A Princess Cays Mystery!

[eastoftheboston]

Thank you so much for your pictures! We were there last March and planned to walk, but DH had surgery three weeks before our cruise and we didn't think it would be a good idea to be that far away from civilization. How long did it take to walk it? Someone before said that it was at least a 20 minutes, but didn't know if the hurricane had changed to terrain enough to make it slower.

 

Jan, I would say 20-25 minutes is about right, It's really not that far, but it's a slow, careful walk because you're walking on a beach that is basically rocky coral, and you need to be very sure of each step. I never felt like I was going to slip, but each step was deliberate. There are parts that are normal sandy beach, but a LOT of it is rocky.

 

It's nice to go over there, not just to see the tombstones, but you really feel like you're on an island all by yourself (but at the same time you can see the ship right there, so there's that security too).

[5326jan]

Jan, I would say 20-25 minutes is about right, It's really not that far, but it's a slow, careful walk because you're walking on a beach that is basically rocky coral, and you need to be very sure of each step. I never felt like I was going to slip, but each step was deliberate. There are parts that are normal sandy beach, but a LOT of it is rocky.

 

It's nice to go over there, not just to see the tombstones, but you really feel like you're on an island all by yourself (but at the same time you can see the ship right there, so there's that security too).

 

Thanks, Boston! Appreciate the info! :D

[nomarfan5]

Wow, I can't believe how much the place has changed since I was there a year and a half ago. Such a shame that those graves will eventually be lost. Thanks for sharing your pictures.

[TracieABD]

Thank you for the photos. We looked and looked in December, but could not find them.

[Steven_&_Daniel]

I'll have to remember to check these out when we're there next year.

 

I copied the photo of the headstone into a photo editor and played around with it, trying to get a clearer view. It looks like it actually says MYRTLE not MIRTLE. That darker line on the second letter seems too slanted to be an I.

 

I'm also not convinced of the second letter of the last name. While GIBSON seems the most likely, the spacing of the first three letters of the last name seem very wide. I keep wondering if the second letter is actually an A, but GABSON doesn't sound right, LOL.

 

Has anyone looked at the other side of the other headstone that is laying on the ground? I know I would have the urge to pick it up and put it back where it belongs, LOL.

 

I've always been fascinated by old tombstones. I grew up near a cemetery and spent lots of time in the 'old' section with stones that you can barely read.

 

I hope someone does ask a local person about these and post what they discover, if anything.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Fascinating photos, Boston. Thank you for sharing them.

[Sincity]

Subscribed. Will be there in a few weeks.

Edited November 19, 2012 by Sincity

[nomarfan5]

I'll have to remember to check these out when we're there next year.

 

I copied the photo of the headstone into a photo editor and played around with it, trying to get a clearer view. It looks like it actually says MYRTLE not MIRTLE. That darker line on the second letter seems too slanted to be an I.

 

I'm also not convinced of the second letter of the last name. While GIBSON seems the most likely, the spacing of the first three letters of the last name seem very wide. I keep wondering if the second letter is actually an A, but GABSON doesn't sound right, LOL.

 

Has anyone looked at the other side of the other headstone that is laying on the ground? I know I would have the urge to pick it up and put it back where it belongs, LOL.

 

I've always been fascinated by old tombstones. I grew up near a cemetery and spent lots of time in the 'old' section with stones that you can barely read.

 

I hope someone does ask a local person about these and post what they discover, if anything.

 

I might have a clearer picture of the Myrtle headstone and I do have a picture of the other headstone. I made myself a note to find those pictures tonight and post them. I love old tombstones too which is why I took the walk to find them. The gorgeous view along the way was an added bonus! :)

[philv]

I've been reluctant to post this for quite a while because I would hate to see what I'm about to tell you about be disrespected. But after as much research as I've been able to do with absolutely nothing found, I thought I'd put it out there and maybe someone has an answer. Last April when we stopped at Princess Cays on our cruise on the Star Princess, I decided to take a walk. We've visited PC a couple of times before, and I wanted to see what the beach was like to the south of the Princess area. I knew from previous visits that it was very rocky initially and that sandals were needed to get past the rocks - I'm sure this is why there were no footprints on the beach after I got past the rocks. I walked for about a half mile, then noticed a clearing in the bushes above the beach and what appeared to be the remains of a foundation of a house. And there were two other cement structures. When I walked up to them I realized they were graves! They are very crude, above the ground, with barely legible, crude round cement markers attached. Now here's what I would really like to know. The names on each were of women, one who died at about age 19 in late 1930's, the other who died at age 26 a couple of years later. The last names were not the same, but judging from how they were set at a certain angle very close to the edge of the beach, right next to each other, I had to conclude that they must have known each other and been buried that way in that location for reason. Other people had obviously discovered them, because a few shells and pieces of coral had been placed on the graves out of respect, I imagine. What could this mean? How did they die at such a young age, and why were they placed together in that spot? I tried to do as much research as possible about the history of Eluethera and discover anything about these women but came up totally empty. For what it's worth, if you zoom in on that end of Eluethera (Princess Cays) on Google Earth, you can make out the remains of a road and the clearing, but it appears to overgrown and not used. So...at the very least I think this has the makings of a good novel! In any case, if anyone reading this does make the walk down and find the graves, please be respectful. Any information anyone might have is appreciated.

