Souvenir tiles like these were distributed at the dedication of the Moll Dyer Rock’s new location at Tudor Hall Feb. 26, 2021.
Brenda Hollweger, left, as Melissa and John Giusti as Andy perform in the play “Love Letters” at the Asbury Solomons auditorium on Valentine’s Day.
Crockpot Italian Bean Soup is made in two parts.
Souvenir tiles like these were distributed at the dedication of the Moll Dyer Rock’s new location at Tudor Hall Feb. 26, 2021.
Brenda Hollweger, left, as Melissa and John Giusti as Andy perform in the play “Love Letters” at the Asbury Solomons auditorium on Valentine’s Day.
Crockpot Italian Bean Soup is made in two parts.
Feb. 26 has officially been declared Moll Dyer Day in St. Mary’s County. This date was first designated by the St. Mary’s County Commissioners in 2021 and proclaimed by Leonardtown Mayor Dan Burris on Feb. 26 of that year; 2023 marks the second annual celebration.
Moll was a real-life 17th-century woman (descendants still reside in the county) who was accused of witchcraft. She was chased out of her house in St. Mary’s County by an angry mob on a cold winter’s night in 1697/1698-ish (no records survive) during a blizzard.
Her house was burned. Several days later, her body was discovered in the woods by a young boy searching for livestock. Moll was frozen to a rock, kneeling (in prayer?), with one hand raised in a curse (or a blessing) and the other frozen solid to the rock, which today still boasts indentations said to be of her palm and fingers.
That rock was retrieved from the woods in 1972 and re-located next to the Old Jail Museum in Leonardtown before being moved to Tudor Hall in time for the dedication ceremony in 2021. It is now beautifully displayed under plexiglass.
It is important to remember that Moll Dyer was probably not actually a witch. Her transgressions were being old, being a woman and being a single woman in 17th-century Maryland. Her practice of using herbs and spices as medicines was probably the culmination of knowledge she picked up in her travels from Ireland to her indentured servitude in St. Kitts, then to Barbados (where she may have acquired some knowledge of voodoo), then possibly through Baltimore before coming to St. Mary’s County.
Of course, there were no drug stores at that time so everyone used herbs and spices as medicines; these techniques were very likely passed on to the settlers from the Native Americans who’d relied on healing plants for centuries. Folk medicine and natural remedies have been passed down from generation to generation to the present day.
This year’s Moll Dyer Day event is a collaboration between The county’s Historical Society, the Commissioners of Leonardtown, Visit St. Mary’s MD and the Leonardtown Business Association. Many special activities will be hosted this weekend by local businesses.
For more information and to access the complete schedule of events you may contact VisitLeonardtown.com/MollDyerDay.
Today, Feb. 24, is Skip the Straw Day.
Feb. 26 is St. Mary’s County’s Moll Dyer Day.
Feb. 27 is the birthday of Michael Reid, Community Coordinator of Southern Maryland News.
And Feb. 28 is Tooth Fairy Day.
A Valentine’s Day play
The Asbury Solomons Players presented the two-character play “Love Letters” by A.R. Gurney (with permission from Dramatists Play Service Inc.) on Feb. 14 in the Asbury Solomons Auditorium. The first performance of “Love Letters” in February 2020 was under the direction of TASP’s “founding father” Fred Ruark. This production was reprised in his memory.
The role of Melissa was played by Brenda Hollweger, well-known for her performances with The Alumni Players and The Newtowne Players.
The role of Andy was filled by John Giusti, who has performed with The Newtowne Players, Historic St. Mary’s City’s Shakespeare-on-the-Lawn, Southern Maryland Originals and with the Watermelon One-Act Festival.
This performance of “Love Letters” was made possible through a joint effort of the active members in the TASP group and through the continued support of Maria Fleming and the Wellness Department of Asbury Solomons.
(A recipe in two parts)
1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
1 28-ounce can San Marzano-style peeled whole tomatoes
1 28-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1 14.5-ounce can Italian green beans, drained
1 14.5-ounce can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 14.5-ounce can light red kidney beans, drained
1 15.5-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
3 cups water (you may add more during cooking)
Into a crockpot add the tomatoes, broth, beans, water, (and wine); then add spices and seasonings (adjusted more or less, to taste); cook on high.
Next for Part II, brown the ground beef, garlic, and onion in 1–2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Remove mixture from the frying pan with a slotted spoon and add to ingredients in the crockpot. Turn heat to low and allow soup to simmer at least 1–2 hours or until ready to serve. Adjust seasonings and water. Accompany the soup with garlic bread or toasted baguettes.
Please continue to send your news items and recipes to lynniebdavis@gmail.com. Thank you.
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