NH – Lesley Marden

Mysterious Woman On Mount Shaw

Here is an interesting photo that I haven’t posted because I had submitted the article to an online magazine. Unfortunately, the magazine hasn’t been able to launch because of technical issues. It has been a few years now, so I am posting it here.

On October 8, 2012, my sister, my brother in law and two of their friends went for a hike on Mt. Shaw in the Ossipee Mountain Range of New Hampshire. When they reached a good spot to take a break, they stopped for a snack and a drink. My sister reached into her bag and grabbed her camera. She took some photos of her friends and the scenery and then they proceeded on their way.

When they got to the top of the mountain it was overcast and chilly with a light rain falling. My sister grabbed her camera once more and took more pictures. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary while they were on their hike, but when my sister got home and checked out what was on her camera from their day, she noticed this odd photo and immediately sent it to me.

She believes when she grabbed her camera out of her bag, she must have pressed the shutter button, because she does not remember taking this picture. To the left is her friend’s jacket. You can see his chest and his arm that has a zippered pocket on the sleeve. His arm is bent, and you can see the little droplets of rain on his coat.

What is interesting, is the person that is standing beyond him, in the crook of his arm, was not a member of their foursome. Not one person was wearing a red jacket or even resembles the person in this picture. There were no other people around them on the trail when they stopped or at the summit.
It almost looks as if the person is wearing some sort of veil over their face. You can definitely make out a nose, neck, chin, mouth and brow and cheek bones, but there is a void where the eyes should be. I can’t tell if her eyes are closed or if they are missing.
Who is this mystery person and what is she doing on Mt. Shaw?

An App, A Gadget, Some Rods and Results

I always enjoy a day out with my friends and fellow researchers Sean Paradis and Fiona Broome, and this trip was no exception. Fiona purchased some popular ghost hunting gadgets with the intent of testing them out in locations where we have personally experienced spirit activity. Although she had also ordered an EMF pump and the 3rd generation Ovilus with digital readout, the only piece that arrived before our outing was the Ghost Meter Pro.

We decided to start out at a favorite coffee shop, in Concord, NH. As we sat at our little table, we caught up and shared new and exciting ideas that we have been mulling about to experiment with, like new and innovative ways to communicate with the spirit world while on investigations. Although I am not at liberty to talk about them yet, I can tell you they are very cool! Sean brought along some interesting tie pins, medallions and other metal pieces that he had purchased at antique shop, just around the corner from where we were, that had some incredible residual energy on them. There was on pin in particular, a little gold cross, that gave both Fiona and me goose bumps from head to toe.

Before heading out to the Old North Cemetery, we decided to visit that antiques shop, to see what else we could find. We perused the store, finding bits and pieces of history that intrigued us, pulling out the EMF meter occasionally, to check out the levels on items we suspected may have some energy attached. We each left with a couple of super cool items, some of which might qualify as creepy purchases. ( I want to go back for that wooden two-seated bench that was once used in a doctor’s office. It had really interesting energy!) Then, it was off to the Old North Cemetery.

I have seen the Ghost Meter Pro in action, as my friend and founder of the New England Ghost Project, Ron Kolek owns one and had used it recently at the Houghton Mansion during an event. I told Fiona, that from my experience with it, it did seem to answer questions, but I was still on the fence with giving it my stamp of approval. She turned it on as we approached the grave of President Franklin Pierce. We always seem to have good luck in this “cemetery within a cemetery”. To test the validity of the answers given by the Ghost Meter Pro, we thought we could ask historical questions that we knew the answers to.

The search mode, where the GMP is supposedly searching for spirit contact, seemed to go on forever. Fiona asked if we had had a similar experience at the Houghton Mansion, and we did not. Search mode was definitely taking longer than I had experienced previously. The GMP did stop a couple times, and we asked a few questions, but before we could ask anything of any consequence, back into search mode it went.

My genius friend, Sean, (I love the way he thinks!) had set up an experiment (that for now is a secret) and I stayed behind to monitor it while he and Fiona walked around to the other side of the small cemetery. I could hear the GMP answering questions for them, and when they came back around, Fiona told me that she was very impressed with the results and the GMP’s answers.

We decided to change our position from in front of the Pierce monument, since we weren’t getting much at all. We moved down about 3 graves, toward the exit and next to the iron gate. Sean turned on his Ghost Meter App on his iPhone and I grabbed my pendulum, my back leaning on the gate. I was not watching the equipment, but I felt an energy coming in from behind me, Sean and Fiona witnessed a dot on the radar approach from outside the gate. When I said “Male” the dot hit the center bulls eye on the radar screen and Fiona’s GMP abruptly stopped it’s search mode. Fiona asked “Are you male?” and it responded “Yes”. I said “Jonathan” as the name popped into my head. Fiona asked “Is your name Jonathan?” and it responded “Yes”. Fiona asked “Are you buried outside of this gate in the cemetery?” and it responded “Yes”. So, Fiona said “Let’s go find Jonathan!”

