The Perron Family Haunting

Lore & Background

The land upon which the Perron farmhouse stood was historically associated with Bathsheba Shaw, a woman accused of witchcraft who was alleged to have caused the death of a child through negligence or malice. Contrary to the film's depiction, she was not executed for witchcraft; she lived a normal life and died in 1885. The story that she killed her own children is a fictional invention of the film. Upon her death, she supposedly cursed the property and anyone who would inhabit it, binding her spirit to the earth with vengeful intent. This lore suggests that the haunting was not merely the activity of restless ghosts, but an active demonic possession fueled by a pact made long ago. Within the Warrens' mythology, this case distinguishes between simple hauntings and true infestations where a demon seeks to inhabit a living host. Lorraine Warren’s visions indicated that Bathsheba wanted Carolyn Perron specifically, likely due to her spiritual sensitivity or resemblance to someone from the past. The entity manipulated the environment to isolate the family, using cold spots, auditory hallucinations, and physical violence to break their will before attempting possession.

In Their Own Story

The kitchen clock struck midnight, though the hands were frozen at twelve for hours prior. Carolyn Perron sat alone in the dim glow of a single lamp, clutching her youngest child close. The air grew heavy, smelling faintly of sulfur and old earth. From the corner of the room, where the shadows pooled deepest against the peeling wallpaper, a figure began to form. It was not human; it was a silhouette of darkness that seemed to drink the light from the candle. Carolyn felt a cold hand brush her shoulder, not touching skin but sinking into bone. She whispered a prayer, but the silence in the house swallowed the words whole.

Reader's Guide

The narrative begins when Roger and Carolyn Perron purchase a historic farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island, seeking stability for their five young daughters. Their arrival coincides with the awakening of the malevolent spirit of Bathsheba Shaw, a witch who historically cursed the land after killing her own children. Initial paranormal activity manifests as cold spots, slamming doors, and unexplained scratches on Carolyn's body, which Roger dismisses as stress or imagination. As the disturbances escalate into physical attacks and sleepwalking episodes among the daughters, the family seeks help from Ed and Lorraine Warren. The investigators identify the source not merely as restless spirits, but a demonic entity bound to the property by an ancient pact. During their stay, Carolyn is targeted for possession, leading to a climactic ritual in the main parlor. The Warrens successfully perform an exorcism to sever Bathsheba's connection to the family, though the witch vows revenge before vanishing. While the film concludes with the Perrons moving away from the house, the case files suggest the evil remains dormant within the walls, waiting for future victims. This story solidifies the franchise's theme that some places are cursed beyond repair.

Did You Know?

• The actual farmhouse is located on Round Top Road in Harrisville, Rhode Island.
• This narrative serves as the origin story for the film series' supernatural mythology.
• Lorraine Warren reported seeing a vision of Bathsheba Shaw during the investigation.
• The case files are preserved at the Warrens' Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut.