Hollow Hill

Portsmouth, NH – Ghosts of South Street Cemetery

Many ghost hunters know a few haunted locations that consistently provide ghostly phenomena.

One of the largest and most haunted cemeteries in Portsmouth, NH fits that description.

South Street cemetery isn’t the official name of the location, but it’s what most people call it. This lovely, slightly eerie cemetery is at the intersection of South Street and Sagamore Avenue, not far from downtown Portsmouth, NH.

Until recently, I hadn’t researched the cemetery very much. I simply knew the “hot spots” where we usually photograph ghostly anomalies, and where ghost hunters’ dowsing rods detect the strongest paranormal energy.

(NOTE: I no longer recommend using divination tools of any kind, including dowsing rods, except to identify underground streams that might produce infrasound.)

THE CEMETERY’S ‘HOT SPOTS’

We always visit the graves just outside the cemetery walls. Several headstones have been stolen from those sites since my previous visit. That’s so sad. However, the raised mounds remain, and they tend to be very good for ghostly phenomena including elevated EMF levels, apparitions and the murmuring sounds of nearby ghosts.

Note: If you visit graves at the wooded perimeter of South Street cemetery, especially at dusk, be sure to go with a group. Though the police have done a good job of patrolling the area, the woods were sometimes a temporary shelter for homeless people in past years.

Women should be especially cautious near the woods and at the graves just outside the cemetery walls. There seems to be an unpleasant male entity (ghost) there.

We also pause at one of the crypts, at a couple of locations that students usually describe as “eerie” or “creepy”, and at the smaller entrance on the far side of the cemetery.

The actual history of the cemetery has provided some good reasons why its apparent ghostly “hot spots” are so hot.

For example, our ghost hunting classes generally meet at the main entrance to the cemetery. It’s near one of the highest points on the north side of the cemetery. We almost always sense something odd — but also sacred — when we start our ghost investigations there.

Research reveals that the elevated spot is where a gallows stood in the 1700s… a site with some lurid history.

The earliest gallows was a “hanging tree” where two early executions included Penelope Henry and Sarah Simpson, “turned off the back of a cart” in 1739. (That expression meant that — after standing on a cart positioned beneath the gallows — the cart pulled away, leaving them hanging.)

From my experience, most sites of “hanging trees” tend to be haunted. People report paranormal activity at or near (within a half block) of the site.

THE UNJUST DEATH OF RUTH BLAY

One of the most gruesome stories is the hanging of Ruth Blay, a 25-year-old schoolteacher. She was convicted of concealing the death of a newborn, later found to be stillborn.

According to the charges, Ms. Blay had buried the infant beneath loose floorboards in her schoolroom. The corpse — wrapped in a cloak — was discovered by 5-year-old Betsey Pettengill and some of her friends.

Ruth Blay was immediately “apprehended” by a man named Isaac Brown, who was paid ten pounds (approximately $2000 in 2008 dollars) for his services.

The young schoolteacher’s trial was rushed, and the sentence was harsh, but the people of Portsmouth defended the popular schoolteacher. Numerous briefs were filed with the British court, requesting a reprieve for Ms. Blay.

Just one chance remained for her pardon on December 30st, 1768, the day that her execution was scheduled, but the sheriff decided not to wait. In fact, he changed the time of her hanging to an hour earlier than planned, so he wouldn’t be late for dinner that evening.

It was not a popular move. An angry mob gathered near the gallows.

Likewise, Ruth Blay did not go quietly to her death. (Note: When I see this in a history, it’s another good reason to look for a ghost.)

According to the legends recorded by journalist C. W. Brewster in the mid-1800s…

“…as Ruth was carried through the streets, her shrieks filled the air. She was dressed in silk, and was driven under the gallows in a cart.”