Gene

 

I've seen this thread before a couple of years ago. Topic was fully explored and may be still available somewhere.

[eastoftheboston]

Thank you for the photos. We looked and looked in December, but could not find them.

 

Tracie, Sorry you didn't find them. You must not have walked far enough, which I think is pretty common. I know I kept walking and looking up and thinking I must have missed them, or I didn't look hard enough or far enough up on shore, but all of a sudden there they were. If you walked far enough, there really is no way to miss them. The first photo I posted I was basically at the waters edge, so there was no searching involved, just BOOM there they were.

 

I hope you get a chance to go back again to see them.

[eastoftheboston]

Fascinating photos, Boston. Thank you for sharing them.

 

Also, the name was definitely Myrtle Gibson. The I might look strange in the photo, but in person there was no mistaking it. It was an "I."

 

I did not pick up the other headstone. I thought it best not to further disturb the destruction. Plus, they looked really heavy :)

 

Sunset Beach Gal, where in NC are you from? My in-laws are from Eastern NC and we spend a lot of time in Emerald Isle.

[nomarfan5]

Here are two pictures of the graves from April 2011 - including the one that is now laying in the sand. First time doing this so I apologize if it doesn't work.

 

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o746/nomarfan516oj/100_4317.jpg

 

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o746/nomarfan516oj/100_4319.jpg

[sunsetbeachgal]

Also, the name was definitely Myrtle Gibson. The I might look strange in the photo, but in person there was no mistaking it. It was an "I."

 

I did not pick up the other headstone. I thought it best not to further disturb the destruction. Plus, they looked really heavy :)

 

Sunset Beach Gal, where in NC are you from? My in-laws are from Eastern NC and we spend a lot of time in Emerald Isle.

 

Boston...we live between Wilmington, NC and Myrtle Beach, SC...middle of nowhere.. Beautiful beaches and great golf...and we have some great friends who we cruise with.

[scott4020]

We visitied the graves again on December 17th and Sandy was not kind to them.

 

The walk up the beach is much more difficult than it was so we left the beach and took to the road. While you walk up the road you will see a stand of pine trees and if you look into them you will see the wall.

 

 

 

One you find the wall you have found the graves. As you can see they are in bad shape.

 

 

Edited December 30, 2012 by scott4020

[scott4020]

Olga's grave is almost gone.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2012 by scott4020

[scott4020]

There is also what appears to be another cript that we hadn't seen before.

 

 

[A&L_Ont]

Thanks to both of you for posting the new pics. I too can't believe how much the graves have changed over the last year.

 

I promised myself that I would get there one day, I think it better be sooner than later.

 

Andrew

[MandD]

I've seen this thread before a couple of years ago. Topic was fully explored and may be still available somewhere.

 

This thread was started seven years ago (Dec., 2005). This is probably the one to which you refer.

[SoBaycruiser]

I've never been to Princess Cays but found this story interesting. I read to the end looking for the answer to who these women were. I did my own quick search and noticed that a Robert Hallan McPhee just died (dec22) at age 96. He was a former resident Bannerman Town. This would have put his birth year at 1916. See http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thenassauguardian/obituary.aspx?n=robert-hallan-mcphee-taxi-&pid=161876104&fhid=15693

 

One wonders if Olga was his sister (or first wife). He has so many descendants and relatives named that I didn't see any "preceded in death by" relatives. Wouldn't it be sad to think that the answer has been there all these years and may be lost now.

[guxu]

Thanks for the updated pictures. I think the conclusion was she was just a slave. But now I am just wondering how a slave could afford a grave like that?

[SoBaycruiser]

Thanks for the updated pictures. I think the conclusion was she was just a slave. But now I am just wondering how a slave could afford a grave like that?

 

Britain outlawed slavery long before our Civil War. These ladies were born over 50 years after slavery was abolished in the US. They were not slaves.

[Texas Realtor]

I will be there in March. I will post updated pics. Very fascinating. I imagine that Mr. McPhee has relatives that at least have heard of Olga. Sad that the graves have taken such a toll the last couple of years.

[Nukesailor]

We were there on Dec. 26. Found a few more graves just to the south of the two most-noted ones. All are in bad shape. I doubt if they will survive another hurricane. We also found a skull (non-human, about 8 inches in largest dimension; if anyone can identify it, please post) on the beach!

 

Art

 

 

 

 

 

[Sincity]

Scott: Tks for posting the pics. We were there a week earlier than you and decided not to get off the boat. This was on my "to-do" that I didn't make. :mad:

[AkaiPaps]

I just found this link, it appears the graves are part of "Old Bannerman Town", a ghost town now.

 

http://www.projecteleuthera.org/ruins