are no records to substantiate this or the fact they were all meant to have died in their young years. However, living the good life it was all to turn around for Bathsheba when a infant died whilst in her care. Different sources get a little bit sketchy on just whose baby it was, some say it was a neighboring family‘s while others say it was one of the Sherman children, but the result was the same... the cause of death was found to be an impalement at the base of the child's skull, probably from a large gauge sewing needle, and Bathsheba was put on trial (or at the least a inquiry was carried out). Many of the townsfolk believed the child's death was a sacrifice on Bathsheba's part to the devil, or some form of witchcraft. There was much jealousy aimed towards Bathsheba, she was beautiful and many of the local women coveted her looks, no doubt some of this envy fueled the rumors. However Bathsheba was cleared of any wrong doing, there was insufficient evidence to find her guilty of murder, accidental or otherwise. Unfortunately the law courts are not the only courts, and it was the court of public opinion that was to do the most damage and cause Bathsheba to lead a more sheltered life thereafter. Locals held onto their belief that she was up to dark deeds and possibly some of them knew stuff that we can not possibly know today, after such a long period of time. Something changed in her after this time, she became embittered and began to treat the hired help on the farm poorly. She would physically assault them, and in some instances starve them, not to death, but rather fed them poorly. Bathsheba never hanged herself, but rather lived to quite an old age. She had outlived her husband Judson by four years when she died at the age of 72/73 (her exact date of birth is not known but the date of her death was May 25, 1885). She died from a strange case of paralysis which doctors did not completely understand at the time. Reportedly the medical report on her death states that her body had turned as if to stone. This no doubt further fueled the rumors of Bathsheba Sherman being a witch, having made a deal with the devil. credits released October 26, 2018