The crowd shouted angrily as High Sheriff Thomas Packer hastily positioned the cart beneath the gallows. He looped the noose around Ruth’s neck and then — with a brusque command to the horses — drove the cart away, leaving the young woman’s body swinging from the rope. Sheriff Packer did not stop to look back. Instead, he drove the cart to arrive home in time for his meal. He was apparently unaware that — as he drove away — a rider had arrived at the gallows with an urgent letter.

A stay of execution had been issued by the Royal Governor of New Hampshire, but it arrived minutes after Ms. Blay’s death. If Packer hadn’t changed the execution hour, Ruth Blay would have lived.

Outraged, a mob marched to the sheriff’s house. There, they hung an effigy of Packer, and placed beneath it a sign that said,

“Am I to lose my dinner
This woman for to hang?
Come draw away the cart, my boys-
Don’t stop to say amen.”

Then, the crowd carried the effigy through the streets to be sure that every citizen knew of Packer’s cruelty, and finally — according to some versions of the story — burned the effigy in front of his home.

Ruth Blay was buried in an unmarked grave about 300 feet north of the small pond near the middle of South Street cemetery. That’s the location where we usually record the greatest number of ghostly anomalies in our photos. It’s also where people first notice that their cameras aren’t working correctly.

(Those cameras are usually fine after people leave the cemetery. This kind of problem is normal in profoundly haunted settings.)

According to legend, two gravestones glow with spectral light, near Ms. Blay’s burial spot. We’ve noticed quite a few glowing stones in that vicinity, and they drew comments during our class on Saturday, 13 Sep 2008.

Ruth Blay’s ghost may haunt the site of her death and burial. Her spirit — and perhaps the baby’s — has also been reported at the site of the schoolhouse, around 94 Main Avenue in south Hampton, NH.

Note: According to state records, Sheriff Packer was responsible for executing the only three women ever hung in New Hampshire.

Similar to Ruth Blay, the other two women — hung on December 27, 1739 (almost exactly 29 years before Ms. Blay’s death) — were convicted of “feloniously concealing the death of infant bastard child.”

The house where the sheriff lived (and ate his dinners on time) was at the northeast corner of State and Court Streets in Portsmouth. His house became Col. Brewster’s Tavern, which George Washington stayed at for four nights.

In 1813, the house burned to the ground and was replaced by the Treadwell Jenness House, built in 1818. According to some, that location is haunted.

Sheriff Packer was still in office on June 22nd, 1771, when he died. Some claim that he was buried in — and haunts — Portsmouth’s North Cemetery. It’s possible that he does. However, the North Cemetery gravestone of Thomas Packer (d. 1793) is for one the sheriff’s two sons.

Ruth Blay isn’t the only spirit with a good reason to haunt South Street cemetery. Two famous murder victims are also interred at the cemetery.

SMUTTYNOSE MURDER VICTIMS

Orb at South Street Cemetery

On the night of March 6th, 1873, Norwegian immigrants Karen and Anethe Christensen were murdered on Smuttynose Island in the Isles of Shoals. Both women were strangled, and one had been assaulted with an ax. A third woman had been attacked with them, and she identified the murderer as a German immigrant, Louis Wagner.

According to trial evidence, Wagner had rowed out to the island, committed his evil deeds, and then rowed back to the mainland. He was captured in Boston, but until his hanging in 1875, Wagner maintained that he was innocent.

Since then, many people have speculated about what really happened on the night of the murder. One of the most famous stories supporting Wagner’s innocence is the best-selling novel, The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve.

Though Wagner was buried in Maine, the graves of the murder victims are in the Harmony Grove section of South Street cemetery.

We haven’t investigated their graves yet, but recommend them to other ghost hunters in the Portsmouth area. When questions linger after a murder, we often find reports of paranormal activity around the graves.

HISTORY OF PORTSMOUTH’S SOUTH STREET CEMETERY

South Street cemetery is actually at least five cemeteries: Cotton Burial Ground (1671), Elmwood Cemetery, Proprietors’ Burial Ground (1831), and Harmony Grove (1847), and Sagamore Cemetery (1871).

