Since Halloween is Saturday, it seems only fitting that for our first year, we share the tale of Ocean-Born Mary. This is probably one of the most famous hauntings in New Hampshire, and it was one of the first that captured my imagination and set me on the path to becoming a ghost hunter myself. I haven’t made it to Henniker myself yet, but maybe one day. One of the best times to do so is apparently Halloween, when Mary herself supposedly rides in her black carriage up the road to her home.
(photo courtesy of NH Tour Guide.com)
Mary Wallace was born at sea, and on the day she was born, the vessel she was on was captured by pirates. The pirate captain, hearing the newborn’s cries, came to the cabin and said that if they would name the baby after his mother Mary, he would spare the ship. Mary’s parents agreed; the pirate made his crew give back all the treasure they had taken from the ship, and gave Mary’s parents a bolt of rich silk brocade for her wedding dress. Then, true to his word, he let the ship and everyone on it go.
Mary would eventually marry, have 4 sons, and go to live with the aged pirate, who retired successfully to Henniker, according to legend. The actual truth isn’t quite that romantic – the house was actually built by Mary’s son Robert, and although she did live in Henniker, it was with her son William in a different house. The legends about the haunting were started by Louis Roy, who bought the house in 1917. He, and subsequent owners, grew the stories until it even attracted the attention of famous ghost hunter Hans Holzer, who wrote about the legend in his 1966 book Yankee Ghosts. Among the claims:
- that the pirate Don Pedro (who supposedly built the house) had been stabbed to death in the house, and was buried under the hearthstone in the kitchen
- that pirate treasure is hidden somewhere in the house and/or grounds
- that Mary, if she takes a dislike to you, will try and shove you down the stairs or hurt you in some other way
Even if the legends aren’t true, it’s an amazing story, and a testament to the hold ghost stories have over us.
Dark Knights Paranormal 