The Witch and The Giant of Norfolk

Trapped under a towering tree, a victim of vigilante villagers, perhaps encouraged by Witch-Finder General Matthew Hopkins’ dreadful purges in East Anglia during the 17th century, is said to be the body of a woman. In Britain, witchcraft was made a capital offence in 1563, almost a hundred years since the fear of witches began to spread across Europe. 200,000+ women were tortured, executed, and imprisoned under the law of the church or of the state between the year 1484 and 1750. This widespread panic, the tragedy and suffering that came about because of it went on for hundreds of years, and many innocent women lost their lives in the process. According to Norfolk folklore one of these women was a resident of East Somerton in Norfolk. This woman’s name has been lost to history, but her tale prevails. She is now simply known as “The Witch of East Somerton.” This woman that was accused of witchcraft, and was brought to the Church of St. Mary to atone for her crimes against God. She was bent and had a wooden leg. She fit the common perception of a witch perfectly, so when she was named and accused, the people were quick to be convinced of her guilt. She was interrogated in the halls of the church for some time before she was sentenced to be buried alive. The people dug a grave for this old witch in the church and then buried her while she was still living. As they began to close her up in her tomb, she shouted a curse with her final breath. She announced that she would someday have her revenge on the people and on the church. Disregarding her cries, the people poured soil over her coffin and laid a new floor down above her. They hoped that if her evil spirit were entombed in a holy place such as this church, her soul could be purified and she may be able to be redeemed in the eyes of God. In the early 17th century, St. Mary’s Church held its final service and was never visited again by the community. Fuelled by the curse, a massive oak tree grew from the witch’s wooden leg, which burst through the foundation and the walls hastening the destruction of the building as revenge for how she had been wronged. Others call the tree The Witch’s Finger, bursting from the site of her execution to point accusingly towards heaven - either way her restless spirit has been seen at St Mary’s at twilight and on cold, dark nights. The ghost of monks have also been seen.
Robert Hale was born in West Somerton on 2nd May 1820 and baptised on Halloween at St Mary's church, Robert was the 6th of 9 children born to William Hales and Elizabeth Dyble, both said to be over 6 feet in height when the average height in Britain was just 5ft 5. He had 5 sisters with an average height of 6ft3 and two of whom, Mary and Anne, were around seven feet tall. His 3 brothers were around 6ft 5 tall, but Robert was the largest member of the large family. Robert fell in love with the Norfolk Broads and boats, spending hours operating Norfolk wherries and eagerly signing up to join the Royal Navy as a 13-year-old. When he reached the age of 17 he was already 7ft 6 so he had to be paid off as he was too tall to fit below the deck! Being the size he was he found a new career. Hailed as ‘The Norfolk Giant’ Robert began his new life at local fairs including the fairs at Tombland, Norwich and on Britannia Pier, Great Yarmouth.With his sister Mary, who was 7ft 2, and her husband Joseph Laskey, the pair toured round the county in a big yellow van with eight foot beds. In 1840 at Epsom Races Robert met Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The following year, Mary died aged just 30. Joseph took just two years to make her sister Ann his second wife - Robert was not happy so the group parted ways. After meeting a carnival agent, Robert moved to America. It was in America that the Norfolk Giant agreed to work with PT Barnum, who signed him for £800 for his American Museum and began to exhibit him in New York. Robert was with Barnum for two years, during which he married Irish Giant Eliza Simpson, who was eight feet tall and with whom he had a child called General, most people believe the marriage was a publicity stunt masterminded by Barnum. In 1851, he came back to Britain without Eliza and married a woman called Maria Charlotte Webb. He was invited to Buckingham Palace to meet Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their family. Tired of touring, he is thought to have become the landlord of the Craven Head Tavern in Drury Lane in London. In 1861 he was landlord of the Langsett Burgoyne Arms in Sheffield where he lived with Maria and son General aged 12 years. As his health worsened, they returned to live in a caravan in Beighton where he survived on an income from selling leaflets that told the story of his life. He eventually moved to 3 Wellington Road Great Yarmouth where, on November 22 1863, aged 43, he died of bronchitis, leaving just under £600 in his will to Maria. His body was buried at St Mary's Church West Somerton in a tomb far less than 7ft 6 long!