Here is what some people have heard about the Tennessee Bell Witch

In response to my blog called “Rumors, Facts, Truth, &  Lies about the Tennessee Bell Witch part 1," this is what some readers have said in reply:

Response from Reader named Nicky from Greece:

There have been so many books written about the Bell Witch that I'm not even going to bother naming them. But, for their sources, they all draw upon the earliest book, Authenticated History of the Bell Witch from 1894, by Martin Van Buren Ingram, owner of a regional newspaper. This was the first book published about the Bell Witch, and it was published 75 years after the hauntings. That's a long time. Long enough that the author wasn't even born when the hauntings took place. So what was his source?

Martin Ingram's book is based entirely upon the handwritten diary of Richard Bell. Richard Bell, one of John Bell's sons, was born in 1811, so he was about six years old when the hauntings began. According to Ingram, Richard waited until 1846, more than 30 years, before he actually wrote down the events in his diary. He recorded his 30 year old memories of being a six year old child. Ingram goes on to say that in 1857 Richard gave the diary to his son, Allen Bell, who subsequently (and quite inexplicably) gave it to Ingram, with instructions to keep it private until after the deaths of the immediate family. That happened around 1880, when Ingram began writing his book. Conveniently, every person with firsthand knowledge of the Bell Witch hauntings was already dead when Ingram started his book; in fact, every person with secondhand knowledge was even dead.

Martin Ingram never said anything about what became of this alleged diary. There is no record of anyone else having seen it, and logically, Ingram should have promoted the diary's existence in his newspaper to publicize his book. He did not. I am certainly not convinced that the diary ever existed at all. Why would Richard Bell wait 30 years to write down such an incredible story? Why would Allen Bell give away such a unique heirloom to Ingram? Those are big questions, and Ingram had every reason to falsify the diary's existence.

Ingram's book also falsified at least one other source. His book claims that in 1849, the Saturday Evening Post ran a story about the Bell Witch, blaming the crazy daughter Elizabeth for everything, and then retracted the story shortly thereafter once she threatened to sue. People have looked for such an article and none was ever found. I called the Saturday Evening Post, and was told that their microfilmed archives for that period no longer exist. Researcher Jack Cook went through other microfilms of the Post for several years on either side of 1849 and confirmed that no such article was ever published. Even people looking for it in 1894, following the publication of Ingram's book, failed to find such an article; which casts doubt on Ingram's own ability to have found it. Without exception, all of Ingram's sources for his book were conveniently untraceable.

Historians have found only one printed reference to the Bell Witch that predates the publication of Ingram's book, and it's a brief one-paragraph blurb in the 1886 first edition of Goodspeed's History of Tennessee in its chapter on Robertson County, which reads as follows:

“A remarkable occurrence, which attracted wide-spread interest, was connected with the family of John Bell, who settled near what is now Adams Station about 1804. So great was the excitement that people came from hundreds of miles around to witness the manifestations of what was popularly known as the "Bell Witch." This witch was supposed to be some spiritual being having the voice and attributes of a woman. It was invisible to the eye, yet it would hold conversation and even shake hands with certain individuals. The freaks if performed were wonderful and seemingly designed to annoy the family. It would take the sugar from the bowls, spill the milk, take the quilts from the beds, slap and pinch the children, and then laugh at the discomfiture of its victims. At first it was supposed to be a good spirit, but its subsequent acts, together with the curses with which it supplemented its remarks, proved the contrary.”

Notice the two most significant events are missing: The witch's murder of John Bell, and Andrew Jackson's involvement. No newspapers described either event. No court records or recorded minutes from churches described either event. The story of John Bell's murder at the hands of the Bell Witch was never described in any published account, nor placed into the pop culture version of events by the frightened family's reports. It seems almost incredible ...unless Ingram made it up.

Ingram almost certainly made up the entire Andrew Jackson incident. Andrew Jackson's whereabouts between 1814 and 1820 are well documented, and there is no known record of his having visited Robertson County during those years. In all of his own writings and in all of his many biographies, there is not a single mention of his alleged Bell Witch adventure. The 1824 Presidential election was notoriously malicious, and it seems hard to believe that his opponent would have overlooked the opportunity to drag him through the mud for having lost a fight to a witch. All known documentation shows Jackson elsewhere during the period in question, and all published material about his encounter with the Bell Witch relies on Martin Ingram's book as its sole source.

So what evidence of the Bell Witch are we left with? Vague stories that there was a witch in the area. All the significant facts of the story have been falsified, the others come from a source of dubious credibility. Since no reliable documentation of any actual events exists, there is nothing worth looking into. Ingram also wrote that the Bell Witch promised to return in 1935, and since nothing happened in that year either, I chalk up the Bell Witch as nothing more than one of many unsubstantiated folk legends, vastly embellished and popularized by an opportunistic author of historical fiction.

