Ocean-Born Mary

A historian delves into the legendary story of the baby who saved a ship full of Scottish immigrants from pirates.

Meet Mary, ocean-born and named by an infamous pirate. Her birth saved a group of Scottish immigrants aboard a ship bound for New England in 1720. Halfway through the grueling voyage, pirates intercepted and captured the vessel. Upon hearing a baby’s cry, the pirate captain promised to spare the lives of all on board if the mother named her newborn Mary, allegedly after his beloved mother. The ship arrived safely in Massachusetts, and Mary lived most of her long life in Londonderry, New Hampshire.

Discover the house in Henniker, New Hampshire, that Mary is said to haunt, and where a pirate purportedly stashed his treasure, as historian Jeremy D’Entremont separates the facts from the fantastic legends shrouding one of New England’s most enduring folk tales.