Tamsin Blight (1798 - 1856)

Tamsin Blight (aka Tammy Blee or Tamson) the so-called“White Witch of Helston”, was undoubtedly the greatest of the Cornish conjurorsduring the 19th Century, and one of Britain’s most famous hedgewitches.

Born in Cornwall, England, during the closing years of the 18thCentury, Thomasine Blight (as she was more properly known) achieved greatsuccess as a conjuror in West Cornwall, atfirst during her time at Redruth, and later after her removal to Helston. Shewas said to be able to remove a curseor spellthat had been cast upon someone, as well as to put spellson those who displeased her. She also engaged in shamanictrances using hallucinogens to help predict the future and to communicate withspirits.

She began practising as a cunning-woman about 1830 and wascertainly well known as one by the time she married James Thomas, anotherconjuror, in 1835. From the time of her marriage through until the 1850s thetwo of them formed a remarkable magicaldouble-act, and were widely consulted by their many clients. Many of Blight'scustomers were farmers who came to see her about sick cattle, others were youngwomen anxious about their marriage prospects. She performed great healingremedies for farmers of sickly animals using herbs,and many people visited her to receive a charmmade by her to carry for healing. In most cases Blight was able to provideuncanny cures that confirmed her magicalreputation.

Blight's and James Thomas's marriage came to an end afterThomas proposed sleeping with another man at St Ives, who promptly reported himto the local magistrates. With the threat of arrest, Thomas fled Cornwall, and Blightpublicly distanced herself from him. The two of them were thereafter estranged.

An old Cornish folk tale called “The Ghost of Stythians”tells the tale of Tamsin Blight raising the spirit (in Stythians graveyard) ofan old woman, who had recently died, for a male relative who wanted to knowwere she had stashed the money she was supposed to have left him. The ritualinvolved the construction of a charmed ring to protect the man, and a long,slowly-pronounced incantation. She then appealed to the spirits of Fire, Air,Earth, and Water, and amid strange sounds of crashing and rending of wood andstones, mingled with painful moans, groans and shrieks, which seemed to comefrom the old woman's grave, the spirit of the dead woman was raised andquestioned.

Tamsin Blight died on 6 October 1856.