Response from Reader named David from Illinois:

Nicky from Greece is not the author of the tale they told. In fact, if Nicky laid claim to it, that would be blatant plagiarism!!! The original author can be found here:

Demystifying the Bell Witch: According to David, this is the original of the article shared by Nicky from Greece. Thanks to both of you for sharing.

http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4118 

Response from Reader named Casey from Tennessee:

I’ve heard the bell witch has four different entities within herself: Cypocraphy, Black Dog, Jerusalem, and Mathmatix.

Thanks, Casey, for sharing. I’ve heard that myself. I wonder how much truth there is to that rumor?

Response from Reader named Taryn, Sally from Tennessee:

Yes, I have heard about her and I think that she is very true. I mean if she died, then it is very possible for her to haunt her neighbor or really even anyone...

Response from Reader named Peter from Indiana:

I heard that John was a child rapist and it snapped his daughter Betsy to the point of no return.

Response from Reader named Sandra Ellison from Memphis, Tennessee:

I am doing a research paper for my comp class in college and yes I have heard of the Bell witch before.  What I am currently looking for is the reason for the witch. There are SO many documentations that I do believe it did happen.

Response from Reader named Joe from Marietta, GA:

I grew up in Guthrie, KY about 8 miles north of Adams, TN. My maternal grandmother was from Adams so I had many relatives in that area. I grew up with the stories which were related to me by my grandmother's brothers and sisters (my grandmother died before I was born). I have read all of the different accounts, made multiple trips to the area to learn what I could and as part of a cave exploration group lead the survey team that mapped the cave on the premises. My god-father, Clarence Covington, was related to the Bell family and is buried in the Bell family cemetery in Adams.  My great grandfather was the sheriff in Adams during the 1870s and knew some of the people mentioned in the book. He passed on stories to his children who related to me much of what they had heard from their parents. Based on what I have heard I believe that something occurred in the area. I stop short of trying to say exactly the nature of what took place.  I would love to engage in some discussion on the topic.

Response from Reader named Alinda from Kentucky:

Just watched the movie the American Haunting last night. Other than that wondered how true the story was.

Response from Reader named Fatima from Prince William County,Va 

Kate Batts loved John Bell and thought she was engaged to him.

Response from Reader named Lulu from the United States:

That she had turned into a spirit at a young age.

Response from Reader named Shawnna from Cannon County, TN:

I have heard a lot about the bell witch ... it is REAL SCARY.

Response from Reader named Shatika from Tennessee:

I have heard that the bell witch was haunting John Bell because he scammed her on a business deal. She also wanted to cease the marriage of Betsy and Joshua Gardner. That was supposedly the reason upon her return and also to haunt that time. Some say she is the witch of either Cate or Kate. She ended up killing John Bell and ruining the marriage of Betsy and Joshua Gardner and also scarring the lives of many others. She was called the BELL WITCH because she haunted the Bell family!!!

Response from Reader named Elizabeth from Latham, Ohio:

She indicated that she had never heard of the Tennessee Bell Witch.

Response from Reader named Danielle from the USA:

No, I never heard of this Tennessee Bell Witch.

Response from Reader named Maggie from Tennessee:

She kills children. 

Response from Reader named Dolores from Tennessee:

That she tormented a family named Bell for years. I have toured the cave with my family.

So, what have the rest of you heard about the Tennessee Bell Witch? Please share in the comment section below.

Rumors, Facts, Truth, & Lies about the Tennessee Bell Witch part 1

Have you ever heard of the Tennessee Bell Witch? What have you heard? In the comment section below, please tell what you have heard about the Tennessee Bell Witch.

DJ Lyons aka Debbie Dunn: For those of you who are not familiar with the Tennessee Bell Witch, the family of John and Lucy Bell was haunted by a poltergeist from 1817 to 1821. Once the family revealed to relatives and friends the details of the haunting, no less than four people and sometimes as many as 50 people would crowd into the Bell house to witness the nightly haunting. Andrew Jackson himself was reported to have had a run-in with the poltergeist that many people either called Kate (with a K) or the Bell Witch.

Unfortunately, many people pointed the finger of blame at an innocent neighbor by the name of Cate (with a C) Williams Batts. They either accused her of being the poltergeist who was doing the haunting, even though she was a living woman at the time, or they accused her of somehow engineering the hauntings.

Where did the term "Bell Witch" come from? At first they called this entity a spirit. They did not seem to know the term poltergeist; however, that is truly what this entity was - a noisy ghost. When the level of mischievousness increased, they took to calling the entity who was haunting the BELL family a WITCH or BELL WITCH.

