Does anyone know about the 'Bell Witch ?

Question

I know the movie'An American Haunting' is supposed to be based on it. I have tried to look it up on google and such.All I keep getting is about the haunting itself. I want to know about the actual person that they believe is the witch. From what I could find, it's believed that her name is Kate Batts. Can anyone tell me anything about the person? If you can't,please give me an idea of where I can find information.

Answer 1

About 1815, John Bell had a property line dispute with Josiah Fort, a nearby neighbor. About 1816, John Bell had a dispute with Benjamin Batts, another neighbor, regarding the sale of a slave (which ended up in Bell's excommunication from the church). Kate Batts was only distantly related to Benjamin Batts.

Over the years, the two separate incidents got twisted around, leading to the false theory that Kate Batts and John Bell had a dispute over land, and that she came back from the grave to haunt him.

Kate Batts was indeed a real person. Records put her in Robertson County first around 1815, with her husband, Frederick. She died in the 1842-43 timeframe, 22-23 years AFTER John Bell died. She could not have come back from the grave to haunt him. She had nothing whatsoever to do with the Bell Witch disturbances.

The "Bell Witch" was not a person; it was a paranormal entity.

Pat Fitzhugh, Author / Historian
The Bell Witch Web Site
"Keeping the Story Real"
http://www.bellwitch.org
http://www.myspace.com/the_bell_witch

Answer 2

I think you should look it up in the wikipedia where it gives the history and also some actual published documents. Facts say that kate batts had lived 22 years longer than john bell so she might not have been the bell witch. And there is also no proof that she swore revenge upon, but it is believed so. Some also say she never existed. In wikipedia it also gives several accounts of how the haunting took place so i truly reccommend that site.

Answer 3

I lived in Tennessee when the movie came out and looked it up. There is a website all about it. There is a man that wrote a series of books about it. I know the sign is on a hwy about 45 minutes from Lebanon Tennessee. You can visit the site of the Bell witch also. I think I just searched online and typed in An American Haunting. I might have added Tennessee or Bell witch. Just dig a little deeper its there.

Answer 4

Keep in mind it is a ghost story and not at Witch story really..


The spirit identified itself Kate Batts, a neighbors of the Bell's, with whom John had experienced bad business dealings over some purchased slaves. "Kate" as the local people began calling her, made daily appearances in the Bell home, wreaking havoc on everyone there. People all over the area of soon learned of the witch and she made appearances, in sounds and voices, all over Robertson County.
Adams, Tennessee is the former location of the John Bell Farm

Answer 5

I love the story of the bell witch. President Andrew jackson claims that he had seen this joke. We use to try to spend the night on the property, but most the time were to scared. Here is a website for the bell witch

Answer 6

I can tell you this much, it's a hoax, evry supernatural occurance in the history of the human race has turned out to be either scientifically debunked or an outright lie.