The Bell Witch
Encyclopedia
The Bell Witch or Bell Witch Haunting is a poltergeist
legend from Southern United States folklore
, involving the Bell family of Adams
, Tennessee
. The legend is the basis of the films The Bell Witch Haunting
(2004) and An American Haunting
(2006).
, near Adams, Tennessee
. Bell shot at the animal, described as having the body of a dog and the head of a rabbit. At a later date the Bell family claimed to hear knocking and gnawing noises on the outside walls of their house. These noises eventually moved inside the dwelling. Some time after the noises began, Betsy Bell (the family's youngest daughter) claimed to have been assaulted by an invisible force. The legend continues with the poltergeist gaining strength, moving various objects about, speaking and having conversations with the family and guests. It identified itself as "Kate Batts", a neighbor of the Bells that John had apparently upset in some way.
Bell Sr., later in life, suffered frequent facial seizure
s, often rendering him speechless (although Bell's Palsy
is named after a different Bell). He died on December 20, 1820. A small vial containing a very powerful poison he allegedly ingested was found near his body. When some of the contents were force-fed to the family cat, the animal died. The vial was then disposed of in the fireplace.
Pat Fitzhugh's retelling of the Bell Witch legend concludes with a statement to the effect that some people believe that the spirit returned in 1935, the year when the witch claimed it would return ("one hundred years and seven" past 1828), and took up residence on the former Bell property. Other sources say that 1935 brought nothing out of the ordinary to the Bell descendants or the surrounding community.
.
The most famous account is recorded in the 1894 book An Authenticated History of the Bell Witch of Tennessee by Martin Van Buren Ingram. A reprint of this book (most of the copies of the original book with a white cover have disappeared), which has come to be called the "Red Book" is similary hard to find. Also, in the middle 1960s a faithful reproduction of the Ingram book in paperback with a white cover and gold printing was sold by subscription to direct descendants of John Bell, Sr. This book too is almost impossible to find today. The original book by Ingram, as well as all the reprints, cites the earlier (though no known copies exist) Richard William Bell's Diary: "Our Family Trouble". Richard Williams Bell lists several witnesses, including General (later President) Andrew Jackson
. However, no mention of the Bell Witch was ever made by Jackson in any of his letters, journals or papers.
What is known as the Black Book was written much later and it re-told a lot about the Bell Witch, from Ingram's book. It was published in 1934 by Dr. Charles Bailey Bell, great-grandson of John Bell.
Thirteen Tennessee Ghosts and Jeffrey by Kathryn Tucker Windham
includes the story of the Bell Witch.
The Guidebook for Tennessee, published by the Works Project Administration in 1939, also contains an account that differs from Ingram's on pages 392–393.
Poltergeist
A poltergeist is a paranormal phenomenon which consists of events alluding to the manifestation of an imperceptible entity. Such manifestation typically includes inanimate objects moving or being thrown about, sentient noises and, on some occasions, physical attacks on those witnessing the...
legend from Southern United States folklore
Folklore of the United States
The folklore of the United States, or American folklore, is one of the folk traditions which has evolved on the North American continent since Europeans arrived in the 16th century. While it contains much in the way of Native American tradition, it should not be confused with the tribal beliefs of...
, involving the Bell family of Adams
Adams, Tennessee
Adams is a city in Robertson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 633 at the 2010 census.-History:Originally incorporated as Red River in 1869, the town was renamed Adams in 1898 in honor of James Reuben Adams, who first owned much of the land on which the town was built. The town's...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. The legend is the basis of the films The Bell Witch Haunting
Bell Witch Haunting
The Bell Witch Haunting is a 2004 supernatural horror, written and directed by Ric White. The movie stars Doug Moore, Stephanie Love, Amber Bland and Ric White. It premiered in Nashville, Tennessee on March 27, 2004 and showed in theaters in a limited released in the southeast areas of the United...
(2004) and An American Haunting
An American Haunting
An American Haunting is a 2005 horror film written and directed by Courtney Solomon. It stars Donald Sutherland, Sissy Spacek, Rachel Hurd-Wood, and James D'Arcy. The film was previewed at the AFI Film Festival on November 5, 2005 and was released in U.S. theaters on May 5, 2006. The film had an...
(2006).