Best Review – Top 8 Bell Witch Links By DJ Lyons Aka Debbie Dunn

DJ Lyons (pen name for Debbie Dunn) is the author of “The Bell Witch Unveiled At Last! The True Story Of A Poltergeist.” As a professional storyteller, she also performs a 50-minute one-woman show called “The Bell Witch Unveiled.” Here are links to two videos describing the book, her Bell Witch website, and the best price on purchasing a copy of the Bell Witch book for your very own.

In short, the family of John and Lucy Bell from Adams, Tennessee, were haunted by a poltergeist from 1817 to 1821. This is one of the most widely-documented ghost stories in the state of Tennessee. Sadly, they gave the wrong person the blame. My book and one-woman show attempts to clear the name of Cate Batts and reveals the true secrets about the haunting.

Click BELL WITCH to visit these top eight Bell Witch articles at Best-Reviewer.com.

Click TOP TEN REVIEWER should you wish to post a top ten reviewer site of your very own. This site was created by James Colin from Best-Reviewer.com and She Told Me.com.

How to separate the rumors from facts with Tennessee Bell Witch-Poltergeist

There are ten main rumors and facts about the Tennessee Bell Witch, a poltergeist who haunted the family of John and Lucy Bell from 1817 to 1821. Which rumors are based on fact? Which rumors are actually fiction?

Click TENNESSEE BELL WITCH to read the entire article on Associated Content.com.

Rumors and Facts About the Tennessee Bell Witch

Rumors and Facts About the Tennessee Bell Witch

There are nine main rumors and facts about the Tennessee Bell Witch, a poltergeist who haunted the family of John and Lucy Bell from 1817 to 1821. Which rumors are based on fact? Which rumors are actually fiction?

Click on GHOSTS & POLTERGEISTS to read the entire article.

Many Tales About Lucy Bell from My Past 8th-Grade Creative Writing & Research Class

Many Tales About Lucy Bell from My Past 8th-Grade Creative Writing & Research Class

In 2002, I conducted a 10-week Creative Writing & Research Class. Our primary focus was the Tennessee Bell Witch, the poltergeist who haunted the Bell family from 1817- 1821. This is a compilation of what my 8th-Grade students wrote about Lucy Bell.

Click on GHOSTS & POLTERGEISTS to read the entire article.

Many Tales About John Black from My Past 8th-Grade Creative Writing & Research Class

Many Tales About John Black from My Past 8th-Grade Creative Writing & Research Class

In 2002, I conducted a 10-week Creative Writing & Research Class. Our primary focus was the Tennessee Bell Witch, the poltergeist who haunted the Bell family from 1817- 1821. This is a compilation of what my 8th-Grade students wrote about John Black.

Click on GHOSTS & POLTERGEISTS to read the entire article.

Many Tales About John Bell from My Past 8th-Grade Creative Writing & Research Class

Many Tales About John Bell from My Past 8th-Grade Creative Writing & Research Class

In 2002, I conducted a 10-week Creative Writing & Research Class. Our primary focus was the Tennessee Bell Witch, the poltergeist who haunted the Bell family from 1817- 1821. This is a compilation of what my 8th-Grade students wrote about John Bell.

Click on GHOSTS & POLTERGEISTS to read the entire article.

Divine Home Security System

Divine Home Security System

Daniel found himself driving toward a stranger's house and knocking on a wide-open door at 2:00 a.m. until a woman comes down the stairs. She demands, "What is our door doing open?" He didn't know. He also didn't understand what he was doing there.

Click on GHOSTS & POLTERGEISTS to read the rest of the story called “Divine Home Security System.”

P.S. This is based on a true story.

Betsy Bell's Tale of the Tennessee Bell Witch

Betsy Bell's Tale of the Tennessee Bell Witch

Back in 1817, when the story begins, Betsy's father owned about 1000 acres in Robertson County, Tennessee, 40 miles north of Nashville. Betsy was quite young when strange things began to happen to her family. Betsy will tell what happened.

Click on GHOSTS & POLTERGEISTS to read the entire article.

There Are Numerous False Rumors About Cate Williams Batts – Often Spelled Kate

There are nine main rumors and facts about the Tennessee Bell Witch, a poltergeist who haunted the family of John and Lucy Bell from 1817 to 1821.

Here are the details about Rumor #8 of 9:

Rumor #1: Almost all of the archives (in courthouses, libraries, and genealogical records) state that Cate Williams Batts was the wife of Frederick Batts.

Fact: This is true. Cate Williams married Frederick Batts; thus, her married name was Cate Williams Batts.

I spent two years of my life researching the story of the Tennessee Bell Witch. One author, who interviewed many of the same people I did, erroneously wrote in his book rendition about the Tennessee Bell Witch that Cate was married to one of Frederick's brothers - Benjamin.

Rumor #2: Many archives state the Cate Williams Batts was a widow when the haunting of the Bell family took place.

