Ocean Born Mary House

On the morning of July 28, 1720, the sailing vessel Wolf enroute from Ireland to the New World with a party of Scotch-Irish immigrants was overtaken by pirates within sight of the Massachusetts coast. The pirates boarded the Wolf and began the systematic pillaging of the passengers. Apparently the take was somewhat less than satisfactory and the mood grew ugly. As the passengers cowered before the threats of the pirate leader, Captain Pedro, the cry of a newborn infant was heard below decks.

At the first sign of the pirate? attack, the wife of Captain Wilson, skipper of the Wolf had gone into labor several weeks ahead of her expected due date. The superstitious Captain Pedro took the premature birth as a sign and agreed to quit the Wolf forthwith if Mrs. Wilson would promise to name her new daughter Mary after the pirate captain? wife. Mrs. Wilson agreed, and the pirate left the Wolf only to reboard a few minutes later with an armload full of gifts for the ocean-born baby girl. The gifts included a swatch of greenish blue brocade silk.

The immigrants continued their journey and settled in Londonderry, N.H., where Captain Pedro continued to keep tabs on his ocean-born prot?· At age 18, ocean born Mary Wilson was married to Thomas Wallace. Their union produced four sons and was apparently a happy one, but Thomas Lawless died leaving his widow with four children to support.

About this time the aging Captain Pedro decided to retire and purchased 100 acres of land in the hills outside of Henniker. Pedro built a comfortable mansion on the estate and invited Mary and her sons to come live with him, offering her the position of housekeeper. Mary accepted and went on to lead a reasonably happy life at Henniker, although her existence there was marred by several incidents of violence.

Legend has it that Captain Pedro? former crew men were constantly sneaking around the grounds in search of the treasure he took with him into retirement. Eventually Pedro succumbed to a knife in the back. It is reported that his dying request was to be buried under the hearthstone in the kitchen and that Mary complied. Mary lived on at the house until the age of 94. Long before she died Captain Pedro? mansion had become known as the ?cean Born Mary House.·

Many years later the house passed into the hands of Gus Roy who opened it to the public, proudly displaying the brocade of silk given to the new born Mary Wilson by the pirate Captain Pedro. Roy eventually sold the house to David and Careen Russel.

In the mid-1960s author Suzie Smith interviewed Russel and asked him why he didn? remove the hearthstone to see if Captain Pedro? treasure was interred with the body. Russel replied, ?f I own what is supposedly buried under the stone of Captain Pedro? grave, I am a rich man. If I dig for it and find it, the government will take most of it. If I dig and discover that there is nothing there, I have nothing.·

There may, however, be another reason for Russel? reluctance to search for Captain Pedro? treasure. Legend has it that whoever disturbs the pirate? grave will meet with a sudden and violent death. What? more ·according to former owner Gus Roy ·the ?cean Mary House·is haunted.