Ephraim
Gray
Gray
Ephraim Gray (or some say
Graves) was an anti-social man to the point he hired a man servant to deal with
any outings that needed dealt, such as grocery shopping and communicating with
the outside world. Nobody is exactly sure when he came to live in Malden,
Massachusetts or even if he was born there but his story derives within the
early to middle 1800s. He was highly intelligent, his passion revolving around
chemistry which he self taught himself but he was so reclusive that he had no
noticeable interest in ladies and focused solely on his studies.
Graves) was an anti-social man to the point he hired a man servant to deal with
any outings that needed dealt, such as grocery shopping and communicating with
the outside world. Nobody is exactly sure when he came to live in Malden,
Massachusetts or even if he was born there but his story derives within the
early to middle 1800s. He was highly intelligent, his passion revolving around
chemistry which he self taught himself but he was so reclusive that he had no
noticeable interest in ladies and focused solely on his studies.
Others said he was unpleasant
and rude, and that he didn’t have a job or career yet he still had a great sum
of money to the point he was able to pay for a servant. Due to his lack of
communication with the world he never married and from what anyone could tell,
he also didn’t have any family.
and rude, and that he didn’t have a job or career yet he still had a great sum
of money to the point he was able to pay for a servant. Due to his lack of
communication with the world he never married and from what anyone could tell,
he also didn’t have any family.
As per usual with a mysterious
man in a mysterious house, residents would often wander by his old, creepy
looking house in hopes to take a glimpse at Mr. Gray and his odd activities but
what they saw beyond the windows were shadowy figures that looked goblin in
shape. What was worse was the smell, an odor so terrible emitted from the house
that made travel byers to gag and choke. When being asked what Mr. Gray was
doing, the servant replied that Ephraim spent most of his life developing an
elixir that would guarantee his immortality.
man in a mysterious house, residents would often wander by his old, creepy
looking house in hopes to take a glimpse at Mr. Gray and his odd activities but
what they saw beyond the windows were shadowy figures that looked goblin in
shape. What was worse was the smell, an odor so terrible emitted from the house
that made travel byers to gag and choke. When being asked what Mr. Gray was
doing, the servant replied that Ephraim spent most of his life developing an
elixir that would guarantee his immortality.
Death
Ephraim Gray remained closed in
his house for years until his very death in 1850-1860. When he passed his male
servant reported to the Malden Police Department that his master died in his
sleep. With no family of his own Mr. Gray let everything to his servant,
including his estate, all his belongings and even the secret formula he had
been working on. However, this would only be possible if he could keep to one
condition; that Mr. Gray’s body after death was never embalmed, autopsied,
dissected or anything else following the death of a person.
his house for years until his very death in 1850-1860. When he passed his male
servant reported to the Malden Police Department that his master died in his
sleep. With no family of his own Mr. Gray let everything to his servant,
including his estate, all his belongings and even the secret formula he had
been working on. However, this would only be possible if he could keep to one
condition; that Mr. Gray’s body after death was never embalmed, autopsied,
dissected or anything else following the death of a person.
When the mortician asked the
servant, why such an odd request, the servant replied, “Mr. Gray was an odd
man, and though he failed to make himself immortality, the formula he created
would leave his body perfectly preserved.” And so, Mr.Gray’s corpse was
transported immediately to the Malden Cemetery without any stops. He was placed
in a mausoleum in a nice above ground coffin.
servant, why such an odd request, the servant replied, “Mr. Gray was an odd
man, and though he failed to make himself immortality, the formula he created
would leave his body perfectly preserved.” And so, Mr.Gray’s corpse was
transported immediately to the Malden Cemetery without any stops. He was placed
in a mausoleum in a nice above ground coffin.
Unfortunately the servant didn’t
get to enjoy the fortunes of his master’s leftovers because he died soon after.
get to enjoy the fortunes of his master’s leftovers because he died soon after.
After
Death
Death
Twenty years later, rumors of
Mr. Gray’s preservation practice reached the ears of a group of Harvard Medical
students. In secret they ventured to the Malden Cemetery to examine Mr. Gray’s
body in order to put to rest the rumors of his perfectly preserved body.
However, when they opened his coffin they found that no trace of rot or death
has touched Ephraim’s body. Stunned, the students resealed the coffin and left.