I grabbed some dowsing rods and we left the little cemetery and entered the big cemetery that surrounds the one we were in. Now, on the outside of the gate, we asked Jonathan to direct us where to go. My dowsing rods immediately turned to the right as we came to the next path to follow. Sean’s Ghost Radar spoke out “Pennsylvania” I giggled as I said “That’s odd, Pennsylvania???” I was in the lead, and started taking baby steps, because I did not know which way I should go, because I felt that I had lost my guidance. At that very moment Fiona said “Stop! We’ve found Jonathan!”

Fiona and Sean were standing in front of a tall monument with the well worn name “Jonathan Wheelock”. Fiona asked asked “Jonathan, is this your grave?” The GMP answered “Yes”. On Jonathan’s grave it indicates that he was a veteran of the battle at Valley Forge, which as we know, is located in Pennsylvania!

What I think is really cool about this, is the fact that we used intuition, and 3 different pieces of equipment that all seemed to work together seamlessly. We were all impressed with what had transpired, and we were happy with the role each apparatus had played in reaching our destination, guided by spirit and electronics.

So, what is my opinion of the Ghost Meter Pro now? Let’s just say, it’s growing on me.

Angelic Thanks

Recently my friends Fiona Broome and Sean Paradis and I travelled to the Old North Cemetery in Concord, NH. We were very interested in the cemetery within a cemetery, where the 14th President of the United States, Franklin Pierce is buried.

As we walked around the fenced in area, we noticed some strange instances that didn’t add up. One of these was that some graves were turned at an angle, every one of the stones that were moved were all facing the exact same way. We thought that was odd.

As we continued to search the cemetery for things that looked out of place, I noticed a monument with it’s top knocked off. The cross that was once perched beautifully atop the tall grave marker was now leaning against the monument in an inverted position.

I said to Fiona and Sean “Oh, I have to fix that” and proceeded to go over to the monument and uprighted the cross.

As I made my way back to where I was standing just a moment before, I noticed something had been placed in my path.

I looked down and to my amazement, there was a feather. It was not there as I made my way over to fix the Christian symbol, and there was no other feather to be seen within the whole entire graveyard.

I bent down to pick it up. I said “Oh look a present from the Angels!” and then said “You’re welcome. Thank you for the gift.”

Sean was amazed, as was I. I believe that someone was showing their appreciation for my good deed.

What do you think?

A Federalist Treasure

First, my notes, exactly as I wrote them:

Hibbard House

James Room
Pink room feels masculine. Older male scuffling across the floor. Weak legs, sickness, urinary issues? Not as old as the house. Much more recent.

Rum Hill Room
Masculine energy. Not too much going on.

Hibbard Room
Pneumonia female. Older woman. Movement in room. Hard to breathe.

Pierce Room
Movement, male, same male energy as downstairs. Cigars.

Kitchen
Movement, noise. Slight Headache. Left leg pain

Front left room
Cigars male energy, headache on top right of head. I think I may be feeling this same energy from this room but it is transmuting thru the floor into the Pierce Room.

Front right room feels benign…at the moment.

Poker Room
Interesting energy. Noticeable upon entry. Nothing defined.

Dining Room
Being used by the owners and the Janets. Feels like the people in it now, will have to go back.

Basement
Secrets…..
Shoulders/neck discomfort, restraint.

____________________________________________

I know nothing about a place I am about to investigate. I like going in completely blind and not being prejudiced beforehand, so I can walk around and write down what I feel, hear and see in my head. The notes above are just that.

On December 3rd, 2011 the New England Ghost Project rolled into the quiet town of Bath, NH and investigated the Hibbard House. We were invited in by our hosts Rick and Tim who were very kind and hospitable.

After the investigation, we found out that the house was used as a gay social club in the 90’s, and AIDS patients would stay in the rooms upstairs,which explains the man with the sickness in the pink room, and the restraints in the basement. The basement was used as a speak easy during Prohibition. During the investigation I heard a deep voiced man having a one sided conversation behind a closed door.

I was also told later by our host that Harry Hibbard was a lawyer who built this handsome federalist mansion for he and his wife Sarah to live in. We were told he passed up a congressional seat to live in this mansion. He was very good friends with Franklin Pierce and Pierce would frequently visit.

Tim went on to tell me that other people who have visited the house have encountered the smell of cigars. I did not smell the cigars during my walk through. I had a mental image of them in my head.

