Lady Van Tassel

Lady Mary Van Tassel is the main antagonist of the 1999 movie, Sleepy Hollow.

She was portrayed by actress Miranda Richardson.

History
Born Mary Archer, one of two daughters of a benevolent white witch, and a witch herself. When Mary was still a little girl, her father unexpectedly died, and the family's landlord, Sir Van Garrett, evicted them and sold their home to the Van Tassel family. Due to Mary's mother's reputation as a witch, no one in the town was willing to help the Archers. Her mother died within a year afterward, forcing Mary and her sister to scrounge for themselves in the woods. One day, while out gathering firewood, Mary ran into the bloodthirsty Hessian hiding. Despite the mercenary's order to be quiet, Mary gave him away for his pursuers. While watching the Hessian's execution, Mary made a pact with the Devil: in return for her soul, she would be allowed her to raise the Hessian from the grave to assist her in taking revenge on the Van Garretts and Van Tassels.

Years later, Mary poisoned the first Lady Van Tassel while posing as a nursem then seduced her widower, Baltus.

Her crimes included killing the servent girl, Sarah, to fake her own death, she killed her sister because she helped Ichabod, and she had Sir Van Garrett, her husband Baltus, and the Killians killed to resume her legacy.

Toward the end, she plans on killing Katrina Van Tassel, her stepdaughter, so she can inherit her money that her father had. She chases Ichabod, Young Masbeth, and Katrina through the woods. But Ichabod hands the Headless Horseman back his head and he grabs Lady Van Tassel and takes her to hell with him.