August 24, 1751

Posted on August 24, 2019 by Joel Byers

On August 24, 1751, Englishman Thomas Colley was executed for drowning a witch. Colley was one of the leaders of a mob that seized an elderly couple, John and Ruth Osborne, from a workhouse in Tring, Hertfordshire and accused them of witchcraft. The pair of old people were subjected to dunking at a nearby pond to see if they were witches. Ruth Osborne was beaten and dragged through the water repeatedly. She finally died when Colley used a stick and drowned her by forcing her face into the water. John survived and testified at Colley’s trial. Colley was found guilty and subsequently hanged.

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About Joel Byers

Born in North Georgia and educated at some very fine public institutions. Real education started after graduating from college and then getting married and raising two boys. Has the ability to see the funny and absurd in most things and will always remark on it, even if it means getting the stink-eye from his victims.
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