This investigation took place in June of 2016. It was one of the most memorable ones we’ve done!
It was a cold, gray, Thursday afternoon. All the members of the GMPS investigation team were busy packing their cars to begin the three hour drive to Saint-Andrews, New Brunswick. Excitement was felt by all. We were about to do something that had been on our bucket lists for quite some time: Spend the night in the Charlotte County Gaol for an overnight investigation.
We arrived in the small sea-side village of Saint-Andrews around suppertime, so naturally we decided to stop at a local pub to grab a bite to eat. The locals were super friendly and made us feel welcome. We were all in such a hurry to get to the gaol that we didn’t waste much time eating our food. We quickly finished and hurried back to our cars. We drove through the downtown area and made our way up a hill where the we caught the first glimpse of the Charlotte County Courthouse. As we approached, the gaol came into view. I felt a pit in my stomach when i finally saw it with my own eyes. It was a large, gray, stone building. It did not have the same beautiful architectural design the courthouse had. It was cold, and uninviting; the perfect setting for a building that housed criminals.
We got out of our cars and walked towards the front door. The small slits in the facade of the building that appeared to be much too small to be windows, were in fact, windows. With no glass or anything to protect the inmates from the harsh elements, (in New Brunswick near the water, the winters are incredibly cold) you can believe that the inmates who served their time in these cells, (some innocent, some guilty), suffered throughout the long winter months. We were greeted at the door by Felicity Cooper, a volunteer with the Charlotte County Archives. She offered the warmest welcome and made us feel comfortable. She lead us through the solid iron door as we carried the battery-operated lanterns she handed us to the gaol area where she proceeded to give a tour and tell stories of the former inmates. We walked through the VERY narrow doorways into each cell. The opening was so narrow that we had to step in sideways in order to squeeze through. The reason behind this was to prevent the jailer from being overtaken by the inmates as they were transported from one area to the next.
When the tour was over, two investigators, Charmian and myself, heard what sounded like a growl as the group was leaving the gaol area, the two of us trailing behind. At first I thought it was Charmian’s stomach making a noise, but when I saw the look on her face as she asked me “did you just hear that?!”, I knew it was something more. This sound matches other claims of growls people from previous tours say they have heard. A bit shaken, we quickly left the room and began helping the rest of the team set up for that night’s investigation. We brought our usual tools and equipment which include: Infrared Cameras, K2 Meter, Ovilus, Spirit Box, Audio Recorders, Thermal Imaging Camera, SLR Cameras, Flashlights, and Laser-grid Pens. By 10pm, we were ready to begin.
We started by sending small groups of people into the gaol area to conduct short EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena), sessions. We then took some time to do experiments. We did a flashlight experiment that seemed to be quite successful. We had two twist-top flashlights laying on a bed in one of the cells. The tops were twisted in such a way that it took minimal force to turn them on. A slight tap and the light would shine bright. We proceeded to ask any spirits that may be with us to turn it on. And what do you know, one of the flashlights did turn on in direct response to us asking the question! This could be a coincidence, but it surely was perfect timing!
Four team members decided to head outside, near where the gallows once stood, to conduct a short EVP session. During this time, we heard three loud bangs with our own ears. Charmian described the bangs sounding similar to platforms on the gallows being released beneath someone’s feet. Unfortunately, our audio recorders did not pick up these sounds. The recorders did, however, pick up something we only heard once the audio was reviewed. It sounds like someone gasping for air. Every time I near that clip, I get chills up my spine.
Towards the end of the investigation, all team members, along with Felicity, left the building for a full hour. We kept our audio recorders running that entire time and picked up an unusual amount of knocks and pops, coming from different angles and distances from the recorders. We cannot explain what could have caused these sounds as the building was completely empty at the time. One of the recorders also picked up what sounds like the hinges of a metal door squeaking. There would be no way a draft could have cause this to happen as we determined there was no draft and the iron doors are almost too heavy for one person to move on their own without putting some real muscle into it. The metal sound makes for a bit of a head scratcher!
As 3AM approached, we decided to turn in. We set up our cots and sleeping bags in the gaol area where we spent the night. Some of us were brave enough to sleep alone in a cell, the others spread out along the main hallway. I had my cot next to the former cell of Tom Hutchings, near where pieces of the gallows (that had been once used) was set up. Although we had a large amount of unusual things happen during the time we investigated, things seemed to calm down once it was time for bed. Only one member reports having felt like someone was running their hand along her body as she slept on her side, alone, in one of the cells. She states that at no point did she feel threatened by this feeling and was still able to get a restful sleep. As for the other team members, the excitement of the night’s events was still too strong to allow us to get much sleep.
Throughout the entire night, each member of the team experienced something we cannot explain. Knocking was heard by all during the entire investigation with no apparent source. There were reports of two members feeling wobbly, similar to someone (or something?) pushing up against them making them feel like energy was making them sway from front to back. This happened in the same cell, at two different times, when neither one of those team members had any knowledge of the others experience. We heard disembodied voices with our own ears that we were not able to catch on audio recorders. No source for the voice, which we all agreed sounded like a female screaming, was ever found. One team member was outside with the thermal imaging camera and says he saw the someone looking back at him through the camera’s screen when he peeked inside the window of one of the cells. Another person felt a tug at his sweater and was sure one of us had done it but we all confirmed that no had touched him. While we were in the main hallway conducting and EVP Session, my thumb ring slipped off my finger and landed eight to ten feet away from the group. I can honestly say that has never happened before as the ring sits snugly on my thumb. This matches claims of people reporting that jewelry had come off during previous tours and was later found on the floor with the clasps still closed, completely intact.
Almost every piece of equipment we used malfunctioned in some way during the course of the evening. We had cameras turn off unexpectedly without the batteries being drained. Cameras were showing error messages, however, functioned normally the next day without anything being done to them. Flashlights and audio recorder turning on my themselves. Some pieces of equipment were never able to be used because we simply couldn’t get them to function. Let’s not forget that these are tools we use regularly and have never run into this many issues, especially all in the same night! It could be a coincidence, but the fact that it all happened on the same night makes it interesting.
The investigation that took place at the Charlottle County Gaol was one that no member of GMPS will ever forget. We had so much fun and want to thank Felicity and the Charlotte County Archives for allowing us the opportunity to fulfill our dream of investigating a “haunted” gaol. We look forward to possibly returning in the future!
Getting ready for bed! Sleep did not come easily to some of us…
Looking into the cell block.
A view inside one of the cells. Notice the tiny window? 4″x12″ with no glass insert…even in the dead of winter. (photo credit: Ghost Walks of St Andrews)
The iron door to the cell block. (photo credit: Ghost Walks of St Andrews)
Doors to the cells. So narrow you have to walk through sideways! (photo credit: Ghost Walks of St Andrews)
The Introverted Ghost Hunter 