In Jamaica, not far from Montego Bay, sits the Rose Hall Plantation, a Georgian mansion from the 1770’s. While the structure itself is quite impressive, it’s what happened within its walls that made this property widely famous and feared by locals. According to the tour guides on this sprawling estate, it belonged to Annie Palmer, a woman well known for her sadistic sexual appetite, murderess impulses, and extensive knowledge in Voodoo.
The Early Life Of Annie
Annie Mary Paterson was born in 1802 and despite rumors of being raised by voodoo priests in Haiti after being orphaned, Annie was actually raised by her mother, grandfather, and eventually a stepfather before marrying John Palmer at the age of 17. She may have spent time in Haiti and very well may have been taught voodoo from a young age, but there is no actual proof of this.
Married Life: The Calm Before The Storm
After moving to Jamaica and marrying John Palmer in 1820, the couple moved into the Rose Hall Plantation. This is where things get out of control in Annie’s history. Shortly after becoming the mistress of the estate, John Palmer died of heart failure. Rumors of Annie poisoning him began to circulate immediately. A young bride, widowed and standing to inherit this massive plantation home sounded like motive enough to many.
Once, Twice, Three Times The Killer
If local lore is to be taken seriously, Annie remarried twice more and both men died under suspicious circumstances. Whispers of this “white witch” of Haitian voodoo also being a black widow became fact among locals. Although, there is no evidence that Annie ever remarried after John and she couldn’t murder men that didn’t exist. Her last name remained Palmer until her death.
Annie’s Sexual Appetite
The stories don’t stop at husband-killing. Locals will tell you all about Annie’s ferocious sexual appetite. They detail how she enjoyed seducing and torturing all of her slaves. She allegedly kept sharp instruments in her bedroom and large torture equipment stored in the basement. Annie was accused of beating slaves into submission with whips and planting bear traps throughout the property to snare anyone who had the audacity to wander too far. She would have her lovers killed once she tired of them, watching excitedly from her bedroom window as they were hanged.
A Magical And Murderous Affair
There is a story about one slave in particular, that Annie formed a close relationship with. His name was Takoo and he was also well-versed in dark magic. He helped Annie hone her skills and even taught her a few new evil tricks. The two were a force to be reckoned with until Annie let her jealousy get the best of her. She cursed someone Takoo deeply cared for and that was the end of their alliance. Takoo led the charge against Rose Hall; first strangling Annie to death and then rallying the troops to destroy every painting of Annie on the property. He believed she could come back through mirrors and her portraits but he failed to destroy them all.
Allegedly, someone botched the magic incantations during her burial ceremony, allowing her soul free passage. Annie’s ghost can be found roaming the halls or riding around the plantation at night, whip in hand, ready to lash anyone she comes across.
Archival Evidence
Substantial evidence is missing from all of these claims. There is no proof that Annie had the financial means to own any slaves to seduce and kill in the first place. The archival records show Annie had no money and no new husbands to gain financial security from. That doesn’t mean she didn’t have money hidden away or that she married outside the country but on the books, she had nothing and John Palmer accumulated a significant amount of debt before he died. According to records, Annie was unable to afford to stay in Rose Hall for very long and she certainly didn’t have the funds for a torture chamber re-model of the basement.
Burial discrepancies
Legend has it, Annie was entombed on the property. Her body was surrounded by crosses to confine her evil spirit to her grave. Interestingly enough, there is a record of yet another burial for Annie Palmer. There is another claim that Annie didn’t die in Rose Hall, she died in 1846 at Bonavista, near Anchovy and was buried in the churchyard at Montego Bay. Of course, no tombstone marks the spot, but that’s two gravesites that claim to hold the same woman. Obviously, she can’t be in both graves, which begs the question, if Annie is not in the stone crypt at Rose Hall, who is?
Immortalizing Myths
A whole lot of work with very little evidence went into creating this vicious beast out of thin air. Books, documentaries, and even songs have spawned from the legend of the White Witch of Rose Hall. Johnny Cash was inspired by the island lore and wrote The Ballad of Annie Palmer. Verses like: “Where’s your husband Annie, where’s number two and three? Are they sleeping beneath the palms beside the Carrabin Sea?”
The grand 19th-century Georgian plantation home was saved and restored to its former beauty back in the 1960’s by a former lieutenant governor for Delaware state, John Rollins.
Care was taken to match the original style and furnishings of the home. One of the few original pieces of the home is said to be the ornately decorated mahogany mirror in Annie’s bedroom in which many guests have seen a reflection showing more than just themselves.
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