Mr. Gray’s preservation practice reached the ears of a group of Harvard Medical
students. In secret they ventured to the Malden Cemetery to examine Mr. Gray’s
body in order to put to rest the rumors of his perfectly preserved body.
However, when they opened his coffin they found that no trace of rot or death
has touched Ephraim’s body. Stunned, the students resealed the coffin and left.
One version of the story states
that one of the medical students brought a saw and cut off Ephraim’s head but
something frightened him and he ran off with the others leaving the body and
the head behind.
that one of the medical students brought a saw and cut off Ephraim’s head but
something frightened him and he ran off with the others leaving the body and
the head behind.
In the early 1900s, the Malden
Cemetery was relocated due to construction newly built roads. This required
moving the tombs and graves as well and when they came to the tomb of Ephraim
Gray they noticed that his coffin was lighter than normal. Unsealing the tomb
they found that his body was missing. Rumors quickly spiraled from Ephraim
waking from his sleep and leaving his resting place – to rumors that the
medical students or grave robbers stole his body.
Cemetery was relocated due to construction newly built roads. This required
moving the tombs and graves as well and when they came to the tomb of Ephraim
Gray they noticed that his coffin was lighter than normal. Unsealing the tomb
they found that his body was missing. Rumors quickly spiraled from Ephraim
waking from his sleep and leaving his resting place – to rumors that the
medical students or grave robbers stole his body.
After word of the body having
gone missing, the Harvard students, now in their middle ages, came out about
their secret visit to Mr. Gray’s grave and told of how well preserved his body
was and how they made sure to reseal the tomb and left without taking anything.
Next to the body having never been found, neither had the formula he had
created and drank for majority of his life until his death.
gone missing, the Harvard students, now in their middle ages, came out about
their secret visit to Mr. Gray’s grave and told of how well preserved his body
was and how they made sure to reseal the tomb and left without taking anything.
Next to the body having never been found, neither had the formula he had
created and drank for majority of his life until his death.
New England Folklorist Edward
Rowe Snow, who’s also an author and a student from Harvard University himself,
was the one who made claim that the medical student’s removed the corpse’s
head. After the removal they heard moans and phantom footsteps within the tomb
which frightened them. They abandoned the body and fled. Mr. Snow also wrote,
“It became known that in the night at the stroke of twelve, the iron tomb door
would fly open. Indeed, few Malden residents dared be caught there to see the
fearful thing…The tomb door would swing ajar. Then the horrific, gruesome
remains of Ephraim in its mildewed garments would crawl out of the coffin. Pulling
itself up by the door ledge, it began to stalk about the cemetery as if in
search of its head. At the first sign of daylight, it went back to rest.”
Rowe Snow, who’s also an author and a student from Harvard University himself,
was the one who made claim that the medical student’s removed the corpse’s
head. After the removal they heard moans and phantom footsteps within the tomb
which frightened them. They abandoned the body and fled. Mr. Snow also wrote,
“It became known that in the night at the stroke of twelve, the iron tomb door
would fly open. Indeed, few Malden residents dared be caught there to see the
fearful thing…The tomb door would swing ajar. Then the horrific, gruesome
remains of Ephraim in its mildewed garments would crawl out of the coffin. Pulling
itself up by the door ledge, it began to stalk about the cemetery as if in
search of its head. At the first sign of daylight, it went back to rest.”
Possiblities
It is not at all strange for a
doctor or scientist to be interested in preservation of the dead and
immortality. The Ancient Egyptians experimented with the idea centuries before
Mr. Gray and even before majority of civilization had considered the idea
fully.
doctor or scientist to be interested in preservation of the dead and
immortality. The Ancient Egyptians experimented with the idea centuries before
Mr. Gray and even before majority of civilization had considered the idea
fully.
There are a few cases of bodies
being preserved since they day they had passed. Rosalia, the two year old sleeping
beauty of Palermo died in 1920 – which National Geographic released information
on the secret formula that was used on her back in 2009, which will be linked
down below. And Bernadette Soubivous of Lourdes, France who died in 1876 and is
well preserved today. The way a body is preserved can determine the quickness
of decay, from staying under water, underground, in the sun, in cement, etc.
