Dear HistArchers,

I'm curious to know if you're aware of finds of concealed objects (ie
charms) in houses and other buildings in North America.
The custom is widespread in England and also occurred in Australia.
The most common items are shoes which are general found in sealed voids,
either in the subfloor area or associated with the hearth and the chimney.
These were thought to act as lures, decoying evil spirits and witches away
from the people who lived in or used the building.
I have a couple of reports of finds in the US and am wondering if anyone
out there has comes across other examples. An outline of this practice is
on my website: www.oldhouses.com.au.

Ian Evans
Byron Bay, NSW
Australia