CHESTNUT HILL
CEMETERY
Mercy Brown’s Gravesite · Exeter, Rhode Island
MERCY LENA BROWN
The gravesite of Mercy Lena Brown is the final resting place of a young woman whose story became one of America’s most famous cases of alleged vampirism. Mercy, known to family and friends as Lena, died of tuberculosis—then called consumption—on January 17, 1892, at just 19 years old. Her family had already suffered devastating losses to the disease, including her mother, Mary, and her sister, Mary Olive. When her brother Edwin also became gravely ill, fear and superstition began to take hold in the small rural community. Some residents believed that one of the deceased family members was somehow returning from the grave to drain the life from Edwin.
On March 17, 1892, Mercy’s body was exhumed along with those of her mother and sister. While the older remains had decomposed, Mercy’s body appeared remarkably well preserved, and blood was reportedly found in her heart. To the assembled townspeople, this was evidence that she was an undead creature feeding on her brother. Her heart and liver were removed and burned on a nearby pyre, and the ashes were mixed with water and given to Edwin in the hope of saving his life. It failed; Edwin died on May 2, 1892.
THE VISIT
Today, Mercy’s grave remains a destination for paranormal enthusiasts, history lovers, and those fascinated by New England’s vampire folklore. Her story is remembered as one of the last documented cases of suspected vampirism in New England.
This trip to the cemetery was less of an investigation and more of a pilgrimage to honor the memory of a young woman who has been—and sadly, in some quarters, continues to be—labeled a vampire because of archaic European superstitions and outdated folklore. Our perspective is to contribute to the truth and reject any claim of vampirism associated with her.
At this point, RISEUP was still in its initial stages as a group, and our interest in history and preservation was on full display.
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