My experiences have convinced me that there is definitely more to us then cells and bones and we go on after our physical body dies.  To me, this is a fact. I have lost more people in my life than I would like to admit and have always felt the ones I have lost before them around when it’s getting close to their end. Sometimes it’s just a feeling, a scent, a whisper or a soft touch making sure I know that my people will not be alone in the transition to their afterlife. I have witnessed some who see the ones that have passed before them while on their deathbed but this always seems to be dismissed as a hallucination, the medication they are taking, or that the person is so out of it they don’t know where they are, etc.

I am certain that we are all shown signs that our family/friends come at our end, but aren’t acknowledged or get dismissed in fear of judgement from others. Why does what we feel get disregarded when so many people believe “We will meet again” after we pass? I look forward to seeing everyone I have missed so much in my life and hope to get answers to the questions I have carried around for years. Paranormal investigations have more than proven with hard evidence that there are spirits, ghosts, demons, angels. etc. Some choose to accept this evidence as fact and some just won’t accept it. Technology has given paranormal investigators ways to communicate and measure the afterlife to further prove it’s existence.  Whether you believe or not I am sure that our loved ones stand in line to greet us when we pass, show us the way and most importantly let us know they have always been with us. We take love with us to our next destinations and I look forward to seeing who is there to greet me when it is my time to crossover.

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We are no strangers to these magnificent forces of nature, and many of us have hurricane prep down pat. I looked up at our gorgeous blue skies this morning and wondered what it must have been like before NOAA and the complex monitoring, spaghetti models, 24-hour television, and other warnings we have. Our coastal ancestors must have been caught off guard countless times, lulled by the beauty and fresh air that is a pre-hurricane day in the fall—very literally the calm before the storm.

For some, though, they had the spirit of a young lover, now known as The Gray Man, to serve as warning of impending storms. And sure enough, The Gray Man was spotted in Pawley’s Island, SC, on Sunday, just as our modern systems were awakening to the realization that Florence was headed this way.  South Carolinians familiar with the stories know that The Gray Man means business. And as we can see, Florence is sure to make good on his word.

Residents of Pawley’s Island and neighboring towns have seen The Gray Man as a harbinger of terrible storms since the 1820s. They describe seeing him walking on the beach, looking every bit like a man in gray clothes until they approach, and he simply disappears.

The legend says that spotting him is a good thing – he is here in warning, and often, once spotted, people report their houses are spared the devastating effects of the storm. One Gray Man spotter in 1954 said even the towels hanging on her porch remained intact, in spite of widespread destruction from a storm.

An internet search will turn up several versions of who the Gray Man is, but my favorite is the love story of a young man trying to get home to his fiancé. He had been abroad for two years, and hurried to her be by her side, taking a shortcut home as a storm swept through the area. In his rush, he became mired in quicksand and never made it to her.

His love for his betrothed was so great, though, that he visited her after crossing over. She saw him walking on the beach, and then later he came to her in her dreams. But his visits left her quite heart-broken, and she became ill. Her father, the story goes, took her back to their main homestead, away from the reminders of their coastal tragedy.

The legend of their great love was born the very next day, when a devastating hurricane swept across Pawley’s Island, causing loss of life and significant destruction. The young lover’s life was spared by her heartache and her father’s concern.

Lucky for us, The Gray Man does not limit his warnings to Pawley’s Island or to the family of his beloved. He has been seen at Cape Hetaeras and along other beaches of the Carolinas, always before a major storm hits.

We can’t genuinely know his story, but I do know I would heed his warnings. And once Florence has gone and clean-up has begun, we shall toast our gray-clad friend and his great love.

Special thanks to APS Core Member KayWright for her research assistance on this piece.