The first record for Cotton Burial Ground appeared in June 1671:

“It was agreed with Goodman William Cotton to fence the town’s land that lyeth by Goodman Skates, for a trayning place, to cutt down all the trees and bushes and to clear the same from said ground by the first of April next, and for his soe doeing he and his heirs shall have the above feeding and use thereof as a pasture only, for twenty years–and the said land shall still remayne for a trayning field and to bury dead in.”

(The military training field may explain why Sean, one September 2008 student, saw ghostly soldiers marching at the eastern end of the cemetery.)

In the 1850s, after a fire at South Street church, several graves were moved to Proprietors’ Burial Ground, including the 1761 graves of Samuel and Margaret Haven, children of Rev. Samuel Haven.

(When any grave is moved, we quite often note odd, sometimes ghostly energy around the body’s new location.)

In addition, the Cutts-Penhallow family cemetery was moved in 1875 from Green Street to a grove of trees near the center of the South Street property. Many visitors to the South Street cemetery comment on this peculiar, dark section of the cemetery. We’re not sure if it’s haunted, but it’s certainly creepy at dusk.

SUMMARY

Portsmouth’s South Street cemetery is an ideal location for ghost hunting. It offers a wide range of paranormal phenomena in a convenient seacoast location about 10 minutes from US 95.

According to the sign at the main entrance, the cemetery closes at 6:30 p.m.

The police patrol the area regularly. During one of our September 2008 classes, we were stopped by the police. We explained that we were there to take photos. One student’s backpack was inspected, before we could continue the class. (It was only 5 p.m., so I’m not sure why we drew attention.)

However, the cemetery is a popular park for bicyclists, joggers, people walking their dogs, and ghost enthusiasts. We recommend it for research; the stories in this article barely scratch the surface of the tales that could suggest ghosts.

Wear shoes suited to walking; the cemetery is huge. Also bring bug spray and a spare camera. Most of us had camera problems at some point during the evening, and a backup camera was useful.

If you’re hoping to take some good “ghost photos” or encounter other ghostly phenomena, visit Portsmouth’s South Street cemetery.

In addition, if you park in the small lot at Little Harbor Road, be sure to notice the energy as you enter the cemetery. (It’s a slightly wooded entry, sometimes overgrown with vines and branches. Many ghost hunters comment on unique phenomena there.)

References

Among Old New England Inns, by Mary Caroline Crawford, p. 303

Brewster’s Rambles #59, SeacoastNH.com

Haunted Portsmouth, by Roxie J. Zwicker

An Old Town by the Sea, by Thomas Bailey Aldrich

Portsmouth Cemeteries, by Glenn A. Knobloc, p. 73

Provincial and State Papers of New Hampshire, p. 206

Re: More info on Ruth Blay, by samanthabalsavage1

Smuttynose 101 – A Quick Murder Study, SeacoastNH.com

The Tragic Story of Ruth Blay, SeacoastNH.com

Washington’s walk about city put a stir in the crowd, by Amie Plummer, Fosters.com

Edinburgh’s Ghosts – 2. The First Ghost (Vault Tour)

Who was the ghostly “child number three?” Read about this lingering mystery, and ghosts beneath the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland.

(This is Fiona’s summary, continued from Edinburgh Ghosts, Part One)

First ghost encounter – The mother with “child number three”

The first room was reached by a stairway from the street level. The room had little lighting, part of the “atmosphere” created for the tour.

On one wall, I saw a fireplace. It had been the center of life in that room, as it seemed to hold considerable “psychic” energy. I knew it had been a rather smoky fireplace because the lingering image was so clear.

In front of the fireplace, I “saw” a woman, in a shabby linen-like gown and a soiled, austere cap of what seemed to be coarse white linen. From her clothing, I’d guess that she lived in the early 17th century, but I could be wrong.

