Spirits that Pass in the Night

I have written about my family's relationship to the "world famous Eddy Brothers" in a previous blog post; however, I am now experiencing renewed zeal as I finally made the trek to Chittenden with my elderly mother on Mother's Day.  This trip was especially important to me, as I wanted the opportunity to record and photograph these stones before they were vandalized or otherwise illegible due to time and weather.

1800's illustration of the Eddy Farmhouse

Today:  The High Life Ski Lodge was once the "Center of the Spirit Universe", as the Spiritualism Movement was at it's peak in 1874, and the Eddy's powers defied all "logic and reason" summoning apparitions from beyond the grave, and like their audience, from around the world. 

It was truly a beautiful spring afternoon and the air was rich with the fragrances of the season, wafting various currents of scent from lilac trees, apple blossoms and the sweet smell of hay growing in the surrounding fields.  We turned the car onto Chittenden Road (Meadow Lane Road) from Route 4 in Mendon.  After a very short time up this road,  I saw the sign "High Life Ski Lodge".  I immediately recognized the building as being the original homestead of the Eddy family from the pictures I had seen over the years.   I really, really wanted to go to the door and inside, but hesitated, as there were no cars or any sign of life around.  In retrospect, this was a foolish decision... perhaps I will return!

This is the other "half" of the original homestead, which is located directly across the  street from High Life Ski Lodge.  It appears to be undergoing a face lift or construction.

Across the road is the remaining part of the homestead, which was bifurcated and sold as a separate property many years ago. 

Another short distance down the road, also on the left, we discovered "Baird Cemetery", and we pulled off the road so that I could explore the contents.  Mom waited patiently in the air conditioned car.  It was here where I discovered the main family plot.

Baird Cemetery

Herein Baird Cemetery, lies Josephine M., and Daniel W. Eddy (man and wife) who were my great-grandmother's parents (Maude Eddy Manning).

Of the remaining stones, I found Maranda D. Eddy, Frances Lightfoot Eddy, James Eddy (whose stone has been repaired, and a piece is still missing, see below) and Gracie Eddy - the stone reads daughter of J? Eddy, died at 03 months.  Here also lies a grave entitled "Little Willie" and I can only assume this was a member of the Eddy family, as it was located in the family plot's vicinity. There are other stones within the charmed circle, but unfortunately the cemetery is poorly maintained and little to no repairs have been made to many of the surrounding stones. 

Maranda D. Eddy, "Entered the World of Spirits on March 29, 1871, E. 35 years, 4 months and 28 days.  The inscription reads:  
"Not here but risen.  Why seek ye the Living among the Dead."

Francis Lightfoot Eddy -  Civil War Veteran: 5th Regiment, Vermont Infantry

This is the grave of Delia Eddy and her date of death is incorrectly cited.   Delia married an Edward Brown, in 1874.

Zephaniah Eddy, husband of Julia Ann McCombs and father of the famous Eddy family.

"Gracie Eddy"

"Our Little Willie"
Darling Willie thou hast left us
and thy loss we deeply feel
But we know you are in Heaven
(When? Where?...... illegible)

James Eddy

It should be noted that Zephaniah and Julia had 11 [known] children, (see bottom of post).  I have noticed that this is incorrectly cited from many different sources.  These references commonly state that Julia and Zephaniah only had two or three children, but this most certainly is not the case. The children were not educated, as each attempt of attendance to school, yielded less than favorable results as both the children, as well as the teachers repeatedly witnessed apparitions, objects flying about the classroom and the sound of tappings, more commonly referred to, and known as, “spirit rappings.”  As the result of these disturbances, the Eddy children were forced out of schools and as far as we can determine, stayed home to help on the farm and or housework. 

There is an account of this in the first chapter of Col. Henry S. Olcott's book, People from the Other World. 

The children were social outcasts, ridiculed and some even threw rocks at them or chased them away.  Life was not better at home for the children, as Zephaniah often beat both mother and children in an attempt to drive out "The Evil One".

In fact, all eleven children possessed these abilities. There are eye-witness accounts of the Eddy youngsters playing in their fields, with other children. It has been documented that if one were to approach the group, some of the children would simply disappear into thin air.  