Fact: Cate was never a widow. She died 13 years after the 1820 death of John Bell and one year before the 1834 death of her husband, Frederick Batts.

Rumor #3: Many archives give the impression that none of Cate's children lived long enough to have children of their own.

Fact: Most of the archives indicate that Cate Batts had two sons and one daughter, none of whom lived to have children of their own. It turns out that those three were actually her nephews and niece by an In-Law.

On my second research trip to Adams, Tennessee, I personally met three of her direct descendants. The wife of a fourth direct descendant never admitted her connection; however, she was the one who hooked me up with one of those three who introduced me to the other two. I found out that Cate Batts actually had five daughters and one son who lived into their majority. Think about it. If your mother was accused of witchcraft back in the early 1800s, what chance did you have to make a good marriage or any kind of marriage at all?

Her oldest daughter, Rebecca Batts, was the 2nd wife of Solomon James. She married before all this business of the false accusations and superstition got started. She either had 12 or 13 children by Solomon. It was difficult to know for certain the exact number of her children as all three of his wives had the first name of Rebecca. Cate’s youngest daughter, Nancy Batts, never married nor had children. Cate’s other three daughters, Mary, Sarah, and Rhoda, had several out-of-wedlock children between them. Eventually, Sarah married a man 39 years her senior. Mary and Rhoda never wed at all. Cate’s son, John, moved to Illinois when he became an adult, disassociating himself totally from the entire dramatic, traumatic situation.

Rumor #4: The poltergeist, often called Kate (with a K) or the Bell Witch, was a female entity. Many people even wrongly feel that the niece of Lucy Williams Bell, Cate Williams Batts, was the culprit. For full details of how this happened, read my book.

Fact: The three poltergeists, who frequently acted as one composite energy, were all three male. They simply chose to use a feminine-sounding voice to keep John Bell from ever figuring out their true identities. Read my book titled “The Bell Witch Unveiled At Last! The True Story Of A Poltergeist” written under my pen name of DJ Lyons to find out the full details of their identities, motivations, and strategies.

They Never Dared Marry

There are nine main rumors and facts about the Tennessee Bell Witch, a poltergeist who haunted the family of John and Lucy Bell from 1817 to 1821.

Here are the details about Rumor #6 of 9:

Rumor: Late in 1993, I learned from a direct descendant of Cate and Frederick Batts, that there was a Middle Tennessee man and woman who courted for 50 years; however, they never dared marry. I believe they both passed on sometime in the 1980’s. One was a direct descendant of John and Lucy Bell and had the last name of Bell. One was a direct descendant of Joshua Gardner, the man who was the former fiancé of Betsy Bell and had the last name of Gardner. Just as Betsy Bell felt forced to break her engagement to Joshua Gardner as she truly believed he would be killed by the poltergeist, this couple feared that they too would suffer injury or death should they actually become husband and wife.

Fact: I don’t know if this was a true fact or not. It is sad that after nearly 200 years, people in Middle Tennessee are still afraid of the poltergeist who haunted the family of John and Lucy Bell from 1817 to 1821.

For more details, please read my book entitled “The Bell Witch Unveiled At Last! The True Story Of A Poltergeist” written under my pen name of DJ Lyons.

Lights Flickering

There are nine main rumors and facts about the Tennessee Bell Witch, a poltergeist who haunted the family of John and Lucy Bell from 1817 to 1821.

Here are the details about Rumor #5 of 9:

Rumor: Way back before I moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, I had several discussions with a Knoxville-based storyteller who also had been performing the story of the Tennessee Bell Witch for years. She had always given Cate Batts, often spelled Kate, the blame in her rendition of this story. She told me that the lights would frequently flicker or go out as she told this tale. Sometimes, her sound system would malfunction. Twice, a psychic approached her at the conclusion of her performance to report that she saw the Bell Witch looming over her during the part of the performance when the storyteller announced that Cate was the perpetrator of the haunting.

Fact: I never witnessed any of these performances; however, this storyteller agreed to revise the story altogether. When she went to this one particular park to give one of her annual performances, several members of the audience requested she tell the story of the Tennessee Bell Witch. She explained that she could not tell the story at that time as she had learned some new facts that changed the entire focus of her tale. A question and answer period followed. After the performance was over, two best friends approached her. One was a direct descendant of John and Lucy Bell. The other was a direct descendant of Cate and Frederick Batts. They thanked her for revising her story. They had been aware about the cover-up perpetrated by many of the friends and relatives of both families. They were relieved that justice was finally going to be done for Cate Williams Batts and all the past, present, and future members of her extended family. For more details about what really happened, please read my book entitled “The Bell Witch Unveiled At Last! The True Story Of A Poltergeist” written under my pen name of DJ Lyons.