Bathsheba Sherman

A vengeful spirit born from a fictionalized curse in The Conjuring.

Bathsheba Sherman is a character in The Conjuring (2013), depicted as a malevolent spirit haunting a farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island. In the film, she is portrayed as an accused witch who cursed her land after the death of her infant child, though historical records show no evidence that she was a witch or Satanist, and the baby's death was attributed to natural causes or an accident. The film's narrative follows the Warrens as they investigate the Perron family's haunting, culminating in an exorcism that sends Bathsheba's spirit back to Hell.

Quick Facts

First appears: The Conjuring (2013)
Origin location: Harrisville, Rhode Island
Primary target: Carolyn Perron

Lore & Background

In the film, the Warrens' research suggests the Perron farmhouse was once home to Bathsheba Sherman, a woman accused of witchcraft. The movie claims she sacrificed her week-old baby to the devil and killed herself in 1863 at 3:07 AM, cursing all who take her land. However, historical records do not support these claims: Bathsheba Sherman died in 1885 from natural causes, there is no evidence she was a witch or Satanist, and the baby's death was attributed to natural causes or an accident.

The film also invents a familial connection to Mary Towne Eastey and asserts numerous murders and suicides on the land, neither of which is historically documented. During the investigation, Lorraine Warren sees a vision of a woman possessed by Bathsheba, leading her to believe Bathsheba intends to force Carolyn Perron to kill her own children. The entity is so powerful that even leaving the house will not free the family from its grip.

Reader's Guide

Bathsheba Sherman is the malevolent spirit haunting the Perron farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island. She was an accused witch and Satanist who sacrificed her week-old baby to the devil and killed herself in 1863 at 3:07 a.m., cursing all who take her land. Her supernatural abilities include possession, as seen when she completely possesses Carolyn Perron, and the power to cause clocks to stop at 3:07 a.m. She also attacks the Warrens' daughter Judy as a warning. Lorraine Warren, using her clairvoyance, sees that Bathsheba has possessed other women in the past and forced them to kill their children. The Warrens ultimately perform an exorcism, with Ed completing the ritual after Lorraine reminds Carolyn of a family memory, sending Bathsheba back to Hell. Ed later adds the haunted music box from the Perron home to their room of cursed artifacts.

Did You Know?

The movie claims Bathsheba sacrificed her week-old baby to the devil, but historical records show the infant's death was due to natural causes or an accident, with no evidence of witchcraft or Satanism.
The film portrays Bathsheba as a relative of Mary Towne Eastey, a Salem witch trial victim, but this connection is not supported by historical records.
Joseph Bishara, the film's composer, also played the role of Bathsheba Sherman in the movie.