Legend
According to the legend, the first reported manifestation of the haunting occurred in 1817 when John Bell, Sr., encountered a strange animal in a cornfield on his large farm in Robertson County, on the Red RiverRed River (Tennessee-Kentucky)
The Red River, long, is a major stream of north-central Tennessee and south-central Kentucky and a major tributary of the Cumberland River....
, near Adams, Tennessee
Adams, Tennessee
Adams is a city in Robertson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 633 at the 2010 census.-History:Originally incorporated as Red River in 1869, the town was renamed Adams in 1898 in honor of James Reuben Adams, who first owned much of the land on which the town was built. The town's...
. Bell shot at the animal, described as having the body of a dog and the head of a rabbit. At a later date the Bell family claimed to hear knocking and gnawing noises on the outside walls of their house. These noises eventually moved inside the dwelling. Some time after the noises began, Betsy Bell (the family's youngest daughter) claimed to have been assaulted by an invisible force. The legend continues with the poltergeist gaining strength, moving various objects about, speaking and having conversations with the family and guests. It identified itself as "Kate Batts", a neighbor of the Bells that John had apparently upset in some way.
Bell Sr., later in life, suffered frequent facial seizure
Seizure
An epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain". The outward effect can be as dramatic as a wild thrashing movement or as mild as a brief loss of awareness...
s, often rendering him speechless (although Bell's Palsy
Bell's palsy
Bell's palsy is a form of facial paralysis resulting from a dysfunction of the cranial nerve VII that results in the inability to control facial muscles on the affected side. Several conditions can cause facial paralysis, e.g., brain tumor, stroke, and Lyme disease. However, if no specific cause...
is named after a different Bell). He died on December 20, 1820. A small vial containing a very powerful poison he allegedly ingested was found near his body. When some of the contents were force-fed to the family cat, the animal died. The vial was then disposed of in the fireplace.
Pat Fitzhugh's retelling of the Bell Witch legend concludes with a statement to the effect that some people believe that the spirit returned in 1935, the year when the witch claimed it would return ("one hundred years and seven" past 1828), and took up residence on the former Bell property. Other sources say that 1935 brought nothing out of the ordinary to the Bell descendants or the surrounding community.
Published accounts
The earliest written account is at page 833 in the Goodspeed History of Tennessee, published in 1887 by Goodspeed PublishingGoodspeed Publishing
Goodspeed Publishing was a publishing company based in Chicago, Illinois, that wrote and published many works on local history and biography in the 1880s....
.
The most famous account is recorded in the 1894 book An Authenticated History of the Bell Witch of Tennessee by Martin Van Buren Ingram. A reprint of this book (most of the copies of the original book with a white cover have disappeared), which has come to be called the "Red Book" is similary hard to find. Also, in the middle 1960s a faithful reproduction of the Ingram book in paperback with a white cover and gold printing was sold by subscription to direct descendants of John Bell, Sr. This book too is almost impossible to find today. The original book by Ingram, as well as all the reprints, cites the earlier (though no known copies exist) Richard William Bell's Diary: "Our Family Trouble". Richard Williams Bell lists several witnesses, including General (later President) Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
. However, no mention of the Bell Witch was ever made by Jackson in any of his letters, journals or papers.
What is known as the Black Book was written much later and it re-told a lot about the Bell Witch, from Ingram's book. It was published in 1934 by Dr. Charles Bailey Bell, great-grandson of John Bell.
Thirteen Tennessee Ghosts and Jeffrey by Kathryn Tucker Windham
Kathryn Tucker Windham
Kathryn Tucker Windham was an American storyteller, author, photographer, and journalist. She was born in Selma, Alabama and grew up in nearby Thomasville....
includes the story of the Bell Witch.
The Guidebook for Tennessee, published by the Works Project Administration in 1939, also contains an account that differs from Ingram's on pages 392–393.
External links
- The Bell Witch Project - Middle Tennessee Skeptics review of the legend.
- The Bell Witch by researcher Pat Fitzhugh.
- The Historic Bell Witch Cave
- The Bell Witch of Tennessee - website which includes the full text of An Authenticated History of the Famous Bell Witch - the book upon which the legend is largely based.
- Prairie Ghosts - The Bell Witch
- The Spirit of Red River, by Jack Cook. A detailed paper covering the history behind the legend, compiled from official government, church, and family records.