Herbert Toms (1874–1940), Witch Stones, and Porosphaera Beads

Abstract

After early employment with the archaeologist, General Pitt Rivers, Herbert Samuel Toms (1874–1940) was a curator in the Brighton Museum. Amassing a significant folklore archive, including specimens, photographs, and records of interviews from Sussex and adjoining counties, his particular interest was naturally perforated flints (witch stones or hagstones), used to protect households against witches, domestic animals from the ravages of the nightmare, and to cure a range of diseases. By the 1920s, they were regarded as little more than “lucky stones”, as were necklaces made up of the Cretaceous fossil sponge, Porosphaera.

Acknowledgements

The author is very grateful to John Cooper (Brighton, Royal Pavilion and Museums) and Heather Fitch (Brighton History Centre) for kindly allowing access to Toms's Archive at different times as this research proceeded. The author benefitted considerably from correspondence with Professor Jane Davidson (University of Nebraska at Reno) on the association between witches, horses and cattle in late medieval and early renaissance art. Toms's Porosphaera bead necklace is reproduced here through the kind permission of the Trustees of the Natural History Museum, and the images of Toms and his family were kindly made available through the Brighton Museums service. The editorial board of Folklore very kindly gave constructive feedback on an early draft of this paper.

Notes

 [1] “Witchstones. Relic of an Old Superstition.” Brighton and Hove Herald, Saturday, August 13, 1927, 5, column 3.

 [2] This, and all subsequent notes, refer to archival references held at the Brighton History Centre. “LS” refers to his Lucky Stones Card Index Box. The following letter indicates the subsection within the box. The individual entry is then indicated by date. In cases where it seems useful, or the where the location has not already been indicated in the text, the geographical source is also given. LS F, 26 February 1928 and photograph album.

 [3] This included some specimens associated with Romano-British vessels from Lancing Down in Sussex (he borrowed the originals from Dorchester Museum for photography) and Jordan Hill near Weymouth, as well as being incorporated, together with other debris, into the foundations of a Roman building at Havant. Lancing Down—LS P, 21 August 1930; Jordan Hill—LS P, 23 August 1930; Havant—24 June 1929.

 [4] LS K, 21 June 1926, Brighton; 1 August 1929, Brighton; 30 March 1930, Denton, near Newhaven, Sussex; 26 August 1930, Dorchester; excerpt from letter dated 30 September 1930, West Lulworth.

 [5] LS K, 24 September 1929.

 [6] LS L, 4 September 1930; LS L, 25 November 1929; LS L, 28 February 1928.

 [7] LS L, 9 October 1927, Portslade.

 [8] LS L, 20 September 1927, Kingston-by-Sea, Sussex.

 [9] LS L, 1 October 1929, Wimborne, Dorset; LS M, 31 January 1930, Brighton; excerpt from letter dated 4 July 1929, Itchen.

[10] LS L, 9 December 1930, Brighton.

[11] LS E, 2 August 1929, Mrs J. B. Hadlow, 46 Rugby Road Brighton; 11 August 1929, Mrs James Patching, Beggars Bush Cottages, Sompting.

[12] LS E, notes of letter dated 3 April 1930 from Frank Adams, “Hanlega,” Wordsworth Road, Salisbury.

[13] Spitting—LS E, 23 April 1927, Mr R. Brown visitor to Booth Museum; 16 February 1930, Mr William Russell (shepherd), 33 Hillside Cottages, Plumpton near Lewes; 29 August 1930, Mr J. O'Hare, 3 North Street, West Lulworth, South Dorset; throwing into the sea—LS E, 9 May 1927; 2 July 1927.

[14] LS E, 27 April Mr Thomas Lee, Gipsy caravan, High Park Corner near Standean.

[15] LS F, 2 September 1930.

[16] LS J, 25 January 1930, Dr George Morgan.

[17] LS J, 8 November 1929, Frank Toms, Wick Cottage, Firle; Mrs J. Phillimore, 18 Richmond Road, Brighton.

[18] LS L, 31 October Mr J. Pettitt, Upper Roedale, Brighton.

[19] LS H, 30 March 1930.

[20] LS H, 28 February 1928.