I knew she’d been highborn, and her father was probably a doctor. She’d married someone far beneath her, and was living in relative squalor. It embarrassed her.

She was too proud to ask her family for help yet, and they were equally uncomfortable dealing with the situation.

The woman’s husband had been a fascinating and exciting man (in a mercurial way) when they’d met, but now he was quite mad. He slept on the hard floor, fearing “vapours” which he thought were poisoning him. In his madness, he believed that his wife planned to have an affair with a neighbor. The husband continued to work for awhile, but eventually lost his job and left his wife and children.

I don’t know if he died or just deserted them.

The family had at least four children.

Who was Child #3?

There was a baby in this room, and an older boy whom I call “Child #3.” The mother felt guilty about neglecting the baby, but her focus was on Child #3.

She was convinced that he had a future.

For some reason – and this is why I have the sense that her father was a doctor – she insisted upon holding Child #3 up to a small window, to let the light shine on his face. In an otherwise dark existence, this was often his only exposure to sunlight, especially in the winter.

I know that she and her children stayed in this underground dwelling for awhile after she was deserted by her husband. Then they moved away. I know that, after living underground, she became obsessed with light and warmth for her family. When her family lived in this room, she spent most of her time near the fireplace.

I think that the woman swallowed her pride and–with her children–returned to her father’s home.

I have the sense that Child #3 grew up to become someone who’s in the history books. Perhaps he was a politician. I think his family history will be noted in biographies. He can be identified.

Also in the room, to the left I “saw” a closet or some niche in the wall. It was where the woman kept a secret. It was a “good” secret, but something she wanted concealed while she lived there. Perhaps she hid money from her husband.

On the other side of the room, I sense a closet or niche that had something very bad about it. It may have been a damp area, and/or something with a horrid odor. The woman was alarmed by that, but not overwhelmingly afraid. She tried to keep that closet (or niche) closed up.

This story continues in Edinburgh vault tours – two ghosts

Wilton, NH – Vale End and Pukwudgies

On 17 June 2008, I was on the Ghost Chronicles International radio show as Ron Kolek‘s co-host. Our guest was Christopher Balzano, the founder and lead investigator of Massachusetts Paranormal Crossroads. The topic was Pukwudgies.

During our conversation, I summarized our encounters with something similar at Vale End Cemetery in Wilton, New Hampshire. I’m still deeply affected by those experiences, and I rarely even try to discuss them. However, I have written about those events. My story begins at Vale End – possible demons.

Our investigator’s 1999 death may have been a coincidence. However, because the circumstances were so unique and never explained to our satisfaction — and with this additional information about Pukwidgies — it’s even more important to avoid Vale End Cemetery.

On a more positive note, Ron Kolek, UK psychic David Wells (from the popular show, “Most Haunted”), Welsh psychic entertainer Gavin Cromwell, and I will be among the psychics and investigators leading the Haunted Lighthouses Tour organized by Jeremy D’Entremont on August 7th, 2008.

It will be a full day of weird and true ghost stories, and some eerie and unforgettable experiences in several of New England’s most haunted lighthouses.

Gilson Road Cemetery, NH – 9. Afterthoughts (2008)

2008 was a turning point for haunted Gilson Road Cemetery.

Except for a notable number of new houses and subdivisions in the area, little has changed… with one big exception.

The denser wooded area in back of the cemetery seems to provide the illusion of cover for the spirits who visit during daytime hours.

While we were there, we noted several figures moving stealthily in the woods. Most of them were about 20 or 25 feet behind the back cemetery wall.

I also saw a momentary flash (residual energy?) of a Native gentleman. He’d appeared to us in the same place – the back left corner (where there’s a break in the wall) – during a 2003 visit to Gilson.

