Sister Maire Inconnue (which means “unknown”) was born in France in the 18th century. Sister Marie traveled from France to Canada to help tend to the Acadian refugees during the French and Indian War. This turned out to be a grave choice. She’s said to haunt French Fort Cove and the Beaubears Island area.
Her kindness and generosity led her straight into harm’s way. No one can be certain why, but Sister Marie was beheaded. Some say that she was killed by a mentally ill fur trapper, while others claim she was killed by thieves when she refused to tell the location of hidden money allotted to help the Acadians. Her body, without her head, was returned to France for burial. Her head was never found. One story tells that the thieves were so bothered by the horrific expression on her face that they threw it into the sea.
If you enjoy seaside spooks, check out The Monomoy Island Ghost Horse.
Legend has it that Sister Marie still roams the French Fort Cove/Beaubears Island area at night in search of her head, especially during a full moon. She’s been known to approach visitors asking if they’ve seen her head and offering 1,000 guineas for help in its return. Others claim to have seen Sister Marie carrying her head, and she asks that they help have it buried with her body.
