The Levitating Boy of Shepton Mallet

By Juniper Ravenwood

A Chilling Tale from 1657 👻

On a misty Sunday in November 1657, the quiet town of Shepton Mallet, Somerset, became the stage for a story that still sends shivers down the spine. A 12-year-old boy named Richard Jones crossed paths with an elderly beggar woman, Jane Brooks, and what followed was a cascade of paranormal phenomena that gripped the town in fear.

In Episode 223 of The Shadow Frequency, we dove into this haunting case, exploring the levitation of Richard Jones, the accusations of witchcraft, and the tragic fates of Jane and her sister, Alice (or Ann) Coward. Let’s unpack this eerie slice of history and why it continues to hum in the shadows.

The Encounter That Sparked a Panic ⚡

It all began on November 15, 1657, when young Richard Jones reportedly refused a request for food from Jane Brooks, a weathered stranger with sharp eyes. According to accounts preserved in A Compleat History of the Most Remarkable Providences (1697), Richard soon fell into violent fits—convulsions that left him writhing, at times blind or mute.

But the detail that truly set this case apart was the claim of levitation. Witnesses swore they saw Richard’s body rise, carried by an unseen force over a garden wall. This image, immortalized in Joseph Glanvill’s Saducismus Triumphatus (1681), became a chilling emblem of the era’s witchcraft hysteria.

Imagine the terror in Shepton Mallet: a boy defying gravity, his small frame caught in something beyond comprehension. The town didn’t hesitate to point fingers at Jane Brooks, accusing her of wielding dark powers.

A Trial Fueled by Fear ⚖️

The accusations snowballed, ensnaring Jane’s sister, Alice or Ann Coward, as well. Both women were hauled to the Shepton Mallet House of Correction, a grim fortress that still stands as a reminder of those dark days.

Historian Willow Winsham’s research notes that Richard’s fits mysteriously stopped once the sisters were imprisoned, as if their confinement severed a supernatural thread. By March 1658, the case reached the Chard Assizes, where witnesses recounted Richard’s levitation and torment.

The court’s verdict was swift and merciless: Jane Brooks was executed on March 26, 1658, and her sister died in prison. The records, sparse but haunting, paint a picture of a community consumed by fear—where the unexplained was a death sentence.

A Skeptical Glimmer in the Shadows 🧠

While the paranormal elements of this case are gripping, there’s room to wonder about other explanations. Could Richard’s fits have been a medical condition, like epilepsy, amplified by the intense superstition of the time?

In the 17th century, with no modern understanding of neurology, a boy’s seizures might have been mistaken for witchcraft. Yet, even this rational lens doesn’t fully account for the levitation accounts, detailed by multiple witnesses and etched into Glanvill’s work.

The tension between the supernatural and the scientific keeps this case alive—a puzzle that refuses to be solved.

Why This Case Still Haunts Us 🌑

The Shepton Mallet case isn’t just a footnote in history—it’s a window into a world where fear of the unknown held deadly power. The image of Richard Jones, floating over a garden wall, lingers like a ghost in the fog.

Was it witchcraft, a trick of the mind, or something else entirely? Sources like Saducismus Triumphatus and Chetham’s Library archives keep the story alive, while modern historians like Willow Winsham piece together the human cost.

On The Shadow Frequency, we’re drawn to these mysteries not just for their chills, but for what they reveal about the shadows in our past—and perhaps in ourselves.

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Thanks for tuning into the hum of the unknown with us.

Signed,
🕯️ Juniper Ravenwood