In North Smithfield, RI, you’ll find a historic cemetery that contains a 19th century tombstone with a very distinct epitaph. The inscription includes some partially obscured lines at the bottom, one of which references “consumption’s vampire grasp.” Because of this captivating phrase, the grave of Simon Whipple Aldrich has entered the annals of New England vampire lore.
An old and easily overlooked cemetery lies tucked away in a neighborhood in Exeter, Rhode Island. It’s small, measuring 50 square feet, and contains just 25 burials. Beneath one of the unmarked stones lies the body of Sarah Tillinghast – a young woman who, in death, was believed to be a vampire. Continue reading →
In a quiet cemetery adjacent to a church in rural Rhode Island, you can find the grave of New England’s last suspected vampire, Mercy Lena Brown. The events surrounding this vampiric suspicion shocked many at the time, and may still surprise people today. The incident is an example of true folkloric beliefs surrounding the threat that the dead (or undead) could pose to the living. Continue reading →
