Ep 270: The Legend of the Wizard Clip

 

 
“On one gruesome afternoon, a lady visitor was complimenting Mrs. Livingstone on a fine flock of ducks waddling through her yard on their way, perhaps, to the neighboring Opequon Creek when ‘clip-clip’ went the uncanny and invisible shears. One after another, the ducks were cleanly decapitated in broad daylight before the very eyes of the ladies and many other witnesses.”
— Historian Joseph Barry, as quoted on page 56 of "The Appalachian Legend of the Wizard Clip"
 

Description:

Adam Livingston moved his family from Pennsylvania to a parcel of farmland near a village then known as Smithfield, West Virginia, sometime in the 1770s. The village’s name would evolve over the years to the more pragmatic name of Middleway. However, colloquially, it would also acquire the moniker of “Clip” or “Cliptown” for the bizarre events that would transpire there. A few years before 1790, the once-thriving Livingston family would begin to endure supernatural harassment so extreme that they were beleaguered and exhausted, leaving their neighbors and visitors bewildered. According to one popular account, a mysterious Irish stranger appeared at Livingston’s door seeking shelter one dark and stormy night. Livingston provided hospitality to the weary traveler until the stranger summoned his host when fearing his death was near, begging that he send for a priest to deliver last rites. While Livingston was generous in his accommodation, being a Lutheran and having a disdain for Catholic priests, he refused to send for one. The stranger died during the night and was buried in unconsecrated ground the next day. Soon after, it seems a curse had befallen the Livingstons. Progressing as many stories of prolonged poltergeist bedevilment do, the haunting started with strange and unexplained noises about the home. Then, unseen forces would smash their crockery, light their bedding on fire, and roll great balls of fire from the hearth across the floors, causing panic. Livingston’s cattle all died, and his barn burned down. The entity’s most noteworthy destruction was making a persistent sound of clipping as if by invisible shears and leaving any family or visitor’s cloth or leather sliced, often with crescent shapes cut into them. This peculiar practice would lend the phenomenon its name, the “Wizard Clip.” While we may never know the accurate details of the happenings, something otherworldly apparently did materialize at the Livingston homestead. We can more easily explore why such mystical occurrences transmogrify into enduring folklore. To help us with that challenge, we’re joined by author and intelligence analyst Michael Kishbucher, whose recent book, The Appalachian Legend of the Wizard Clip, thoroughly investigates this early American story. Aiding in the elucidation is Appalachian folklore expert, lead researcher, and producer for Small Town Monsters Heather Moser. Cautiously pull up a chair close to the fire as we examine the obscure yet harrowing tale of “America’s first poltergeist.” 

 

Reference Links:

 
 
 

Location:

The Priest Field Pastoral Center, created from a 38-acre parcel of land sold to the Catholic Church for $1 by Adam Livingston in 1802 in gratitude for helping his family find peace from the torment of the Wizard Clip. From the Priest Field website: “After lying dormant for over a hundred and fifty years, Bishop Hodges appointed Msgr. John O’Reilly, the first director of Priest Field in 1978, where he began the work of constructing what has become a stunning place of refreshment and peace for thousands of visitors every year.”

 

Related Books:

 

Suggested Listening:

Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch

Comedian Rachel Dratch gets a little bit Woo Woo, discussing stories of the unexplained, the eerie, and other-worldly with her funny friends in her new comedy podcast, Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch. Along with her co-host Irene Bremis, Rachel invites guests to share stories they may only tell a trusted pal who will not judge. Psychics? Spirits? Astral Projection? Check, check, and check! Sure, you may think we live in a world where there’s a logical explanation for anything out of the ordinary, but after you spend some time with Rachel and her pals, you might have your doubts, and find that… you too are WOO WOO! Join Rachel, Irene, and friends in a comedy podcast that turns the mysterious into a lively conversation among kindred spirits. Search for Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch wherever you’re listening now!

 
 
 
 

Join us on Patreon!

Click HERE or go to patreon.com/astonishinglegends to become one of our Patreon members and receive exclusive offerings, like our bonus Astonishing Junk Drawer episodes (posted every weekend the main show is dark) commercial-free episodes, and more!

 

SPECIAL OFFERS FROM OUR SPECIAL SPONSORS:

FIND OTHER GREAT DEALS FROM OUR SHOW’S SPONSORS BY CLICKING HERE!

Featured
Uncommon Goods
Uncommon Goods

If you want to hear “Where’d you get that?!” this holiday season, Uncommon Goods is your secret weapon. Uncommon Goods is here to make your holiday shopping stress-free by scouring the globe for the most remarkable and truly unique gifts for everyone on your list. Whether you’re shopping for your Secret Santa or your entire family, Uncommon Goods knows exactly what they want! When you shop at Uncommon Goods, you’re supporting artists and small, independent businesses. From art and jewelry to kitchen, home, and bar, Uncommon Goods has something for everyone. Not the same lackluster gifts you could find just anywhere. Uncommon Experiences are more than virtual classes; they're unexpected opportunities to have fun and connect in new ways, from tarot card reading, lunar astrology charting, cooking and mixology classes, crafts, gardening, and so much more! And with every purchase you make at Uncommon Goods, they give back $1 to a non-profit partner of your choice. To get 15% OFF your next gift, go to UncommonGoods.com/astonishing. Don’t miss out on this limited-time offer! Uncommon Goods – we’re all out of the ordinary.

Read More →
BetterHelp
BetterHelp

This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. What’s something you’d love to learn? As an adult, do you make time to learn new things as often as you’d like, or was that lost in childhood? Kids are always learning and growing, but as adults, sometimes we lose that curiosity. Therapy can help you reconnect with your sense of wonder because your “back-to-school” era can come at any age. It’s also helpful for learning positive coping skills and how to set boundaries. It empowers you to be the best version of yourself. And it isn’t just for those who’ve experienced major trauma. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online. Designed to be convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist, and switch therapists at any time for no additional charge. Rediscover your curiosity, with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/astonishing today to get 10% off your first month!

Read More →
 

CREDITS:

Episode 270: The Legend of the Wizard Clip. Produced by Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess; Audio Editing by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound. Music and Sound Design by Allen Carrescia. Tess Pfeifle, Producer and Lead Researcher. Ed Voccola, Technical Producer. Research Support from The Astonishing Research Corps, or "A.R.C." for short. Copyright 2023 Astonishing Legends Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Conversations, Creatures & Beings, Haunted, Unexplainable Phenomena, Folklore & Legend, Notable FiguresForrest Burgess2023, Wizard Clip, W Virginia, WV, West Virginia, Middleway, Smithfield, Appalachian, Appalachia, Bell Witch, Gef the Mongoose, poltergeist, ghost, witch, Catholic, Protestant, Presbyterian, deism, Opequon, Winchester, Folklore, legend, Adam Livingston, Livingstone, Diderot, Michael Kishbucher, Heather Moser, Small Town Monsters, Pig Lady, Cannelton, demon, possession, lore, Little Beaver Creek, Clip Town, McSherry, Conewago, Dennis Cahill, Voltaire, Finotti, Mobberly, supernatural, Priest Field, haunted, Georgetown, Society of Jesus, Jesuit, Palatine, Johann Wilhelm, Pennsylvania, Liebenstein, Jefferson, Glenluce, Loftus Hall, Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin, Loretto, folk magic, pagan, Lutheran, crescent moon, Spiritualism, Spiritism, exorcism, Last Rites, priest, 2702 Comments