However, if Ephraim Gray was real – where did he disappear too?
being preserved since they day they had passed. Rosalia, the two year old sleeping
beauty of Palermo died in 1920 – which National Geographic released information
on the secret formula that was used on her back in 2009, which will be linked
down below. And Bernadette Soubivous of Lourdes, France who died in 1876 and is
well preserved today. The way a body is preserved can determine the quickness
of decay, from staying under water, underground, in the sun, in cement, etc.
However, if Ephraim Gray was real – where did he disappear too?
Did the Harvard students steal
the body to dissect? Did grave robbers steal his body? Did his formula truly
work but it took years to activate and now he walks the earth?
the body to dissect? Did grave robbers steal his body? Did his formula truly
work but it took years to activate and now he walks the earth?
Digging
Deeper
Deeper
I could not find any records on
Ephraim Gray or Graves in the Births, Marriages, and Deaths in the town of
Malden Massachusetts, 1649-1850. I saved the exact link of the page that would
obtain such information down in the description below. This doesn’t mean that
he didn’t exist, since the year ended in 1850 and with him could have dying after
1850 may have left him out of the book.
Ephraim Gray or Graves in the Births, Marriages, and Deaths in the town of
Malden Massachusetts, 1649-1850. I saved the exact link of the page that would
obtain such information down in the description below. This doesn’t mean that
he didn’t exist, since the year ended in 1850 and with him could have dying after
1850 may have left him out of the book.
However, when looking into
Malden, MA Cemeteries I found four cemeteries and none had the name Ephraim
Gray or Ephraim Graves in their records. I couldn’t find pictures of the tomb,
which I would assume that if it did exist, paranormal investigators or local
curious folks would be snapping pictures of the local legend. And there is
claim that after having not found the body, they kept the mausoleum and tomb.
Malden, MA Cemeteries I found four cemeteries and none had the name Ephraim
Gray or Ephraim Graves in their records. I couldn’t find pictures of the tomb,
which I would assume that if it did exist, paranormal investigators or local
curious folks would be snapping pictures of the local legend. And there is
claim that after having not found the body, they kept the mausoleum and tomb.
So I dug a little deeper, I
wanted to do the best searching I could from where I sit. I looked into each
cemetery and their history that I could find and here is what I found. All four
cemeteries are within Malden, MA: Holy Cross Cemetery, which was established in
2010, Forestdale Cemetery that was dedicated on May 30th, 1885 and
designed in 1884, Maplewood Cemetery was founded in 1851, and St. Mary Cemetery
which the earliest records I could find on this cemetery was in 1864. Anything
significant here?
wanted to do the best searching I could from where I sit. I looked into each
cemetery and their history that I could find and here is what I found. All four
cemeteries are within Malden, MA: Holy Cross Cemetery, which was established in
2010, Forestdale Cemetery that was dedicated on May 30th, 1885 and
designed in 1884, Maplewood Cemetery was founded in 1851, and St. Mary Cemetery
which the earliest records I could find on this cemetery was in 1864. Anything
significant here?
All the Cemeteries were built or
designed after Ephraim’s death. I am not saying there are not other, much
smaller and less heard of cemeteries in Malden – those four were the only ones
I could find online. From what I could find and sum it up too, Ephraim Gray
didn’t exist. There are no records of him living or dying in Malden. There are
no pictures of his apparent house, tomb or death certificates. And there were
very few websites containing any information of the story and few books as well
that would come up for me.
designed after Ephraim’s death. I am not saying there are not other, much
smaller and less heard of cemeteries in Malden – those four were the only ones
I could find online. From what I could find and sum it up too, Ephraim Gray
didn’t exist. There are no records of him living or dying in Malden. There are
no pictures of his apparent house, tomb or death certificates. And there were
very few websites containing any information of the story and few books as well
that would come up for me.
So maybe he is just a legend to
scare around a camp fire? Maybe a Harvard story to help improve the smaller
communities at the times? Who knows. I don’t believe he existed – he is much
like Doctor Benton’s story who was also another little scary story college
students told the newcomers – which was my very first video on this channel.
What do you think?
scare around a camp fire? Maybe a Harvard story to help improve the smaller
communities at the times? Who knows. I don’t believe he existed – he is much
like Doctor Benton’s story who was also another little scary story college
students told the newcomers – which was my very first video on this channel.
What do you think?
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Patron thus far.
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