Esther Cox and the Great Amherst Mystery
Esther Cox is real. The mystery is still unsolved. I'm going to buy the book by Laurie Glenn Norris to read her version of the story.
In 1878 eighteen-year-old Esther Cox arrived in Amherst, Nova Scotia, to live with her sister’s family. Shortly after Esther moved in, the story goes, the house was plagued by unexplained occurrences—something (or someone) knocked on the walls, hid household items, moved furniture around, and set fires. Esther herself was subject to mysterious fevers, prodding and, on one occasion, stabbing. These occurrences followed her when she went to stay with other families in the area. Eventually she was charged with robbery and spent a month in jail, after which the haunting ceased.
Was Esther the victim of paranormal powers or the troubled mind behind a series of elaborate hoaxes? At the time of her alleged haunting, the plausibility of Esther Cox’s claims were hotly debated in newspapers and by fellow Amherst residents. In the hundred years since her death, Esther’s story has been retold numerous times and she remains to this day the town’s most famous historical figure.
Promotion for the book - Haunted Girl: Esther Cox and the Great Amherst Mystery by Laurie Glenn Norris
- Esther Fest takes place in October, of course. "including the Ghost Walks, the Psychic Fair, ghost investigations, and the Great Amherst Street Party." Amherst, Nova Scotia.
- The Great Amherst Mystery - A page about the mystery and afterwards with books, plays and other media.
- CBC - The haunting of Esther Cox is still a mystery in Amherst
- Mysteries of Canada - The Great Amherst Mystery: Canada’s Most Famous Poltergeist