Bottle Containing Anti-Witchcraft Potion Found At Alleged Witch’s Childhood Home
BBCThe potion was found in a distinct torpedo-shaped bottle, which wasn’t produced until the 1830s — long after Angeline Tubbs left England.
During construction on a former English pub, an unexpected discovery was made: a bottle containing fish hooks, human teeth, glass, and an unidentified liquid — a concoction meant to serve as a witch repellent.
Adding to the glass bottle’s intrigue is where it was found: the roof of the birthplace of Angeline Tubbs, otherwise known as the Witch of Saratoga. The building’s owner found it when repairs were being made on the roof at the former Star and Garter Inn at Watford Village in Northamptonshire.
But according to British archaeologists, the anti-witchcraft potion’s torpedo-shaped bottle wasn’t produced until the 1830s, decades after Tubbs moved to America.
“It’s certainly later than most witch bottles, so sadly not contemporary with Angeline Tubbs, but still a fascinating find,” said Dr. Ceri Houlbrook, a lecturer in folklore and history at the University of Hertfordshire.
Researchers at the Museum of London Archaeology explained that glass vessels were commonly used as protection, or as containers of cures against witchcraft.
Believe it or not, more than 100 anti-witchcraft talismans have been found across the U.K., with most of them dating back as far as the 17th century. They’ve been found beneath the floors of historic buildings, in churchyards, along rivers, and in archaeological dig sites. While they usually contain raw materials like nails or pins, some have been filled with pee.
Even before the Salem Witch Trials rocked Massachusetts, many in England were accused, prosecuted, and killed for allegedly practicing witchcraft. Up to 300 people in eastern England were executed between 1644 and 1646.
And even after laws against witchcraft were repealed in 1736, evidently there were still those who believed in the dark arts.