The Lawrence headstones have remained among the most active in the cemetery. Many of our photos showed orbs. Here are two photos taken within seconds of each other:

This is a good reminder of the importance of always taking two photos, as close together as you can. (If that orb looks familiar, it’s because we’ve photographed it before. From a slightly different angle, it’s in the photo in my article, Gilson Road Cemetery – ghost orbs return 6/02.)

Who Were These People…?

Rufus Lawrence – like many people interred in this isolated cemetery – has been difficult to find in any records of the era. Despite numerous records for other members of the Lawrence (or Laurence) family, and generally good census records (at least for adult males), Rufus and several others in Gilson remain elusive.

At first glance, it seems like Gilson’s Rufus Lawrence was probably related to Samuel Laurence who married Betsy Thyng (or Tyng) and named a son Rufus in 1815. In the Nashua/Tyngsborough area, that seems likely.

Well, maybe.

The problem is, here’s another Rufus Lawrence, courtesy of Ancestry.com’s records:

Rufus Lawrence

That Rufus Lawrence may have been the second Rufus born to Henry Lawrence and Sally (or Salley) Simonds Lawrence. (The first was born in August 1813.)

But… that’s not a perfect match for the grave, and I suspect Gilson’s Rufus Lawrence was from Epping, NH, and the son of – or closely related to – David & Anna Lawrence.

Here are other Rufus Lawrences that might help us identify the correct one, also courtesy of Ancestry.com:

For now, I’m adding this research to my “to-do” list. Rufus is intriguing, but – at the moment – other research projects are a higher priority for me.

But this is important: We’re not sure why the people in Gilson Cemetery were buried there rather than in the old burial ground in the middle of town. (Today, that’s by the shopping center at Daniel Webster Highway near Spit Brook Road. That cemetery is nicknamed “Schoolhouse Cemetery.”)

Haunted Cemetery Walls?

Another note about Gilson: One of our group noticed that the back wall of the cemetery appears to include pieces of broken headstones. When you visit, take a close look at the shapes of the stones, and – amid the usual round-ish rocks and boulders – you’ll see several slabs of stone.

If those really are pieces of headstone, I’m not surprised that the back wall of this cemetery is one of the most haunted areas in a profoundly eerie graveyard.

Book - Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries

Also, outside the wall just south of the gate, we noticed several pieces of headstones, as well. I’m not sure why these suddenly became obvious, but they indicate another area for research.

As a guideline, any time you see graves, monuments, or pieces of headstones near (but outside) a cemetery, check it for anomalies.

Those are often the graves of “sinners” who couldn’t be buried in hallowed ground.

Whether or not they were unjustly accused of crimes and mortal sins, these spirits often return to haunt their remains.

Perhaps to them, being shunned after death isn’t the final word, after all.

Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans – Ghostly Ecto?

When there’s a normal explanation for a photo, I want to find it. Sometimes, I can’t discover a good explanation—not one that works for the setting and the circumstances, that is.

That’s the case with this photo at Brennan’s Restaurant on Royal Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter. The ecto-like form wasn’t visible to the naked eye. I only took the photo because I felt prompted to, and felt a little silly doing so.

Orb in the sky over Brennan's restaurant in NOLA — Light on nearby trees? Fine. Light hovering over the restaurant? Weird.

I’ve written about Brennan’s Red Room ghosts. The photo above is completely unedited. (The quality isn’t great because I hadn’t expected to take a photo and only had my small, old camera with me.)

That picture was oneof several I took late in July 2005, shortly before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, wreaking horrific damage throughout the area.

It was a clear night, drier than most July nights in Louisiana. However, because it was July, I’m discounting the small orbs near the light-colored area, since they could be the result of humidity.

Instead, I’m baffled by the light area itself.

It was too hot to be using a fireplace, and Brennan’s kitchen was in another part of the building and fully enclosed. There was no mist above Brennan’s, so that’s not a reflection of the street lights.

In fact, we didn’t see anything unusual when I took this picture. It was one of those ‘gut feeling’ photos… that innate, perhaps intuitive feeling that something would show up if I took a few pictures.

