Most Haunted Places in America:  Henniker House

The legend says that a girl child was born on the ship “The Wolf” on July 28th of 1720 to a James and Elizabeth Fulton. Not long after the infant was born the ship was boarded by a pirate called Don Pedro. After hearing the newborn crying, he offered to spare the ship and all of its passengers and crew if the child was named after his mother, and if they would take a bolt of fine Chinese silk to make into the child’s wedding gown when she was, wed. So the parents agreed, the ship was spared and the child was named Mary.

Mary wedded a Mr. James Wallace in 1742 and bore him 4 sons and a daughter, they lived in the town of Henniker New Hampshire. Mary had been widowed at a very young age and after hearing of the death of her husband the pirate who had named her, Don Pedro, contacted her and offered for her to live with him in his home and be his housekeeper.

He took care of her and her children for many years until one day Mary found him laying dead in the garden with a pirate’s cutlass in his back. It seems as though that piracy was not at an end after all. After hearing that Don Pedro had buried his treasure in his garden, he was killed by some pirates, possibly his own retired crew, that were trying to find this treasure. In respecting Don Pedro’s request Mary had him buried under the hearthstone in the kitchen, and he remains there even today.

Mary died at the age of 94 in 1814 after spending the rest of her life in the home that she shared with Don Pedro. It is said that she still lingers keeping watch on the house and protecting the treasure that Don Pedro buried in the garden so many years ago. For over a hundred years this house stayed on in the Wallace heritage, being rented but never sold.

The renters were few and far between, and never stayed around for very long. Did they come upon the ghost of Mary Wallace coming down the staircases in a long white dress, red hair flowing and blue eyes sparkling as they did in life? We can only speculate what the renters or the passerby’s actually saw and what was their imagination running away from them.

It has been told that if you peek through the windows you may catch a glimpse of “Ocean Born Mary” coming down the stairs or see her rocking in her rocking chair as some have seen it swaying gently. One owner of the house claims that in 1963 there had been a small fire in the house which they swear that they have witnessed Mary putting the flames out before their very eyes.

On Halloween some folks have said they have seen Mary’s rise from her grave and ride a horse drawn coach across the road and up to the driveway of her and Don Pedro’s home. Although it is very unbelievable to many there have been several local police officers who have seen Mary crossing the road which lays below the mansion.

Is Mary a lone ghost who is trapped in this world watching over her home? Is she alone waiting for the opportunity to cross over to the other side? Some say that she is just taking care of the one place that meant the most to her, while others believe that there are other ghosts lingering at Henniker House. Especially that of Don Pedro himself. Is he in the garden where he died, or in the kitchen where his remains are buried? Only those who may have seen him really know for sure.

This home is currently a private residence so any snooping around or “ghost hunting” needs to be approved by the current owners. Surely, as with anywhere else, if caught trespassing, there are consequences.

Related posts:

1. Ghost Video of the Queen Mary Ship
2. Queen Mary Haunted Ship
3. The Ghost of Resurrection Mary
4. Paranormal Activity at Hell House/St. Mary’s College
5. Minnie Quay and the Lake Huron Haunt