Arthur Conan Doyle wrote of Olcott's credibility, "Under these circumstances Olcott related in his newspaper articles, and afterwards in his remarkable book, "People from the Other World," that he saw in the course of ten weeks no fewer than four hundred apparitions appear out of this cabinet, of all sorts, sizes, sexes and races, clad in the most marvelous garments, babies in arms, Indian warriors, gentlemen in evening dress, a Kurd with a nine-foot lance, squaws who smoked tobacco, ladies in fine costumes. Such was Olcott's evidence, and there was not a statement he made for which he was not prepared to produce the evidence of a roomful of people. His story was received with incredulity then, and will excite little less incredulity now. Olcott, full of his subject and knowing his own precautions, chafed, as all of us chafe, at the criticism of those who had not been present, and who chose to assume that those who were present were dupes and simpletons. He says: "If one tells them of babies being carried in from the cabinet by women, of young girls with lithe forms, yellow hair and short stature, of old women and men standing in full sight and speaking to us, of half-grown children seen, two at a time, simultaneously with another form, of costumes of different makes, of bald heads, grey hair, black shocky heads of hair, curly hair, of ghosts instantly recognized by friends, and ghosts speaking audibly in a foreign language of which the medium is ignorant —their equanimity is not disturbed... The credulity of some scientific men, too, is boundless—they would rather believe that a baby could lift a mountain without levers, than that a spirit could lift an ounce."

      

 

"Mysterious sounds were heard about their cradles, strange voices called through the rooms they were in, they would play by the hour with beautiful children, visible only to their eyes and the mother's, who brought them flowers and pet animals, and romped with them; and once in a while, after they were tucked away in bed, their little bodies would be lifted gently and floated through the air by some mysterious power." -Olcott, People from the Other World.

The most important (personal) discovery I made was the grave-stones of Zephaniah and Julia McCombs Eddy.  As the mother of William and Horatio, photographing Julia's grave was an especially cool capture for me, as it has been recorded that she had possessed the most innate clairvoyance in the family, and had an unbroken record of generational paranormal activity.   It was from Julia that her children naturally adopted these amazing abilities. 

Olcott wrote of Julia, "Zephaniah Eddy, a farmer living in Weston, Vt., married one Julia McCombs, a girl of Scotch descent who was born in the same town.  She was first cousin to General Leslie Combs, of Kentucky, who changed his name to the present form, and distantly related to a noble Scotch family.... Mrs. Eddy inherited from her mother, the gift of "foreseeing," as it is called among the Scotch, or more properly, "clairvoyance," for she not only had pre-visions of future events, but also the faculty of seeing the denizens of the mysterious world about us, from whom she claimed to receive visits as commonly as thy were ordinary neighbors."  


Update 5/15/15:  from Cousin Heather, who gave me the lineage to the Salem Witch claim and the lineage goes like this   Zephaniah Eddy > Mary Salisbury > Zilpha Sophia Wescott > Mary Dyer > Edward Dyer > Anne Hutchinson. 

This is kind of exciting making claim to this era, from both Zephania and Julia!

An illustration of Mary Bradbury accusation of witchery

Olcott concludes this paragraph by stating that Julia's great-great-great grandmother was one of the accused Salem witches, but was rescued and escaped to Scotland.

I previously reported about my family's lineage with inaccuracy regarding Julia Ann McCombs to the Salem witch trials; and, after a very frustrating and long search to substantiate Julia's origins, I finally discovered the linage that links Julia McCombs Eddy to the Salem hysteria of 1692. ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT CONFIRMED BY VERMONT DEADLINE.

"Their mother Julia came from a long line of mediums and psychics.  Her great-great grandmother was Mary Perkins Bradbury, was tried, convicted and sentenced to hang on September 22, 1692, for witchcraft during the Salem witch hysteria.  Somehow, perhaps due to a bribe from the jailer, or a daring escape, she managed to gain freedom and flee to Amesbury.  after the hysteria had dwindled, she returned to Salisbury, where she died on December 20, 1700." Thomas D'Agostino who is the author of Legends, Lore and Secrets of New England.  