We were across the street from Brennan’s, so my flash was too far away to highlight the air above the restaurant.

There were no skylights or spotlights that night, either.

If the light area were caused by something natural, we should have seen this ecto-looking area ourselves.

So, I’m not sure what the light area is. It’s almost directly above the room where, years ago, workmen in Brennan’s saw a terrifying face outside the window. (Those burly workmen were so frightened, they ran down the stairs and broke out through the locked doors. They never returned to Brennan’s.)

Sometimes, anomalies in photos are simply odd.

There may be an explanation for this picture, but we can’t be sure. For every ‘normal’ explanation, at least three of us can argue convincingly that the normal explanation doesn’t fit the time, location, and conditions of the photo.

I’m reluctant to label this NOLA anomaly ‘ecto’ because it could be something else. However, it’s the subtle kind of image that’s easily overlooked when you’re expecting orbs, a vortex, or something more dramatic.

For many of us, these subtle anomalies can be more interesting than the obvious ones.

MORE RESOURCES

Brennan’s “Red Room” ghosts (article)

And one of my podcasts about New Orleans’ French Quarter…

Portland, Maine – Bailey Cemetery’s Ghosts

Bailey Cemetery - daytime Bailey Cemetery in Portland, Maine, has all the ingredients of a good, haunted cemetery. It has a Colonial history, unmarked graves, and some neglected plots.

The location is great for Portland ghost enthusiasts who prefer sites that can be reached on foot or via Metro, local public transportation.)

Unfortunately, the cemetery’s location also makes it less desirable for research: It’s on a busy street and next to an active fire station.

All in all, I recommend this site for casual, repeated research. It’s the kind of location that tends to become more clearly haunted with repeated visits.

Sites like these tend to respond well to familiar visitors. In my opinion, the energy appears to organize itself and increase when the spirits realize that they’re getting attention.

[The area around Bailey Cemetery was recommended by Danielle of Portland, Maine.]

AT DUSK

A couple of us investigated this site. Our first visit was at dusk. The site has a slightly eerie feeling, but nothing truly scary.

Two gravestones with pointing fingers reminded us of the legendary grave of Abel Blood, so we took a few photos. The results were surprising.

The first photo revealed no orbs, just a few reflections.

The second photo included several.

Bailey Cemetery - orbs

I usually dismiss orbs in photos with obvious lights in the background. When we see so many orbs, I’d also check humidity levels to rule out moisture, but it was a very dry evening.

Despite those factors, these two photos—taken just seconds apart—show such dramatic anomalies that I’m intrigued.

DAYTIME RESEARCH

We returned the next day for additional research. These were our results:

Unmarked graves – Numerous irregularities in the cemetery suggest unmarked graves (depressions) and unmarked plots (raised beds) throughout the cemetery.

For further study: Burial records for Bailey Cemetery are maintained at Evergreen Cemetery, 672 Stevens Avenue, Portland, Maine 04101 – 207-797-4597

Compass anomalies – Needle swings in excess of 20 degrees throughout the cemetery.

Charles Howard headstone Dowsing rods – Several areas indicate energy surges. One followed a line, suggesting an underground spring. (Buried power lines are also possible, and indicated by a sign at the cemetery, but unlikely less than a foot from older graves.)

We noted the most consistent reaction about six feet north of Charles Howard’s small headstone. (That stone is more than halfway back in the cemetery, towards the middle.)

Charles Howard headstone - details

Location

Bailey Cemetery on Forest Avenue (Rte. 302) between Newton Street and Farnham Street (East of I-95)
Portland, Maine

Nearest parking: About half a block east on Forest Avenue.

Location, for GPS

Degrees Minutes Seconds:
Latitude: 434149N
Longitude: 0701831W

Decimal Degrees:
Latitude: 43.69694
Longitude: -70.30861