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Johnny and June owned a large plantation mansion known as Rose Hall Great House of Montego Bay, Jamaica. When disobedient slaves were punished, they were reportedly placed in the dungeon underground and tortured. It was built in the 1700’s and it was one of the few homes to survive the Great Jamaican Slave Revolt of 1831 and 1832. Out of the 700 plantation houses that once stood, only 15 remain today. Rose Hall was one of those survivors. Why? It is believed to be haunted by an angry, restless spirit by the name of Annie Palmer. It is believed that Rose Hall survived the revolt because they slaves were scared of releasing the spirit of the White Witch out onto the world. Or, at least that is what the legends say. The name “Annie Palmer” probably sounds familiar, because Johnny Cash wrote a song about her!

The Beginning of Rose Hall

Rose Hall before its restoration

In order to fully understand this legend and haunting, let’s start back at the beginning. Here is the abridged history of Rose Hall as we know it: In 1746, a man named Henry Fanning purchased a 290 plot of land in Jamaica to prepare for his marriage to Rosa Kelly. They were married in 1747. Henry died a few months after the wedding. Rosa Kelly owns everything. But there’s no Rose Hall yet. In 1750, Rosa marries a man named George Ash, who built Rose Hall officially. While some think Rose Hall was named for Rosa, George was also close with the Rose family as well. In 1752, George died after Rose Hall was completed. In 1753, Rosa married a man named Norwood Witter. He ended up spending all of Rosa’s money and left her in debt. He died in 1767. In 1768, Rosa married John Palmer from a neighboring estate. Their marriage was happy and they were married until Rosa died in 1790, and John died in 1797.

Because Rosa and John had no children, their estate went to their sons. They never came to Jamaica to claim their estate, and they never had children to pass the estate onto. So, the estate was eventually given to John’s grandnephew, John Rose Palmer. He took over the estate in 1818.

The Rumor of Annie

A portrait of who is believed to be Annie Palmer

Annie Patterson moved to Haiti with her parents from England when she was just 10 years old in 1812. Her mother was English and her father was Irish. One year later, both of Annie’s parents died from yellow fever. Afterward, Annie was placed in the care of her nanny, who taught her everything about Voodoo. That’s where the story gets juicy. At some point, the nanny died and Annie relocated to Jamaica when she was 18 years old.

Through rumor, Annie learned that John Rose Palmer, the owner of Rose Hall Great House needed a wife. She used black magic to cast a spell on the owner and married him. Thus, she became Annie Palmer. She soon started using the slaves as lovers. When John found out about this, he beat her with a riding crop. The next day, he was dead. Legend says that she poisoned him and took over the entire estate. She continued to take slaves as lovers, but then would murder them when she was tired of them. Apparently, she set traps throughout the property for her slaves. If they were ever in the kitchen, they had to whistle to prove that they weren’t eating her food. If they stopped whistling, she would reportedly behead them.

Annie became known as the “White Witch of Rose Hall” by her slaves because of her cruel treatment and practice of Voodoo. She married two more times, with each husband meeting a grisly end. It’s believed that her lover, Takoo (also spelled Taku), strangled the last husband. Annie fell for an Englishman named Robert Rutherford, but he was in love with Takoo’s granddaughter. She cast a spell to eliminate Takoo’s granddaughter from the picture. She cast an “old hige” curse where a ghost would visit the poor girl and cause her to wither and die.

But this is where Annie would meet her end. It is believed that Takoo cast a spell and murdered Annie by strangling her in her sleep for what she did to his granddaughter. She died in 1831, supposedly. That would make her about 29 years old.

When Annie was buried, the slaves were fearful of Annie’s angry spirit coming after them. They burned her possessions so there wasn’t any more attachment. But the ritual to seal Annie’s body and spirit into her tomb wasn’t done correctly, so now her angry spirit roams the lands.

The Truth About Annie

Annie’s rumored tomb

What we have here is the perfect recipe for a good ghost story. We have a motive from the main antagonist, and we have a reason to

fear her. It turns out that there really was an Annie Palmer, but her story is so much different and not as interesting. Her maiden name was Annie Mary Paterson, and she was a Jamaican of Scots descent. She married John Palmer in 1820, and was her only husband.

Neither Annie or John died at Rose Hall. In fact, John couldn’t handle the debts and they eventually abandoned Rose Hall. It stood abandoned for 130 years. John died in 1827, after about seven years of marriage to Annie.