[21] Dallington—LS H, extract of a letter dated 5 April 1929; 30 August 1930; Well Bottom—LS H, 27 August 1928; 28 August 1931.

[22] Piddinghoe—LS H, 13 October; Lulworth and Winfrith—LS H, 29 August 1930; 2 October 1928; Dean Cross and Henley—LS H, 18 September 1929; 23 August 1930; Dorchester—LS H, 18 August 1930.

[23] LS H, 16 September 1929.

[24] LS H, 14 April 1930, Brighton Museum.

[25] Farnham—LS H, 21 September 1929; mantelpiece—LS H, letter excerpt 3 April 1930, Salisbury.

[26] LS H, excerpt from letter dated 4 July 1929 from Mr W. J. Jacobs.

[27] LS H, 3 July 1930, Itchen; LS H, 4 July 1929, Itchen.

[28] For example, LS F 9 October 1927, Mrs A. Weller, Wickhurst Cottage, Fulking; 31 October 1926, Mr J. Pettitt, Upper Roedale Brighton (at Firle); 26 February 1928 at Milton Street, Sussex; 30 September 1929, Ashmore and Woodcutts near Handley, both in North Dorset.

[29] Copper wire—LS F, 18 August 1930; washers—LS F, 18 August 1930; LS H, 16 September and 24 September 1929, Farnham, North Dorset; “fire balls”—30 March 1930—the balls are the “earliest type used in gas fires”; specimens photographed 20 April 1930 at 3:15 p.m.

[30] LS F, 1 June 1936; 2 October 1928; 13 July 1929.

[31] Porch sill—LS F, 30 July 1930; door stopper—LS F, 28 August 1931, Tarrant Gunville, North Dorset.

[32] LS F, 1 March 1929.

[33] LS F, 30 July 1929, Poling West Sussex.

[34] LS F, 8 September 1935.

[35] LS F, 2 October 1928, East Knighton, Winfrith, South Dorset.

[36] LS I 5 September 1930.

[37] LS G, see all eight entries.

[38] Back of house—LS F, 28 October 1926; fence—LS F, 25 May 1929; trellis—LS F, 17 March, Patcham; front garden borders—LS F, notes from a letter dated 9 July 1927; letter also preserved.

[39] Nailed to garden trees —LS H, 16 September 1929; LS N, 20 January 1928; suspended in woodshed—LS H, 24 September 1929.

[40] Shepherd's crowns—LS F, 30 July 1929, Poling, West Sussex; LS G, 13 October 1929, Piddinghoe; pads of cub foxes—LS F September 1927, Petworth; “pelt or heel cue”—LS H, 17 September 1929, Tollard Royal, Wiltshire; centre of a horseshoe whose prongs were directed upwards—LS H 17 September 1929, Tollard Royal, Wiltshire.

[41] LS D, 23 October 1926, Mr Gurney Wilson, 53 Hove Park Villas, Hove; 3 March 1929, Mr E. W. Boniface, Upper Bevendean, Brighton; 1 August 1929, Mr E. Galby, 21 William Street, Brighton; LS E, 23 April 1927. Mr R. Brown; LS F, 6 May 1928 at Pangdean; LS H, 17 August 1929, Glynde.

[42] LS I, letter excerpt, 13 April 1928, E. W. Swanton.

[43] Hung in stables—LS I, 16 July 1929; 18 February 1928; 3 September 1930; in the stable window—2 October 1930; granary—LS I, 7 August 1933.

[44] LS Box, B, 29 September 1929.

[45] LS B, 2 February 1930.

[46] LS B, 27 August 1930.

[47] LS C, notes on letter from Mr H. F. Horlock, “Langton,” Hillcrest Road, Newhaven, 15 December 1929.

[48] LS B, 30 August 1930.

[49] LS B, 24 September 1929, D. Jackson-Wilkes, Minchington, Farnham, near Blandford, Dorset.

[50] LS C, 16 July 1929, Mr A. H. Turvey, 71 Cobden Road, Brighton.

[51] LS C, 2 June 1928, Dr Hedley C. Visick, 38 Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead, London NW3.

[52] LS L, 28 February 1928.