A Witch Tale of Old Hillsborough
- From NH Folk Tales
- Jul 19, 2017
- 1 min read
Way back in the eighteenth century when Hillsborough was still called "Old # 7," there lived a woman called Aunt Jenny Gilchrist, who was believed to possess supernatural powers, and many are the tales told to give evidence to this belief.
Aunt Jinny, as she was commonly called, is described as a little, sallow, weazened, old woman with a fiery temper and a sharp tongue, whose unhappy experiences early in life had so embittered her nature that she distrusted and shunned her neighbors, and the fact that the townspeople believed her to be a "witch" set her apart from human companionship.
This is but one of the many tales told about this independent old woman;
There eventually came a time when Aunt Jinny became so destitute and such a nuisance in the opinion of the townspeople that those in authority decided to take her to the place provided for the poor. Late one afternoon the constable appeared at the door of the old rambling house, told Aunt Jinny he had come to take her away and urged her to hurry as they had some distance to go.
The old lady made no protest but calmly mounted the horse behind the officer who was elated at the ease with which he had accomplished his errand. They traveled all thru the long dark night without reaching their destination. When morning dawned, the enraged constable discovered they were still at Aunt Jinny's house which the bewitched horse had been unable to leave.
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