Jersey Devil

Lore & Background

The popular legend of the Jersey Devil or Leeds Devil is dated variously and is almost invariably attached to the South Jersey Pine Barrens, sometimes specifically Leeds Point. The devil's mother is usually a woman named Leeds, or 'Mother Leeds' of Burlington, but other names such as the Shourds have occasionally been forwarded. According to one précis, in 1735, a woman named Leeds had twelve children and, after discovering she was pregnant for the thirteenth time, cursed the child in frustration, declaring, 'Let the child be the devil!'. The child, though born normally, immediately grew wings, a tail, and claws after birth and flew out to the Pine Barrens. In some versions, Mother Leeds was supposedly a witch and the child's father was the devil himself. Some versions also state that local clergymen subsequently attempted to exorcise the creature from the Pine Barrens. In a different telling, localized at Esteville near Mays Landing, a Mrs. Leeds became pregnant around 1855 and rejected her baby, wishing a stork would deliver a devil; a winged devil was born and flew out the window.

Reader's Guide

Before the early 1900s, the Jersey Devil was referred to as the Leeds Devil or the Devil of Leeds, either in connection with the local Leeds family or Leeds Point. Historian Brian Regal theorizes that the story of Mother Leeds originated from the reputation of the local prominent Leeds family in the colonial-era Province of New Jersey, where religious-political disputes became the subject of folklore. Regal contends that colonial-era political intrigue involving early New Jersey politicians, Benjamin Franklin, and Franklin's rival almanac publisher Titan Leeds resulted in the Leeds family being described as 'monsters'. Daniel Leeds, a Quaker and prominent figure, was ostracized after publishing almanacs with astrological symbols; his son Titan Leeds inherited the almanac business and competed with Benjamin Franklin, who satirically predicted Titan's death and later referred to him as a ghost. The Leeds family crest, which depicted a wyvern reminiscent of popular descriptions of the Jersey Devil, may have further contributed to the legend. By the late 18th century and early 19th century, the 'Leeds Devil' had become an ubiquitous legendary monster or ghost story in present-day South Jersey.

Did You Know?

• The Jersey Devil is also known as the Leeds Devil.
• The creature is often described as a flying biped with hooves, with a kangaroo-like or wyvern-like body.
• Historian Brian Regal suggests the legend originated from colonial-era political disputes involving the Leeds family and Benjamin Franklin.
• The Leeds family crest depicted a wyvern, a bat-winged dragon-like creature, which resembles popular descriptions of the Jersey Devil.