Underrated Ghost Stories And Mythical Creatures All Over The World
Nevis is a beautiful island in the Caribbean Sea and there are a lot of things to do here like hiking to the top of a volcano, sailing, snorkeling, walking on the beach, biking around, visiting the museum to know the history of Nevis, and more.
A scenic view showing Nevis. (Link: https://www.steppestravel.com/destinations/caribbean/saint-kitts-and-nevis/)
Although Nevis is not as popular as its neighbor St. Kitts, Nevis is more famous when it comes to giving people a good scare. This is because the Eden Brown Estate is located at the Nevis island. It was a former plantation but is now abandoned and is said to be haunted.
What remains of the Eden Brown Estate. (Link: https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-americas/murder-eden-brown-estate-another-paradise-lost-009156)
The History Of Eden Brown Estate
The Eden Brown Estate was once a sugar plantation and is located in Saint James Windward parish. The estate is 85 meters above sea level and is around 30 minutes from Charlestown. The Eden Brown Estate lies in ruin now but many still visit it in hopes of seeing the ghost of a woman.
An undated photo of the Eden Brown Estate in the past. (Link: https://www.she-travels.com/travel-diary1/nevis-eden-brown-haunted-estate)
The Eden Brown Estate was established in 1740 by one James Browne Sr. He developed the sugar mill enterprise in the area. James Browne Jr. tried to make upgrades in their estate but because he became sick numerous times due to the humid weather, he went to North America and left the estate to his sister, Elizabeth White sometime in 1797. Elizabeth, however, sold the property to a Scottish-Irish decent businessman named Edward Huggins. He was the one who developed the estate into a more successful sugar enterprise.
An illustration of the sugar plantation at the Eden Brown Estate. (Link: https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-americas/murder-eden-brown-estate-another-paradise-lost-009156)
Edward had a daughter named Julia and he made the estate so much grander as a gift to his daughter who was about to marry the son of the wealthy Maynard family. To impress the other family, Edward bought a lot of furniture, silver and dishware, and delicacies from places like Africa and China. Edward wanted everyone to know that their families were the wealthiest in Nevis.
However, people who looked up to Edward started to feel otherwise in 1817 after he was brought to trial due to his cruelty to their slaves. This was actually a landmark case in Nevis because it has started the movement of the freedom of the slaves in the area that eventually led to the 1833 Act of Emancipation.
The family all the more suffered from unfortunate events because a feud occurred on Julia’s wedding day between her groom and their best man. Accordingly, the groom and the best man, Julia’s brother, had a fight over the harsh treatment of Edward of his slaves. Others claim they were fighting about a slave mistress. Some also said that the death of the groom and the best man were intentional to cover up the fact that Edward never really wanted Julia to marry the son of the Maynard family because he was a murderer.
It remains unknown what the fight was really about but they ended up shooting each other with their pistols. After the death of both men, people started to leave the mansion. Julia allegedly lost her mind, never married another man, and lived out the rest of her life in isolation. She stayed at their family home in Mountravers but she found her way back to the Eden Brown Estate after she died and is said to haunt it to this day.
The Ghost Of Julia At The Eden Brown Estate
Many people visit the Eden Brown Estate because of its historical importance and because it is supposed to be haunted by the ghost of the grieving bride, Julia.
Visitor Center Coordinator for the Nevis Tourism Authority, Alexis Arthurton, was interviewed about what visitors have seen or heard when they visited the Eden Brown Estate and he shared, “Upon visiting the ruins, some claim to hear Julia’s wails of sorrow echoing through the walls. On nights of a full moon, she has been sighted on the steps of the house wearing a tattered wedding gown. Persons who have camped overnight at the property claim to hear the scream of a woman, there are a few who have actually seen her spirit.”
Locals claim that they can feel the presence of someone whenever they go near the area. It is also dubbed as eerie by tourists who have visited but did not stay overnight or saw the ghost of Julia.
Some have also reportedly encountered the ghost of the two men.
The ruins are always open and going there is free.
The Eden Brown Estate today. (Link: https://mail.nevisisland.com/nevis-history/historical-sites-landmarks/eden-brown-estate)
