‘Witch’s Mark’, Waterville
Scratched into the surface of a door at Waterville is the above unusual marking. It is possibly an apotropaic mark, more commonly known as a witch’s mark. These geometric symbols were carved into chimneys, doors or windows – anywhere a bad spirit might enter a building and cause mischief or harm. The pattern was meant to distract the eye of the wicked intruder and act as a defense against evil spells. During the 17th and 18th centuries in Bermuda, a number of women (and indeed some men) were found guilty of witchcraft and executed on Gallow’s Island in St. George’s. Spells included such evil-doings as spoiling soap-making, cursing a pig, causing a miscarriage or summoning the very devil himself!
Verdmont was built by 1710, long before indoor plumbing existed. Without toilets, homeowners would build a privy outside the house for the use of family and guests. At Verdmont, a well-preserved three-seater privy is tucked away to the northeast of the property. It has a raised wooden board with three holes for seats, conveniently suspended over a cave system. Believe it or not, this was a real luxury in an age where raw sewage flowed in the streets. Wealthier people used wool or hemp in place of toilet paper; poorer people made do with leaves. Although shocking today, communal toilets were considered perfectly normal in the eighteenth century!
The reign of Queen Anne (1702-1714) saw significant changes to furniture styles. Moving away from the heavy construction and carving of the Jacobeans, the emphasis centered on comfort, curving shapes, line and form. On display in the hall at Verdmont are several parrot-back chairs (see image), which are excellent examples of this shift in design. They are manufactured from Bermuda cedar and date to c.1720. Named after the parrot silhouette formed by the back splats, these chairs have pad feet and the front legs follow a delicate cabriole curve. Spiral volutes have been hand-carved at the joints between the legs and the seat, which are mirrored along the yoked crest rail. The design of these volutes was a common feature of furniture from Philadelphia and Virginia. This may well have been the source of inspiration for Bermuda craftsmen, who must have been kept busy as this style became popular with the island’s wealthier inhabitants. It is highly likely that the chairs originally had removeable bast seats that were wooden or woven from palmetto. Unusually, the backs have a double split, which would have allowed for extra ventilation, and the chairs do not have support stretchers but instead are double pegged for stability.
The first electric home refrigerator on the island was the Kelvinator which arrived in 1922. Before the days of electricity, keeping food fresh in Bermuda’s hot and damp climate, with its insect life, was challenging. One solution was the hanging food safe. This one is on display at Verdmont and was used by Miss Lillian Joell, who lived there without piped water or electricity until 1951. It is made of painted wood and encased in wire mesh, allowing a breeze to circulate through it, keeping food cool and flies out. It has a small cup on the chain which was filled with oil to deter ants. Another aid to successful food storage in Bermuda was the buttery, an early architectural feature. Butteries were sometimes partially sunk into the ground, their height and pointed roofs enabling heat to rise. They were also used for food preparation, such as salting meat. One of Bermuda’s best-known butteries at Springfield in Somerset dates from c.1740 and, unusually, has a smooth rather than a tiled roof.
