Esther Cox and the Great Amherst Mystery

The Great Amherst Mystery is one of the most famous poltergeist cases in Canadian history. Between 1878 and 1879, a young woman named Esther Cox became the center of violent phenomena that included object movement, spontaneous fires, and physical attacks by unseen forces. The case was witnessed by hundreds and documented in a book that remains a classic of paranormal literature.

Esther Cox

Esther Cox was born in 1860 and lived in Amherst, Nova Scotia with her extended family. The household at 6 Princess Street included Esther’s married sister Olive and brother-in-law Daniel Teed, their children, Esther’s siblings, and Daniel’s brother John.

Esther was described as an ordinary young woman of eighteen. She worked as a servant and had no particular interest in the supernatural. Nothing in her background suggested a predisposition toward unusual experiences.

The Triggering Event

In late August 1878, Esther was sexually assaulted by a man named Bob MacNeal. Though she escaped before the attack was completed, the trauma was severe. MacNeal fled Amherst immediately after and was never seen in the area again.

Within days of the assault, strange phenomena began occurring around Esther. The disturbances would continue for over a year, becoming one of the most documented poltergeist cases of the nineteenth century.

The Initial Phenomena

The activity began on September 4, 1878. Esther and her sister Jennie were in bed when Esther screamed that there was a mouse under the covers. They found nothing. The next night, a box under the bed moved repeatedly. When investigated, it jumped into the air of its own accord.

The following night, Esther’s body began to swell dramatically. Her face and limbs expanded to alarming proportions. Loud banging sounds erupted throughout the house. A message appeared scratched on the wall above her bed: “Esther Cox, you are mine to kill.”

Medical Investigation

The family called Dr. Carritte, a local physician. He witnessed phenomena including objects moving, loud sounds with no apparent source, and strange behavior on Esther’s part. His medical examination found nothing physically wrong with her, yet the swelling and other symptoms defied explanation.

Dr. Carritte observed a bucket of cold water on a table begin to bubble and boil while Esther was near it. He heard raps and knocks that seemed to respond intelligently to questions. He could not explain what he witnessed.

Escalation

The phenomena intensified over the following months. Objects flew through the air. Furniture moved on its own. The bed and other furniture would shake violently when Esther approached. Matches materialized and ignited spontaneously, starting fires throughout the house.

The fires became so frequent and dangerous that Esther was sent to live elsewhere. The phenomena followed her. Wherever she went, the disturbances continued. When she returned home, they resumed in full force.

Public Attention

The events attracted enormous public attention. Newspapers across North America reported on the case. Investigators, both amateur and professional, came to Amherst. Some witnessed phenomena; others saw nothing.

Walter Hubbell, an actor and author, came to investigate and lived with the family for several weeks. He witnessed and documented extensive phenomena, which he published in the book “The Haunted House: A True Ghost Story” in 1879. The book became a bestseller.

Theories

Various explanations were proposed. Some believed Esther was faking the phenomena, though investigators who watched her continuously found no evidence of fraud. The fires, in particular, seemed impossible to fake given their frequency and the surveillance she was under.

Others proposed that the trauma of her assault had triggered psychokinetic abilities. The nineteenth century had no framework for understanding such phenomena, but the pattern—a traumatized young person at the center of poltergeist activity—would be recognized by later researchers.

Resolution

The phenomena gradually diminished over 1879. Esther spent time in jail after being convicted of barn burning—a fire started by the poltergeist while she was working on a farm. After her release, the disturbances largely ceased.

Esther went on to live a relatively normal life. She married, had children, and rarely spoke of the Amherst events. She died in 1912.

Legacy

The Great Amherst Mystery remains one of the most thoroughly documented poltergeist cases of the nineteenth century. The number of witnesses, the variety of phenomena, and the duration of the outbreak make it a significant case in paranormal literature.

Walter Hubbell’s book ensured the case’s survival in public memory. Whether the phenomena were genuine poltergeist activity, an elaborate fraud, or something else entirely, the Great Amherst Mystery continues to fascinate those interested in the unexplained.