Lyddie Shears – Witch of Winterslow

Lyddie was a 19th-century figure from the village of Winterslow in Wiltshire, England. According to local lore, Lyddie was a powerful witch who lived in Bentley Wood. While many make her out to be a legend or story, archival records from the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre confirm she was part of a local family of woodsmen and laborers. Because she lived in the 19th century, she was never legally tried for witchcraft but lived during a time when such superstitions were still deeply ingrained in rural English life.

Lyddie was widely reputed to have the ability to transform herself into a hare. Legend states she would tell poachers where hares could be found or transform herself to lead a farmer’s dogs away from actual game. She and the pursuing animal would disappear, leaving the dogs and the farmer puzzling over their whereabouts. Legend has it that on one occasion the farmer became so perturbed by these activities that he called upon the services of the local priest.

The story concludes with a local farmer, following a vicar’s advice, shooting a hare with a silver bullet made from a melted-down sixpence. The hare vanished, but Lyddie was later found dead in her cottage with the silver bullet in her heart.