Reflections of the Forgotten: New Brunswick's Haunted Treasures

 

When it comes to New Brunswick's coastlines and forests they don't just whisper ghost stories, they guard secrets of gold, betrayal, and spectral warnings that have echoed for centuries. 

In this edition of The Mirror Watches, we descend into the fog laced legends of New Brunswick's most elusive and eerie treasures. From the rugged shores of Grand Manan, tales swirl of Captain Kidd's buried hoard at Money Cove, watched over by a headless ghost who has been condemned to eternal vigilance. Not far away, tales of the Pirate's Ghost is said to roam the island, another restless soul tethered to his plunder. Inland, in the village of Apohaqui, there is hidden whispers of Major Studholme's lost fortune, a cache never recovered from the days of Loyalist upheaval. While in Fredericton, Currie Mountain looms with it's own legend of hidden riches, protected by strange omens and unexplained phenomena. While off the misty coast of St. Martins, a phantom ship sails the Bay of Fundy, it's fiery silhouette a harbinger of doom. These are not just stories, these are obsessions, warnings, and riddles that have been carved into the land. Ans as always, The Mirror Watches...and sometimes the reflection reveals more than you bargained for. 

Captain Kidd's Treasure

Known as one of New Brunswick's most enduring Pirate Legends, which is centered around Money Cove, on Gran Manan Island. According to locals the infamous pirate had buried his treasure there which is now guarded by a ghostly figure. 

Captain William Kidd was a Scottish sea captian who turned pirate in the late 1600s. He was executed in 1701 for piracy and murder. While most of his exploits had taken place in the Caribbean and off the American coast, Maritime folklore places his treasure in the Bay of Fundy, on the Island of Grand Manan which is located in New Brunswick, Canada. 

The legend is tied to a place now known as Money Cove, which is a rocky slope on the island that has drawn treasure hunters for generations. Yet, the tale spins from a dream that a woman on nearby Campobello Island had reportedly had. In the dream she claimed that a headless black man appeared to her, and claimed he had been murdered by Captain Kidd's crew to guard a treasure buried in a Hogshead. (Large Barrel). 

In the dream the woman claimed that the ghost showed her the exact location of the treasure buried on Grand Manan Island. He pleaded for her to free him from his eternal duty. So, this woman and her sons had gone to the location and had began to dig. However, when one of them spoke out loud, the ghost from her dream had appeared and the treasure vanished. This reinforces an old Maritime superstition that silence is essential when retrieving a cursed treasure. 

This story is well known among the residents of Grand Manan Island and has become part of the island's folklore. Some believe that the treasure still remains out there hidden and protected by the restless spirit. 

The Pirate's Ghost

Also located on Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, this lost treasure story centers around Long Pond, where locals believe that a spectral figure haunts the waters, and is believed to be a restless spirit of a long dead pirate that is guarding a hidden treasure. 

This is located close to Seal Cove, in the Bay of Fundy, and Grand Manan has long been associated with stories of pirate's and lost treasure. Especially tales of the infamous Captain Kidd, but also other seafarers who may have buried treasure along the rugged coastline. The truth is that the island's location and its dramatic cliffs have made fertile ground for ghost stories, especially ones that involve pirates, cursed treasure and restless spirits. 

One of the most vivid accounts of the apparition came from a man named Vernon Bagley, who was a former game warden and was a life long resident on Gran Manan. Bagley was known for a fearless nature, but even he admitted that he was deeply shaken by what he saw at Long Pond. He claimed the ghost was dressed in tattered seafaring clothes, and had a spectral glow to it, and a chilling presence. He said that it appeared near the waters edge and then just vanished without a trace. 

The story of his encounter had quickly spread around the Island and many of its residents began to avoid Long Pond after dark. Some of them claim to hear whispers on the wind, while others have said they have seen shadows creeping across the water. 

The pirate ghost is believed to be guarding some buried treasure that could possibly be linked to Captain Kidd or some other pirate who met a violent end on the island. There have been reports of hearing voices on the wind, especially on foggy nights. Some claim they sound like warnings, or old sea shanties, but no one has ever found a source for these sounds. 

Multiple residents have described seeing shadowy silhouettes near the waters edge, which often vanish when they are approached. Many residents believe that these shadows are ghosts of pirates or shipwreck victims. 

Many of the local fishermen have spotted strange lights that hover over Long Pond. Sometimes these lights move erratically and disappear in the woods. These are often attributed to being ghost lanterns or spirit beacons. Visitors to the Island have shared stories of feeling watched or experiencing sudden chills while hiking near Long Pond or exploring the cliffs of Grand Manan. Some have even made claims of equipment malfunctioning which only adds to the mystery of these pirate ghosts.

