Wiltshire's most famous witch is probably Lydia Shears, who lived in Winterslow, in south Wiltshire.
Her reputation for weaving spells and creating magic was well known by those who knew her. The story goes that Lydia was also known for her ability to transform herself into a hare, which would then entice any other passing hare away from the farmer's dogs. Mysteriously, 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 clergyman told the farmer to fashion a bullet from a silver coin and use it to shoot the hare. The farmer did , only to discover later that Lydia Shears was found dead with a silver bullet embedded in her heart. The witches ability to transform themselves into wild animals is well documented. Another Wiltshire witch who used this power to good effect lived in Potterne, near Devizes. A courting couple were troubled by the girl's mother who would take the form of a dog and follow them on their walks. Once, during a rain storm, the young man saw the dog run past him. As he and his girlfriend approached her front door, the dog disappeared. Later, the man peered in through one of the windows of the house only to see the girl's mother washing mud from her shoes. A witch living in the north of Wiltshire had the power to stop passing horses in their tracks by simply scratching out a line across the road.
The legend goes on to tell how the old woman was killed by the whip of one of the horsemen while he was trying to bring his animal under control. Another story from Wootton Rivers tells how a waggoner was on his way to Devizes Market with a load of corn. Just after midnight one of the horses pulling the cart dropped dead in the road. When the farmer took a closer look at the dead horse, he discovered several woven strands of straw lying on the animal's back. On telling the other villagers of his discovery, the elders said that they knew exactly what had happened. A witch had adopted this strange form and had the farmer beaten his horse across its back and drawn blood the women's power would have been released and the animal saved. It seems that there are many other witches tales in Wiltshire based on the idea that if you were to ply the old hag with money, goods or tobacco she would use her powers to good effect. In one village in the county, when things went wrong, the locals would visit the local witch who they would blame for their troubles. They would give her money in order for the woman to break the evil spell. On one occasion, another woman in the village blamed the witch for her producing a poor batch of bread. The witch was paid her fee afterwhich she took the woman's bad dough and threw it into the fire, but the dough flared up, setting light to the witch's clothing. Other witches in Wiltshire were said to be responsible for creating great swarms of insects, thunderous storms and causing havoc with crops and livestock.
Of course, many country-dwellers were well aware of this phenomenon that they had their own ways of protecting themselves - and their livelihoods - from the evil magic of the witch. Blood letting, silver bullets, bribery, docking horses' tails and using the power of certain herbs were some of the typical ways people would keep the evil woman at bay and it seems , if the legends are to be believed, it worked! More on Wiltshire witches and folklore: Wiltshire Folklore and Legends
Ralph Whitlock
Robert Hale 1992
ISBN 0 7090 4740 1 The Haunted Landscape
Katy Jordan
Ex Libris Press 2000
ISBN 1 903341 08 6 Wiltshire's Ghosts, Witches and Strange Happenings
Les Reeves
Elare Booklets 1998
ISBN 0 953344 07 | 
