The Story They Were Too Afraid to Tell
The closer we get to the release of Legacy Lore, the more excited I become — and honestly, a little nervous too. This podcast has been almost a year in the making. Countless hours of research, rewriting, recording, and more rewriting (like I wish I could explain how many times I rewrote this content to make it perfect for you). But finally it’s almost here, and I can’t wait for you to hear Eleanor’s story.
Because it’s an important story. A forgotten one. And it deserves to be told.
Let’s be real here. When people hear “witchcraft accusation”, their ears perk up. Who doesn’t love a good witch story? Well…apparently Edward Coles didn’t. Because he’s the one who accused my 11th great-grandmother, Eleanor Neale, of witchcraft.
Edward Coles was well known within the community. In fact he and his wife were said to be friends with Eleanor Neale and her husband, Daniel. The Coles family were subject to some rumors that, as you’ll find out once the season officially starts, were pretty damning. And a man like Edward Coles? Well, let’s just say he wasn’t going to let the actions of a woman ruin his reputation.
But here’s the thing: accusations like this didn’t come out of nowhere.
Eleanor wasn’t casting spells. She wasn’t practicing folk medicine or midwifery. She was just a woman speaking up. Living in a time when women weren’t allowed to.
She lived in a world where women were legally invisible. Where they belonged to their fathers, then to their husbands. Where speaking out wasn’t just discouraged — it was dangerous.
In some cases, even servants had more rights than married women.
Eleanor and her husband worked hard. They owned land. They built a life. But Eleanor didn’t keep quiet. And that made her dangerous.
Because during the 17th century, society was controlled by the church, and the church was still under English rule. America didn’t exist yet. These were the laws of English common law — and those laws included the witchcraft laws.
Accusations needed such little proof. A man could fail to tend his crops, spiral into depression, and instead of asking for help, decided the woman who turned him down must have cursed him. And just like that — she’s a witch!
It sounds absurd, but it was reality.
And when public punishment and humiliation didn’t work — when women still refused to be silenced — the next step was exile….or worse.
That’s what makes Eleanor’s story so vital. I won’t give out any spoilers but sometimes social exile is far worse than a death sentence.
Legacy Lore: The Accused will explore the events leading up to the final accusation — what Eleanor said, what Edward Coles claimed, and how a society designed to suppress women created the perfect storm for this accusation.
Because accusing a woman of witchcraft wasn't really about magic.
It was about control.
Admitting fault? That was never an option.
But accusing a woman of witchcraft?
That was easy.
Early Access is now closed. I am sorry to say that if you didn’t sign up before today — you will no longer be able to get the first two episodes early and ad-free. You can join our Mailing List to get notification on episodes releases and blog postings.
As a reminder, the first two episodes go LIVE October 14, 2025. You can join the conversation on Facebook and get additional content through the social media pages.
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