Major Studholme's Treasure

Major Gilfrid Studholme's treasure is a legendary tale in Apohaqui, New Brunswick. The tale involves a buried pot of gold, a ghostly horseman, and a haunting that has kept treasure hunters at bay for centuries. 

He was a British Army officer who was born in Dublin in 1740. He served in both the 27th and 40th Regiments, and participated in campaigns in Martinque and Havana. Gilfrid had been stationed in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, where he eventually commanded Fort Howe in Saint John. In 1783, Studholme had played a key role in welcoming Loyalist refugees after the American Revolution, and helped them settle in Saint John and surrounding areas like Apohaqui. 

He had passed away unmarried in 1792, and was buried in an unmarked grave on a hill in Apohaqui. He had no heirs, but was believed to be quite wealthy. According to local legend, he buried an iron pot that was filled with gold coins on the highest point of the range of hills North of the Kennebecasis River, around near where the Millstream joins. This treasure was supposedly hidden to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, possibly during the Loyalist resettlement. 

Over many years treasure hunters have searched these hills especially under the cover of the night sky, hoping to find the buried treasure. However, the legend includes a ghostly horseman, who is believed to be Studholme himself, and this ghost is said to have been seen carrying the phantom treasure on his spectral steed. However, those how have tried to dig near his grave where frightened away by this apparition, which reinforces the belief that his treasure is guarded by his restless spirit. 

While this haunting is not aggressive, just protecting as the ghost only appears when someone gets too close to his beloved treasure it can be quite frightening. 

Currie Mountain Treasure

This legendary tale comes from Douglas, New Brunswick located near Fredericton. This legend involves buried pirate gold, a cursed sword, and a ghostly guardian who appears if anyone tries to speak while digging. This is one of the provinces most enduring supernatural stories. 

The treasure is said to be located on Currie Mountain, which is a volcanic hill located on the north side of the Saint John River. This is one of the few places in the province to have exposed volcanic rook, which makes the area popular for hiking. 

Beyond it's natural beauty, Currie Mountain is also known for it's pirate legend, which has been passed down through generations. According to local legend, a pirate crew had sailed up the Saint John River, and buried their treasure on Currie Mountain. To protect the gold, they murdered the weakest crew member and buried him with the treasure. A cursed sword was placed atop the hoard, so that if anyone spoke while digging, the ghost of the murdered pirate would rise to defend it. 

Years later, two brothers found a map for the treasure and went to dig in silence, but when they struck something they began to speak, and a flaming ghost appeared and terrified them which caused the treasure to vanish. This again reinforces the common maritime superstition to never speak while retrieving a cursed treasure or it will disappear. 

The murdered pirate is said to haunt this mountain, appearing as a flaming specter when disturbed. Some hikers have reported the feeling of being watched or the experience of sudden chills near the summit, especially at dusk. The legend has actually discouraged many from searching for the treasure fearing the curse and the ghosts wrath. 

St. Martins Phantom Ship

There is a legendary phantom ship legend connected to Quaco Head in St. Martins New Brunswick. The Phantom vessel appears every seven years and quite often before bad storms. The vessel appears engulfed in flames but never consumed. The ghost shop is one of the provinces most enduring maritime hauntings. 

It is always seen off the coast of Quaco Head, St. Martins, New Brunswick. The legend dates back over one hundred years, and are believed to be tied to a ship that burned at sea with all hands lost. St. Martins had at one time been a major ship building hub, where over five hundred vessels were built between 1803 and 1900. This phantom ship is said to be a spectral reminder of the era. 

The ship is always described as a three mast vessel with it's sails and rigging ablaze, yet the ship is never consumed by fire. Witnesses have claimed to see dark shadows of crew members running across the deck, seemingly unaware of their fiery fate. The ship appears every seven years, and most often in the fall and just before storms. 

Both residents and visitors have reported sightings of the ship especially during turbulent weather. The ship glides silently across the bay and vanishes just as quickly as it arrives. Some believe the phantom ship to be a residual haunting that replays the tragic final moments of the doomed ship. But others, see it as a warning omen of approaching storms. 

From the windswept cliffs of Grand Manan to the shadowed forests of Fredericton New Brunswick. The province's legends of lost treasure and ghostly guardians weave a tapestry of mystery that refuses to fade from the mind. Captain Kidd's gold may lie beneath cursed soil, while the pirate ghost still prowls the coast in search of redemption or maybe revenge. Major Studholme's Loyalist fortune remains hidden in Apohaqui's quiet earth and Currie Moutnain guards its secrets with very strange and unearthly signs. All the while offshore, the St. Martins Phantom Ship sails through time, a burning omen on the waves. All of these stories are more than folklore, they are reflections of obsession, greed, and the restless dead. And as always, The Mirror Watches...and sometimes it reflects what should never be seen.