Devil's Island is located on the northeast entrance of Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, and is said to be Haunted.
The Island was granted to Captain John Rous in July 1752 and became known as Rous' Island. It was first settled in 1830, and by 1900, there were approximately 20 families that call the Island their home.
It soon earned the name "Devil's Island" because Sheppard’s and sailors saw ghosts there. Up until 1852, there was no lighthouse, and with its shoals and other hazards for seafarers, caused numerous shipwrecks.
One of the most common stories is that of the strange events surrounding the death of a man named Casper Henneberry. There are many versions of this story, and one of those is told that while out fishing, a halibut had popped its head out of the water and told Casper that it was the devil and that he would die the next day. The next day he was found dead in his boat, with his head and shoulders hanging over the side. Although he was found completely dry, cause of death was said to be of drowning. It was also reported that there were signs of a fight or scuffle on the beach, and that one of the people involved had "cloven hooves," judging by the prints in the sand. Members of the dead man’s family moved into his house, and their baby died within a day or two, with no obvious cause of death.
Folklorist Helen Creighton visited Devils Island often, collecting tales for her book Bluenose Ghosts. She writes about the haunted house with mysterious footprints appearing on freshly painted floors, fires that gave the illusion of burning but did not consume anything, sounds of knocking and dragging, foul smells, apparitions of a man in oilskins and a baby dressed in white. Creighton described the house as “bleak and unfriendly… and I was glad to leave it to the wind and the weather and any family unfortunate enough to have to live there.” Spirits and spooks remained restless until islanders tore down the demonized structure. Perhaps they should have burned it—those who scavenged lumber to reuse “almost immediately had bad luck.” The Island now sits abandoned, and light keepers have long gone, but the ghosts that haunt the island still remain. Unexplained fires and lights are still seen from the mainland to this day. If you know of any Ghost stories from this area, or have a story of your own that you would like to share, we would love to hear from you!
Read another great story! - John Ruff's Ghost
Story credits: saltscapes.com, wikipedia.org
Photo credit: Clara Dennis, Nova Scotia Archives