"Born to John and Judith Gater Perkins at Hilmorton, England, she was baptized September 3, 1615. Her family immigrated to America in 1631 and she married Thomas Bradbury of Salisbury, Massachusetts in 1636, one of the most distinguished citizens of the community." - legendsofamerica.com

"Examination of a Witch"

Of Mary Perkins Bradley and the Salem Witch Trials:  

"Witnesses testified that she assumed animal forms; her most unusual metamorphosis was said to have been that of a blue boar. Another allegation was that she cast spells upon ships. Over a hundred of her neighbors and townspeople testified on her behalf, but to no avail and she was found guilty of practicing magic and sentenced to be executed. Through the ongoing efforts of her friends, her execution was delayed. After the witch debacle had passed, she was released. By some accounts she was allowed to escape. Others claim she bribed her jailer. Another account claims that her husband bribed the jailer and took her away to Maine in a horse and cart. They returned to Massachusetts after the witch hysteria had died down. Mary Bradbury died of natural causes in her own bed in 1700, aged 85." - Wikipedia

More on her trial can be found by clicking here.

Now that we have that matter cleared up, let's move onto the Horton Cemetery which is where William and Horatio are buried.

The Eddy Brothers earned their notoriety during the very height of the Spiritualist movement.   When the very respected, and very doubtful Col. Henry S. Olcott was assigned the task of documenting their abilities, he almost scoffed at the idea.  Reluctantly, he arrived in Chittenden to record and debunk the latest craze in Spiritualism; but, what he witnessed and documented during his 10 week at the Eddy house was beyond anything that he could have imagined, in his wildest dreams.

The Cambridge University Press gives this description of Henry S.Olcott's book devoted to the Eddy Family:   People from the Other World (1875) "is an account of his investigations into the psychic powers of the Eddy brothers of Chittenden, Vermont, and two Philadelphia mediums. Olcott's report includes descriptions of séances, healings, levitation, teleportation and the famous Compton transfiguration. It is a classic of Victorian psychic research. 

Synopsis:  The lawyer and journalist Henry Steel Olcott (1832?1907) published People from the Other World in 1875. Part 1 of the work is a careful account of Olcott's 1874 investigations into the famous Eddy brothers of Chittenden, Vermont, and their claimed psychic powers. Part 2 is a report into two Philadelphia mediums who claimed to be able to call up two spirits called John and Katie King. The account includes descriptions of séances, healings, levitation, teleportation and the famous Compton transfiguration. Olcott, a founding member of the Theosophical Society and its first president, was a pioneer of psychical research. This work, deeply influenced by Helena Blavatsky (1831?1891), who he met at Chittenden, is one of his most popular. It offers an important insight into the nineteenth-century fascination with the occult and is a classic example of a Victorian attempt to approach the supernatural with the rigours of scientific investigation."

You can read the whole book online at:

People from the Other World - Harvard U

William H. Eddy                     Horatio G. Eddy

Like the original homestead, they were split up and are not buried in the family plot.  They found final rest about 1/3 of a mile from the center of town in Horton Cemetery, were both stones give reference to passing into the spirit life.  Also, they are not buried side by side, but one in front of the other.

There is another interesting fact, that I would like to mention and that is of Mary C. Eddy [Huntoon], William and Horatio's sister.  Mary also participated in the family's performances, and she, herself had the same amazing abilities as her brothers, but for some reason, she is often left out of the information that one may find online, or in books.  After Mary married, she moved to Pittsford, and continued to be a medium until the end of her days.  And, please, Dear Reader, do not confuse this person with Mary Baker Eddy.

~ TRACING THE ROOTS 

OF ZEPHANIAH EDDY AND OUR FAMILY TREE ~

Thomas Eddye begins the family tree, at least this is as far back as I could trace online.

Thomas Eddye - Born in Bristol, Glouchesteshire, England on 1538. He passed away in 1578 in England.

Great-Great-Great-Great Grandparents

William Eddy - Born in Bristol, Somerset, England on 1567 to Thomas Eddye - spouse is not known. William married Mary Fosten. He passed away in 1616 in Kent, England.

Mary Fosten - Born in England in 1568 to John Fosten and Elizabeth Ellen Munn. Mary married William Eddy and had 11 children. She passed away on 1611 in England.

