The Supernatural Carribean

Author: Karen Joslin


With its vivid and violent history, it's no surprise that ghost
stories abound in the Caribbean. Some believe that Blackbeard's
ghost haunts the former Old Fort Nassau in the Bahamas; others
report strange incidents at the Stirrup Cay Lighthouse. Some
countries are home to a long tradition of supernatural
occurrences, such Haiti's well-known apparitions of corpses that
are said to appear in Port-au-Prince's City Cemetery.

The Chase crypt in Christchurch, Barbados, is home to one of the
most famous hauntings in the Caribbean, and perhaps the world.
Owned by a wealthy sugar plantation owner, its first confirmed
occupant was Thomasina Goddard, placed there in 1807. Ownership
soon passed to another plantation family, the Chases. Col.
Thomas Chase, the head of the family, was reputedly cruel to
both his family and his slaves. Two of his young daughters died
(in 1808 and 1812), and their lead coffins were also put in the
crypt.

A month after his second daughter, Dorcas' death, Col. Chase
himself died. At his funeral, when the pallbearers opened the
crypt, they were shocked to see that the coffins looked as
though they had been thrown around the small room. They
rearranged the coffins, including the new addition of Col.
Chase, and replaced the heavy slab at the crypt's entrance.
Rumors spread that Dorcas had starved herself to death, driving
Chase to commit suicide. Over the next few years, every time the
crypt was opened, the coffins had moved, apparently with violent
force. Thomasina Goddard's wooden coffin even splintered into
bits.

At first, people suspected vandals because Mr. Chase had plenty
of enemies, particularly among his slaves. However, on two
occasions the crypt was mortared shut, even including an
impression of the Governor's seal; the mortar was never tampered
with. Similarly, sand spread on the floor of the crypt showed no
signs of disturbance, even with the coffins in complete
disarray. A thorough examination of the crypt for secret
passageways, cracks, or other explanations yielded no answers.
In 1820, the family removed all the coffins and reburied them
elsewhere. Although several natural theories have been proposed,
such as flooding or seismic activity, many believe that even
after death, the family simply couldn't get along. The crypt
still remains empty.

While no one knows exactly what happened at the Chase crypt,
there's no dispute about what's haunting Rose Hall Plantation in
Montego Bay. It's Annie Palmer, the plantation's former
mistress, and her victims. Still known as the White Witch of
Jamaica, Annie earned her nickname by practicing voodoo,
murdering several of her rich husbands, and treating her slaves
harshly. Meting out torture or death for minor infractions was
commonplace for her. Then she found a new way to entertain
herself, by enticing slaves to be her lovers and killing them
when she got bored.

Her slaves understandably weren't fond of her. Legend has it
that, unbeknownst to her, one of her slaves was a powerful
voodoo master. Deciding to take care of her for good, he
performed a voodoo ritual, creating a grave for her. When he
finished, he confronted her in her home. They battled to both of
their deaths. Afterward, other slaves who knew of his plan
buried her in the specially-prepared grave. While this story may
be embellished, there's no doubt that Annie Palmer met a
murderous end.

A Ritz-Carlton now stands on part of the old plantation grounds,
and its developer restored the decaying Rose Hall great house to
its former glory. During its renovation, workers experienced
numerous eerie occurrences. For instance, the day after
refinishing floors, they'd appear to be damaged by old blood
stains.

Now a museum offering guided tours, the house's visitors report
plenty of supernatural phenomenon, too. Whispers in the dungeon,
old music, footsteps, and the sound of crying babies have all
been heard. Photographs showing an original mirror and various
rooms of the house often contain figures of people who weren't
there when the pictures were taken.

Of course, these are just a few of the ghostly spots in the
Caribbean. If you're ever lucky enough to visit the islands
yourself, keep your eyes and ears open. You just might see a
phantom ship sailing on the horizon, or hear the raucous
laughter of pirates in an old saloon.


About the author:
Karen Joslin writes for http://Barbados-Guide.info,
http://Anguilla-Guide.info, and other Segisys travel Web sites.

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