Incident Summary

The Tragedy: In the late 1880s and early 1890s, tuberculosis devastated the family of farmer George T. Brown. His wife, Mary, died first in 1883, followed by their eldest daughter, Mary Olive, in 1888. His 19-year-old daughter, Mercy Lena Brown, succumbed to the disease in January 1892. Shortly after, his 24-year-old son, Edwin, fell critically ill with the same wasting disease.

The Folk Belief: Unaware of how infectious bacteria spread, neighbors believed that one of the deceased family members was feeding on Edwin’s vitality from beyond the grave. According to regional superstition, if a deceased relative's corpse maintained uncoagulated blood or preserved tissue, they were "vampiric" and draining the life force of surviving family members.

The Exhumation (March 19, 1892): Yielding to community pressure, George Brown allowed local residents, along with Dr. Harold Metcalf, to exhume the bodies of his wife and two daughters at Chestnut Hill Cemetery.

The Finding: The bodies of Mary and Mary Olive showed normal decomposition. However, Mercy’s body—which had been kept in an above-ground freezer vault through a harsh winter—exhibited minimal decomposition, with fresh blood remaining in her heart and liver.

The "Cure": Despite Dr. Metcalf explaining that the preservation was completely natural due to the freezing winter temperatures, the men removed Mercy’s heart and liver, burned them on a nearby rock, and mixed the ashes with water. They fed this concoction to the dying Edwin as a medicinal tonic.

Aftermath: The folk ritual failed to save Edwin, who died two months later in May 1892. Mercy's remains were reburied in Chestnut Hill Cemetery.

Quotes & Historical Accounts

1. On the Superstition Behind the Ritual
The Providence Journal reported on the incident shortly after the exhumation, describing the belief held by the townspeople:

"…by some unexplained and unreasonable way in some part of the deceased relative's body live flesh and blood might be found, which is supposed to feed on the living who are in feeble health."

2. The Doctor’s Scientific Explanation
Dr. Harold Metcalf, who performed the examination of the bodies on-site, tried to dispel the supernatural claims, stating:

"The body showed no decomposition, but this was easily accounted for by the fact that it had been kept in a freezing condition in the vault."

3. The Father's Skepticism
George Brown did not personally subscribe to the vampire belief, but acquiesced to quiet his neighbors and out of desperation for his surviving son. A contemporary newspaper noted:

"Mr. Brown himself had no faith in the theory, but yielded to the entreaties of his neighbors, who believed that by burning the heart of the dead daughter, the life of the living son might be saved."

4. Literary Legacy (H.P. Lovecraft)
Rhode Island native H.P. Lovecraft drew directly on the Exeter incident for his short story The Shunned House:

"As lately as 1892, an Exeter community exhumed a dead body and ceremoniously burnt its heart in order to prevent certain alleged visitations..."