Children

Anna Eddy 1603-1680
Mary Eddy 1591-1671
Mary Eddy 1589-1671
Phineas Eddy 1593-1641
John Eddy 1597-1684
Ellen Eddy 1599-1610
Abigail Eddy 1601-1687
Elizabeth Eddy 1606-1615
Samuel Eddy 1599-1685
Zachariah Benjamin Eddy 1610-1616
Nathaniel Eddy 1611-1911

Great-Great-Great Grandparents

Samuel Eddy Born in England on 1599 to William Eddy and Mary Fosten. Samuel married Elizabeth Savory. He passed away in 1685 in Massachusetts,

Elizabeth Savory - Born in Kent, England on 1608 to Thomas Savery and Mary Woodrorke. Elizabeth married Samuel Eddy and had 7 children. She passed away in 1689 in Massachusetts.

Children

Caleb Eddy 1639-1712
John Eddy1645-1695
Zachariah Eddy 1640-1718
Obadiah Eddy 1643-1722
Hannah Eddy 1647-1724
*Elizabeth Eddy 1650-1709
Samuel Eddy 1650-1694

Great-Great Grandparents:

Zachariah Eddy - Born in Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts, USA on 1640 to Samuel Eddy and Elizabeth Savory. Zachariah married Alice Paddock.  He died in 1718 in Plymouth, Massachusetts,

Alice Paddock - Born in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, in 1640 to Robert Paddock and Mary Holmes. Alice married Zachariah Eddy and had 9 children. She passed away in 1682 in Swansee, Massachusetts.

Children

Elizabeth Eddy 1670-1718
Joshua Eddy 1679-1768
Samuel Eddy 1673-1718
Zachariah Eddy 1664-1737
John Eddy 1666-1726
Ebenezer Eddy 1675-1726
Caleb Eddy1678-1748
Obadiah Eddy 1683-1757
Alice Eddy 1684-1770

Great Grandparents

Joshua Eddy 1679-1768   Born in Middleboro, Massachusetts, in 1679 to Zachariah Eddy and Alice Paddock. Joshua married Hannah Stevens. He died in 1768 in Gloucester, Massachusetts

Hannah Stevens 1680-1757: Hannah Stevens - Born in Massachusetts, in 1680. Hannah married Joshua Eddy and had 11 children. She passed away in 22 Nov 1757 in Gloucester, Massachusetts

Children

Thomas Eddy 1723-1795
Benjamin Eddy 1710-1762
Jonathan Eddy 1712-1791
Daniel Eddy 1713-1793
Nathaniel Eddy 1715-1750
Hannah Eddy 1718-1718
Zachariah Eddy 1720-1781
James Eddy 1725-1795
Peter Eddy 1723-1799
William Eddy 1729-1788
John Eddy 1730-1823

Zephaniah Eddy's Grandparents:

Peter Eddy  Born in Swanson, Massachusetts, in 1723 to Joshua Eddy and Hannah Stevens. Peter married Mary Round and had 6 children. He passed away in 1799 in Clarenden, Vermont

Mary Round - Born circa 1727, in Swansea or Bristol, MA, and was the daughter of John Round III, and Mary Rounds.  She was the wife of Peter Eddy, with whom she had 6 children.  She died in 1775 and her place of death is currently not known.

Children

James S Eddy 1760-1820
John Eddy 1753-1824
Mary Eddy 1773-1800
Peleg Eddy 1759-1829
Zerviah Eddy 1756-1838
Jonathan Eddy 1764-1836

Zephaniah Eddy's Parents:

James Eddy born on July 8, 1764 in Scituate / Providence, RI, Son of Peter Eddy and Mary (Rounds) Eddy.  James Eddy married Mary Salisbury, and he passed away on June 29, 1849 in Rutland or Clarendon, VT.

Mary Eddy (Salisbury), wife of James Eddy, was born on November 16, 1763 in Scituate / Providence, RI.  She was the daughter of Abraham Salisbury and Zilpha (or Sophia) Wescott.  She died August 1, 1844 in Clarendon, Rutland, VT.