When they were at Rose Hall, they only had one or two slaves. After they lost Rose Hall to debt, they lost their slaves too. After John died, Annie sold what was left of their estate for about £200. She passed away in 1846, around her mid-40’s.

Why the Rumors?

Another portrait of Annie

We can thank a newspaper clipping from 1868 that actually labeled Rosa Palmer as the White Witch of Rose Hall. That honestly would make more sense to me given the number of marriages she had.

Then in 1911, another story came out about the White Witch, only this time it labeled Annie with the title. In 1929, Herbert G. de Lisser wrote a book called, The White Witch of Rose Hall, with Annie once again labeled as the White Witch. The book was meant to be fiction, but it soon became reality.

I don’t think the writers had any ill will towards Annie. I think this is a perfect example of how fiction and fact can meld into something completely different from the true story. This is how legends and rumors are born. But in Annie’s case, it’s grossly disrespectful to her memory and legacy.

What About the Ghosts?

If there is paranormal activity, it surely isn’t Annie or the slaves she didn’t torture. If there is any activity, it could be from any time in history with the land and the home. It could even be Rosa Palmer and her husbands. We’ll never know for sure.

But here’s the big question; did Johnny Cash have a paranormal experience while he was living at Rose Hall? The answer is yes! During a dinner party one evening, he saw the apparition of a woman in white, she was in her 30’s, and she went into the dining room and towards the kitchen. In fact, Johnny wrote about his encounters with the spirits of Rose Hall in his biography:

“We’ve never had any trouble with these souls. They mean us no harm, I believe, and we’re certainly not scared of them; they just don’t produce that kind of emotion.”

Also, keep in mind that Johnny Cash was a strong Christian. There’s a chance that he wasn’t bothered by the spirits because he felt he was protected by Christ.

As we close out this blog, take a listen to Johnny Cash’s “The Ballad of Annie Hall”

Sources:

Johnny Cash’s Haunted Plantation Home: What Happened There Will Chill You To The Bone

Rose Hall Great House & The Haunting of Johnny Cash

https://exemplore.com/paranormal/The-White-Witch-of-Rose-Hall-A-Jamaican-Ghost-Story

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Hamilton’s Grave at Trinity Church, NYC.

If you know me as well as another APS member, Beth, then you’re probably thinking, “It was only a matter of time before APS talked about Hamilton’s ghost.” Truthfully, I wanted to cover Hamilton for a while, especially after Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit musical took off. I have alway had a fascination for hauntings that surrounded the Revolutionary War as well as the Civil War. I found the concept of historical figures haunting famous locations. If we truly believe in ghosts and hauntings, then how cool would it be to talk to THE George Washington or Alexander Hamilton himself?

I try to make an excursion to New York City once a year to see some of the latest Broadway shows and just enjoy being in the city. I had always wanted to live in NYC for a time, but so far, it’s still a dream from my home in Raleigh, NC. Whenever I get into a new show, I always have to know the back story of the historical events, the writing process, and more. I approach paranormal investigations in a similar manner. Hamilton resonated with me not just because it’s a groundbreaking show, but it shed light on one of the least popular founding fathers, both historically and socially. After becoming OBSESSED with the musical, I got Ron Chernow’s book that inspired Miranda, and I dove into this chapter in Revolutionary War history that I was unfamiliar with.

Can you guess what was the first thing I looked up? Yep. Ghosts. Was Alexander still haunting a part of New York City? Who knows…but I wanted to see what the scoop was if there was anything there. I found a few stories of Hamilton supposedly haunting the area around his tomb.

In July 2016, I had a chance to go to NYC since I was lucky enough to snag tickets to Hamilton. I decided to make it a whole trip dedicated to Hamilton. There was a wonderful exhibit at the New York Public Library with actual copies of The Reynolds Pamphlet, Farmer Refuted, and even drafts of Washington’s farewell speech. We also went to Weehawken to the dueling grounds where Burr and Hamilton went head to head. We even went to Trinity Church to pay our respects to the Hamiltons along with other historical figures buried there. The only area I didn’t go to was where Hamilton died. Mostly it was due to time. But, I learned that I need to be putting this amount of energy into all my historical research endeavors, ESPECIALLY the paranormal.

