Although Mercy Lena Brown is best known for being a vampire, her ghost is still present.
New England was devastated by consumption, an early term for tuberculosis, in the 1700s and 1800s.
Families observed as their loved ones suffered a protracted, agonizing death. The sufferers of this sickness were emaciated, flushed, and had sunken eyes. Family members watched helplessly as the sick person coughed and coughed.
Doctors were powerless to intervene.
This disease was said to literally rob its victims of their life. Whole communities started to rely on superstitious ideas out of fear and ignorance.
Most people started to think malevolent forces were at play. A widely held opinion emerged. People in New England started blaming the “walking dead” for the deaths of their loved ones. It was claimed that these wicked beings stalked them at night, sucking the life from the living.
Although the word “vampire” was not used, this superstition was founded on the concept of vampires.More information about this viewpoint can be found in the Smithsonian Magazine.
A young woman named Mercy Lena Brown (1872–1892) was involved in the most well-known vampire case in New England. The modest Rhode Island community of Exeter was home to her family.
Like many other families, Mercy’s was severely affected by consumption. Mother and sister of Mercy passed away. Edwin, her older brother, became unwell. He relocated to Colorado in search of a treatment but was never well enough to return to Exeter.
Mercy developed consumption as well. She passed away at the age of 19, and because it being winter, her body was placed in a vault above ground so that once the ground thawed, it could be properly buried.
George Brown, Mercy’s father, was approached by neighbors who wanted to exhume the bodies of his family. They believed that one deceased member must be among the “undead” and was still causing Edwin’s illness. George granted his consent.
When the mother and sister were pulled up, they were found to have turned to bones, as was to be expected. Mercy’s body, however, had not decomposed when it was examined since it had been preserved in the frigid vault.
Additionally, Mercy’s heart and liver had blood clots, which the group also found. They interpreted this as an indication that she must be an undead person. Then they carried out a ritual that was supposed to free Edwin from this bad energy.
Mercy’s heart was taken out, set on a rock, and burned until it was reduced to ashes. They then made Edwin swallow a mixture of these ashes and water. Sadly, he passed away two months later.
Many bodies in New England were desecrated in this way, including Mercy’s. But like the other stories, hers does not end here.
Since then, her spirit has been restless. People in this small town have reported odd sights and sounds over the years.
In Exeter’s Chestnut Hill Cemetery, her remains is interred. Strange lights have been spotted at this cemetery, according to locals and visitors. Witnesses who have stood on graves in this cemetery claim that they were pushed off of these plots by an ominous force.
Other locals have come forward to report seeing Mercy’s ghost roaming the neighborhood.
People who have prayed for Mercy have reported that they later smell flowers.
It is rumored that Mercy’s spirit pays a visit to community members who are ready to pass away. Family members have had sincere chats with Mercy about their loved ones just hours or even minutes before they went away.
Mercy’s spirit seems to be a nice one who doesn’t want to see any more graves vandalized. She also demonstrates sympathy for those who are about to pass away.
Present-day visitors frequently leave mementos at her grave. Because she was mistakenly classified as a vampire, I hope these things are polite and not meant as a joke.