Harry became ill with a brain sickness and was sent to a mental hospital where he died while he was in his 50’s. This was the oddly placed headache in the front room I was experiencing. It was strange, the Pierce room is directly above the Front Left Room, and I couldn’t tell if I was reading the bottom floor in the Pierce room or the Pierce room from the bottom floor, but the energies felt the same in each.

I was told by our host that Mrs. Hibbard lived in the house some years after Harry died. I asked him how she died, and he didn’t know. I believe the woman with pneumonia is Mrs. Hibbard. Usually I feel the ailment from which people passed. On top of my lungs hurting, I started to physically wheeze. I wonder if she may have been an asthmatic.

I was aware of Mrs. Hibbard in the Hibbard Room. I am convinced that she moves things and makes noises. While the team was investigating this room, a digital camera that was sitting on the bed turned on all by itself. We heard whispers and saw shadow movement within the room.

The kitchen was an interesting area. Although there were no distinct energies that stood out, I sensed that the kitchen was not a quiet place. I feel cabinets may open and close, and movement may be heard.

In the Dining Room a glass swirling brought about a conversation with a male from the 90’s who frequented the social club. Because of a shockingly disturbing image that flashed in a team member’s head, she abruptly took her finger of the glass, and then one of our hosts ran out of the room crying, overcome with emotion. He returned visibly shaken, and had no idea why he was crying. We explained to him that sometimes spirit will impress their emotions or feelings upon us.

It was a very interesting house, and a fantastic experience. Hopefully someday I can make my way back to visit and spend more time in the Hibbard House. It is definitely worth the trip!

From Gibberish to Wow

Yesterday, I brought my Talker ITC to 3 different locations. The first location was Centre Cemetery in Henniker, NH.

This Cemetery is the resting place of Ocean Born Mary. The Talker said nothing as I entered through the space between the gate and the stone wall and blurted out a few nonsensical one syllable sounds before I found Mary’s grave. It fell silent as I took some pictures and explored the area. About two rows back, and to the left of Mary’s grave, it said some gibberish. I continued to walk around, looking at the stones and the iron grave markers on the right side of the graveyard.

I ventured to the front left side then it said one word, “Hi”. As for my senses, I felt nothing, no energies, nothing. It was a very quiet, peaceful place. I was close to the street, the water supply and the town electricity, so the talker may have picked up EMF from those sources.

My next stop, after checking out the Ocean Born Mary House (in which she never actually lived), I brought the Talker to the First Burial Ground of Henniker. This graveyard contains the family or Robert Wallace, who was the son of Ocean Born Mary that built and lived in the famed Ocean Born Mary House. Mary actually lived with her son William about a mile away.

The Talker was completely silent for the whole time that I explored the sunny graveyard with occupants who had laid there from the mid 1760’s. I was about to exit and it startled me when it said one word, “Captain”. I looked around me, and there was indeed a grave with the inscription “ERECTED In Memory of Cap’ Josiah Ward who departed this life Feb’ 27th 1795 Aged 54 years”.

Leaving Henniker, I headed north along the scenic Currier and Ives Trail that weaves through “quintessential New England”, to my next destination.

Webster Place Cemetery is nestled between two large fields of a working farm. The family who owns the farm have posted signs that say they do not mind if you access their property to get to the graveyard, but all vehicles MUST stay on the dirt road. I drove my car along the dusty path until I came to a fork , and a sign that said that only farm vehicles were allowed past this point. There is no source of electricity anywhere near this graveyard.

I grabbed the Talker and my camera. I turned on my Talker and got out of my car. I was facing the road that led straight out to a field and the talker said “Left”.

I was aware of a young male energy. I walked to my left toward the graveyard and the Talker then said “Look”. I stepped over the iron chain fence and entered the graveyard at the old Burleigh plot. The Talker said “Come closer”.

I quickly went back to my car and retrieved a notebook and a pen and wrote down what the talker had already said. After I wrote down the three responses the Talker said “You’re ahead”.

I re-entered the cemetery and was drawn to the back corner. There were small stones with names of babies and children, their ages and date they died. The Talker said “There are a lot”. It occurred to me that these must have been the children of the orphanage that was located at the top of the street. I felt like this young spirit wanted me to go further to the edge of the cemetery’s rear. I walked over, and there, all by itself, was the grave of a 13 year old boy. Once I had reached the stone belonging to George, the Talker said no more, as if I had seen what the young spirit had wanted me to. I no longer could sense the energy either, he just left.

I checked out the rest of the cemetery. It was very quiet. The Talker only said one more thing when I got out of the car at the top of the street to take pictures of the buildings where the orphans were housed. It said “Celia” and I immediately had the image of a gold cross in my head. I am curious if it is documented somewhere to see if there was a Nun named Celia who lived on the site.

The Talker, by far, exceeded any expectations that I had formulated for it’s performance. It certainly is an interesting piece of “experimental equipment”.