My boyfriend showing off Hamilton’s bust near the site of his duel with Aaron Burr in Weehawken.

The stone where Hamilton supposedly rested after the duel

Hamilton died in his friend’s, William Bayard’s house in Greenwich Village. The address of the location was at 80-82 Jane Street, however, historical maps have since proved that to be inaccurate, which I’ll get into in a moment. He was treated at 27 Jane Street where the doctor, John Francis lived. Jean Karsavina, who resided in the house starting from 1939, experienced footsteps, creaks, the chain on the toilet swinging, and saw blurs and shadows. This story was covered by Hans Holzer, and it indicates the house where John Francis lived, the doctor that attended Hamilton on his death-bed, is haunted. You can read the full story here,

NOTE: There is a plaque at 82 Jane Street says that Hamilton died in that home. Bayard’s house was actually a block further north of the plaque. More details at the end.

Around the time that Hamilton became a smash hit, it was reported that paranormal activity really got stirred up at 71 Jane Street (which is across the street and a few houses east from plaque). The New Yorker Radio Hour sent Becky Cooper to a séance that attempted to raise Hamilton’s spirit. Since Joe Hamilton (no relation) bought the house in 1994, she and her family have experienced weird noises and crashes that were so loud to the point where they had to wear ear plugs. When Joe was remodeling the house, she was told to leave the plans out so that Hamilton could see them. Usually, you hear a lot of activity happening during the remodeling of a home. But in Joe’s case, she left the plans out and things were fine. Irene Connors, who owned the house before, believes that Alexander Hamilton’s ghost resided in her home. She actually saw a man with knee-length trousers, he was slim and wore a white powdered wig. She reportedly saw his face a few times.

If Hamilton’s ghost is indeed reappearing since the musical came out, it kind of makes sense. Lin-Manuel Miranda ensured that Hamilton got the recognition and legacy he worked so hard for. After years of being nearly forgotten, except for who we saw on the $10 bill, to everyone knowing his name and becoming obsessed with his story, perhaps we’ve given Alex some energy to make himself known again?

Eliza Hamilton’s Grave

They brought in a medium, and she didn’t pick up on Hamilton but sensed a child. Using an Ouija board, she asked what the child what their mother’s name was, and it apparently said, “Eliza.” I don’t want to spoil it, so you can listen to the 15-minute segment below. There were thoughts that it was Hamilton’s older son, Philip, who also died in a duel in 1801 before Hamilton. Then there is a theory that because baby Philip (who was named after his older brother) was brought into the room where Hamilton died so that he could give his father a kiss goodbye while on his deathbed.

Is it because of Miranda’s musical that the spirit of Alexander Hamilton has found new life, so to speak? Given that so many people lived in these houses around the area for over 200 years, it could be anyone haunting 27 Jane Street or 71 Jane Street.

Question About the Houses

I did some digging on Google Maps to see what I could find of these 3 addresses, plus the possible location of the Bayard Estate.

According to Google Maps, 27 Jane Street is now an empty lot

Here is 71 Jane Street

Here is 82 Jane Street (You can see the plaque on the building)

Here is where the 3 addresses stand in relation to each other

Here’s a map of NYC sketched in 1767. You can see where the Bayard Estate is under the title, “Mr. Bayard.”

Looking at the maps, here’s the approximate location of Bayard’s Estate as it stands today even though the original buildings are likely gone. 27 Jane Street is the bullet point on the right under the Art Bar.

NOTE: The midway point between the plaque at 82 Jane Street and Bayard’s House supposed location is…you guessed it: 71 Jane Street. Coincidence? You tell us!

Sources:

https://the-line-up.com/ghostly-return-alexander-hamilton

http://www.wnyc.org/story/alexander-hamilton-haunting-jane-street/

http://www.aaronburrassociation.org/bayard_house.htm

http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/haunted/articles/historic-us-ghosts

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