11/26/2023
The Jersey Devil
Standing over six-feet tall, the Jersey Devil is describes as having a combination of a horse face, the head of a dog adorned with deer antlers, the body of a kangaroo, a forked tail, an expansive set of leathery wings, and razor-like talons.
The origin of the Jersey Devil dates back as early as the 1700s in the area of Pine Barrens in New Jersey. (Leeds Point, Galloway Township, Atlantic County) This desolate, sandy swatch of roads and pine trees stretches through seven counties in Southern New Jersey. The area of Leeds Point within the Pine Barrens is where it’s said that a woman by the name of Deborah Smith emigrated to in order to marry Mr. Japheth Leeds. Here is where she proceeded to have twelve children, with her thirteenth being the proclaimed “Jersey Devil”.
There are many variations of the story, such as:
-The most common variation is that on an unusually stormy night, during a difficult and painful labor, Mrs. Leeds invoked the Devil. The child then, either immediately or soon after, grew into a full-grown devil and escaped the house. It’s claimed that during this time, before fleeing, the child/devil brutally attacked the family members that were present as well as the midwives attending to Mrs. Leeds. Those that survived claimed that it flew up the chimney and left a pile of rubble in its wake.
-Another variation is that upon finding out she was having a thirtieth child, Mrs. Leeds stated “Let it be the Devil.”
-One variation claims that the child/devil was a result of a curse put on the family.
-There’s a variation that states Mrs. Leeds, who was a Quaker, refused to convert from the Quaker Faith. It’s claimed that the clergyman who had been trying to convert her became so angry that he told her that her next child would be the offspring of Satan.
-Another seemingly common variation is that the child was born a monster and Mrs. Leeds cared for it until her death. (b.1685 - d.1748) In this version, the child/devil “flew off” into the swamps after Mrs. Leeds death.
Over the years, the Jersey Devil has gone by numerous names like “Hoodle-Doodle Bird”, “Wozzle Bug” and “Leeds Devil.” The best known sightings were in January 1909 when the Jersey Devil expanded its stomping grounds and created chaos all over the Delaware Valley. Per the reports at the time, he was spotted in Hidden Heights, Collingswood, and Camden. It’s also said that he went across the Delaware River and terrorized sections of Philadelphia and Bristol, Pennsylvania.
In 1960, Camden merchants offered a $10,000 reward to anyone that could capture the creature, dead or alive. They stated that they would even build a private zoo to display the creature. The reward has still not been claimed.
In 1978, two teenage boys claimed that while ice skating near Chatsworth in the Barrens, they smelled an odor like “dead fish” and two red eyes staring at them. They didn’t dare venture to investigate.
The Jersey Devil has since kept a low profile, but there are still occasional claims of sightings/experiences to this day.
Information collected from:
www.libraries.rutgers.edu/exhibits/roaming-jersey-devil-1 (image sourced from this site)
https://jerseyhistory.org/legend-of-the-new-jersey-devil/
