In the Victorian period ancient superstitious beliefs still flourished amongst people of all classes. Written or printed charms, designed to be carried or worn about the person, were especially popular and were frequently sewn into the necks of mens coats or the hems of womens petticoats to cure afflictions such as toothache or rheumatism or to offer protection against a huge variety of supernatural dangers including ill-wishing by vindictive acquaintances. These charms commonly used Christian imagery and contained an appropriate extract from the Bible. Most communities in Britain had at least one resident ‘charmer’, who could also be referred to as a wise man/woman, conjuror, wizard, healer, white witch or simply witch, who provided such charms either freely or for a fee. The results of these charms were usually harmless however some had serious consequences. In 1887 Thomas Ryder, a farm labourer from Devon, bled to death after locals attempted to use charms to stop the blood from his wounds instead of seeking medical help.