Find me here:
  The Paranormal Guide
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Atlas
  • Glossary

The White Witch of Rose Hall

4/3/2013

Comments

 
Picture
Built in Motego Bay, this late 1700's Georgian style building is one of Jamaica's finest and most famous. The building has a legend, 'The White Witch', who is said to still roam the halls.

Magic, ritual, curses and murder are all elements to this tale of human abuse and hauntings.


Rose Hall

PictureRose Hall.
Built through the 1770's and into the 1790's, Rose Hall is considered to be one of the most famous houses in Jamaica. A rich British planter by the name of John Palmer had the house built on his two thousand acre plantation made up of sugar cane, and grazing for about 300 head of cattle.

Built on a hillside with a commanding view of the sea, John Palmer's home was more like a small village, as it housed the domestic and commercial/industrial aspects of his life. With many servants and his offices the house would have been a hub of human activity.

The plantation had hundreds of enslaved Africans who worked the crops. All lived onsite in their dwellings, which would have been made up of dormitory style accommodation and a few houses for families.

However, even with such a massive property and commanding presence, this story is not so much about the house and land, but more about one of its residents – Annie Palmer.

The White Witch

PictureAnnie Palmer.
Annie Paterson was born in England at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. She was half English and half Irish and was said to have had a fiery temperament. While she was a child her family moved to Haiti, her father, a merchant had moved there for the business, and life would have no doubt been interesting for the young Annie.

Unfortunately her parents both contracted and died from yellow fever, and Annie was raised by her Haitian nanny. As Annie was being raised, she was taught much about the Haitian culture, and most importantly to this story, Haitian Vodou.

Annie eventually moved to Jamaica where she met her husband, and owner of Rose Hall, John Rose Palmer.

Living at Rose Hall, so near to the plantation and the workers, with her husband working long hours, Annie soon got bored. As a method of entertainment, she developed a relationship of lust with a young slave. When Annie's husband found out about the affair, he had the slave killed, and beat Annie with a riding whip.

John Palmer died that night. (Annie Palmer married two other men but these two also died under mysterious circumstances.)

Annie, now the owner of the plantation, began to show a very sadistic side to her nature. She would punish the slaves over the smallest infringements; even a rumour of a slave’s disobedience saw them face her ire. Public floggings were common place, as was torture. At times the slaves would die from such 'disciplines', and they would be buried in the middle of the night in unmarked graves.

It was also rumoured that the many deaths of babies during the night were Annie's doing.

PictureSlave traps were placed around the property.
Some slaves also found themselves in Annie's bed. She took many slaves as lovers, but soon those who she showed the most affection to, began to disappear.

Annie became known as 'The Daughter of the Devil' and 'the White Witch'.

Annie met her end when she began to show affections to one of the married slaves. The wife of this slave, obviously, was not happy with such affections towards her husband, and was the first to really stand up to Annie Palmer.

Annie could have simply had this slave beaten or tortured to death, but rather opted to curse the woman. She slowly, over weeks, withered away - either by the curse itself or just from the fear that this 'devil woman' had cursed her. She soon died and Annie finally had the husband to herself.

One thing Annie had not counted on was the dead wife's grandfather. His name was Takoo and was a freed slave, having been released from the plantation many years earlier. Takoo was also a bokor, a priest of vodou and he sought revenge for his granddaughter’s death.

Annie died in 1831, not as a result from a spell or curse, but was found strangled in her bed. Takoo had done the deed himself, but his arts were not unused. A coffin of stone was created to house Annie's body, and throughout the construction, Takoo placed markings that were hoped to keep Annie's body and spirit trapped within.

The Haunting

PictureAnnie Palmers resting place.
Unfortunately it is believed the spells and charms did not work, as many accidents befell the subsequent owners of Rose Hall, including a caretaker who was seen to be pushed by the ghost of Annie Palmer, off of a balcony, to her death below.

Rose Hall went to ruin with no one living in the old house. The grounds and gardens began to reclaim the building, as the roof started to fall in and the floorboards and walls gave way.

The house was saved when in the 1960's and 1970's it was completely restored to its original look. It was during this time of that the ghosts and hauntings began to make themselves known. Workmen would report that their tools had been moved from where they had been left the night before, and mysterious stains would show up on the newly placed floorboards.

PictureRose Hall in ruin.
When the workmen's names began to be called by a disembodied voice, that was it, and many of the local workers refused to go into the building and left their jobs. Soon only workers not familiar with the legends (i.e. all from off island) would work in the Halls restoration.

After the restoration was complete, the owners went on the hunt for the original furnishings that once graced the halls interiors. Eventually they located an old mirror that was owned by the Palmer's, and soon the antique once again took up position in its former home.

It is in this mirror where a number of visitor experience take place. Many have reported seeing a face in the mirror, out the corner of their eye, or a fleeting glimpse of a woman peering over their shoulder.

As a final note, in 2007 an investigation into the history and legends of Rose Hall was carried out. It was at this time that the researcher found that the book 'The White Witch of Rosehall', published in 1929, was possibly the genesis for much of this legend. Others maintain that the book took its ideas from the true to life legends told of the estate.

Either way it is a fascinating history and as they say it is not always best to allow fact to get in the way of a good fiction.

What do you think?

Please leave your thoughts and comments in the Disqus box below!

Ashley Hall 2013
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

    The Paranormal Guide Articles

    Here you will find all of the articles written for The Paranormal Guide on all things paranormal, strange, dark, macabre, weird, strange and bizarre!

    All photos with the blog posts remain the property of their respectful owners. If one of your photos is featured here without attribution please leave a comment on the blog and full credit will be given.

    Categories

    All
    Bizarre Experiments
    Conspiracy
    Cryptozoology
    Cursed And Haunted Objects
    Curses Demons And Exorcisms
    Earth Mysteries
    Fakes Frauds And Hoaxes
    Ghosts And Hauntings
    Ghosts Ghouls And Demons
    Interesting And Inspiring People
    Investigations
    Miracles
    My Paranormal
    Paranormal Photos
    Paranormal Vocabulary
    Phobias And Philias
    Post Mortem Practices
    Psychics Predictions And Seers
    Questions And Discussions
    Reviews
    Spirituality And Miracles
    Spirituality And Miracles
    Strange And Macabre Places
    Strange And Tragic Deaths
    This Week In Dark History
    Tragedy
    True Crime And Punishment
    Ufos And Aliens
    Unsolved Mysteries
    Urban Legend Superstition And Folklore
    Weird Odd And Bizarre


    Ashley Hall -
    The Paranormal Guide

    Ashley Hall explores The Paranormal, True Crime, Strange Deaths, Dark History, The Weird, The Strange and The Bizarre! Fact or Fiction? You decide!

    Picture

    Contributors

    Picture
    Matty Sweeney
    Picture
    Peet Banks
    Picture
    Nic Hume

    Picture
    Check out The Paranormal Guide Podcast and join three paranormal investigators and researchers for honest and raw discussions on all things paranormal, strange, dark and macabre HERE!

    Archives

    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

    Please note that dates are from when the article was originally made.
    The Paranormal Guide does have posts all the way up to the current date.


    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.