Children

Zephannah Eddy Unknown-1847
Peleg Eddy 1794-1862
Ruth Eddy 1791-1867
Mary A Eddy 1798-1896
Ezekiel Eddy 1784-1890
Zephaniah Eddy 1804-1862

Zephaniah Eddy (Siblings: James, Peter, Joshua, Zachariah, Samue, William Eddye) was born in 1804 at Clarendon, Vermont,. He married Julia Ann MacCombs, daughter of John MacCombs and Lydia ? of Weston, Vermont.  He died on 13 July 1862 at Chittenden, Vermont

Children of Zephaniah Eddy and Julia Ann MacCombs were as follows:

John Westley; d. at ; b. circa 1832 at Chittenden, Vermont.

William H. b. 10 Sep 1832 at Chittenden, Vermont; m. Sarah J. Drown, daughter of Walter Drown and Harriet ? on December 14, 1870 at Mendon; 2nd marriage was to Alice Parent, daughter of Lewis L. Parent and Elizabeth?, on January 1, 1889 at Chittenden, Vermont, ; d. 25 Oct 1932 at age 80

Francis Lightfoot; b. circa 1834 at Chittenden, Vermont, ; d. 18 Mar 1862 at Chittenden, Vermont.

Maranda D. b. circa 1836 at Chittenden, Vermont, ; d. 29 Mar 1871 at Chittenden.  Her tombstone reads, "Not here risen, Why seek ye living among the dead".

Sophia Jane, m. Sylvester S. Chase; b. circa 18 Feb 1840 at Clarendon, Vt.,  Mother of Hattie B. (Chase) Smith

Horatio G. b. September 8, 1842 at Chittenden, Vermont, m. Zelma L. Hussey, daughter of John Hussey and Helen ?, 22 Sep 1886 at age 44 in Chittenden, Zelma was born in 1866, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Horatio passed away on September 8, 1922, at age 80.

Mary C., b. circa 1846 at Chittenden, Vermont;  Wife of Hiram Judson Huntoon;  Mother of Juda Huntoon; Iona Huntoon; Warren Lee Huntoon; Daisy May Huntoon; Lola Grace Huntoon; Inger Anne Huntoon; Robert Judson Huntoon; Alice Delia Huntoon; Hudson Huntoon and Theresa Irene Huntoon

James H.; b. circa 1846 at Chittenden, Vermont; d. 18 Apr 1862 at Chittenden.

Delia M., b. circa 1850 at Chittenden, Vermont; Wife of Edward Brown and
Mother of Joseph Brown .

Daniel Webster, m. Mary Josephine Rivers; b. 17 Sep 1853 at Chittenden, Vermont, ; m. Eva J. Heusted.

Alice Julia, b. 20 Apr 1857 at Chittenden, Vermont; m. Willis W. West.

And back to me....

Daniel Webster, Husband of Eva J. Heusted and Mary Josephine Rivers

Daniel fathered the following children with Mary Josephine Rivers:  Warren Eddy; Maude May Eddy; Grace Eddy; Daniel Eddy; James Henry Eddy; George Willis Eddy; Warren Lee Eddy; Mabel Lizzie Eddy; Jessie Eddy; Stella Eddy and Homer Allen Stetson Eddy

Maude May Eddy was my Great Grandmother. 

Maude was born in Holden, VT on December 13, 1881 (a hamlet of Chittenden) and married Fredson Ellingsworth Manning and had 4 girls:  Gertrude Marian Manning; Margery Lillian Manning; Bessie Estella Manning and Myrtle Maud Manning.

Gertrude Marian Manning was my Grandmother.  Gertrude was born on August 24, 1898 and married Percy Herman Hinckley.  They  had 6 children, Donald Jesse, Marjorie, Jesse Burton ("Burt"), MaryLou and Gerald Allen.

My Dad was Gerald Allen Hinckley and he was born on January 22, 1930, and died in Berlin, Vermont on December 29, 2012.  Gerald married Elaine Rita Coutermarsh of Springfield, VT and they had 4 children:  David Jesse - October 30, 1957, Diana Marie - March 1, 1960, Denise Adrienne (me!) - May 25, 1964, and Donald Jeffrey - June 8, 1968 (died, November 7, 2009).