PEXPED's video: The Mercy Brown Vampire: 50 Legends 50 States Rhode Island

In 50 Legends, 50 States, Pexped travels from state to state exploring the strangest and creepiest legends of each state. From the paranormal, lost treasures, deadly curses and mythical creatures we will find the hidden secrets of each state. So what's in your backyard? During the 19th century, New England was going through a time of scare. A rapid outbreak Tuberculosis spread throughout the area of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont. At the time, it was thought that Tuberculosis came from deceased humans consuming the life out of their victims as a Vampire would. During this period of time called the New England Vampire Panic, many bodies were exhumed, or taken out of their graves to be burned. It was thought that burning the organs of the dead, would prevent the body from becoming a Vampire and spreading the disease. In the late 1800’s, in the small town of Exeter, Rhode Island, members of the Brown family began to show signs of Consumption or Tuberculosis. In 1883, the family mother, Mary died first, soon after daughter Mary Olive passed away. In 1892, daughter Mercy died of the disease. As consumption spread rapidly throughout the family, the people of Exeter began to take notice. Residents began to think that one of the passed away Brown family members was a Vampire, giving the disease to the family. At the time, as stated before, the only way to stop a Vampire was to dig the grave up in which the Vampire lives, and burn the bodies organs. Residents convinced the Father, George Brown, to exhume the bodies of Mary and Mary Olive Brown. On March 17, 1892, with the help of a local doctor, the bodies were exhumed. Both bodies showed strong decomposition. They moved on to Mercy Brown. Upon digging up the body, the Doctor noticed unlike the other bodies, Mercy’s still looked alive. Blood was still running through some organs including the heart. Residents thought for sure Mercy was the Vampire. Legend has it that Mercy’s heart was removed and burned. The ashes of the heart were mixed into water and given as a drink to George son Edwin, who had Consumption. This was thought to cure victims of consumption, though in now less than two months, Edwin passed away. Mercy Brown’s body was later reburied with what remained of it. It was later found out that Mercy was originally buried in a freezer-like crypt that kept her body frozen, giving her the look as if she was alive. Today you can still find Mercy’s grave in the cemetery of the Baptist Church of Exeter. Many paranormal investigators visit the location in hope of contacting Mercy Brown. Though modern medicine has shown the real causes of Tuberculosis and cures, this story still shows the length that some families would go to help their loved one survive. Thank you for watching. www.pexped.com www.patreon.com/pexped www.facebook.com/pexped www.twitter.com/paulexpeditions www.instagram.com/paulexpeditions Music: Echos Of Time by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100283 Artist: http://incompetech.com/