#TT: Rose Hall Great House, Montego Bay

Rose Hall, Montego Bay, Jamaica

I love history! So recently when I have the pleasure of traveling to Jamaica (more to come later) and toured Rose Hall Great House in Montego Bay, I was THRILLED!   It’s a beautiful, old Georgian sugarcane plantation house positioned overlooking the Caribbean Sea and is one of the few Great Houses that survived the slave uprising. The house is said to be haunted by the last owner Annie, a.k.a. The White Witch, who killed her three husbands and numerous slave lovers.

Disclaimer: The Jamaica Tourist Board is a client. However, the opinions are solely my own.

A little history lesson... (Warning: there is a lot of death involved)

During the height of use, the Rose Hall Great House was approximately 6,000 acres and housed more than 2,000 slaves. The house was built by George Ash, who named the house after his wife, Rosa. After George died, and before the house was completed, Rosa remarried three more times. The final marriage was to John Palmer who later married (and was murdered by The White Witch, Annie).

Annie, was born in England; moved to Haiti in her younger years with her parents who were traders. As a young teenager (tween?) her parents died and she was raised by a maid who taught her voodoo. When the maid died, Annie moved to Jamaica to look for a husband. She married John Palmer.

Annie (only 4'11") became famous for killing her husbands, including John Palmer, and numerous slave lovers (she was obviously not well. Tale says that she probably went crazy from lead poisoning. Historically, lead has been used to make utensils and silverware.) She murdered them as follows:

1.     A dash of arsenic in the coffee (yum)

2.     Stabbed to death (lovely)

3.     Killed with her voodoo lover (Takoo) by strangulation (wowsers)

Karma came back to bite Annie in the butt though (as it should). She was killed by Takoo in her sleep.

Annie's bedroom

The house was not burned during the slave uprising, like so many Great Houses were, because the slaves didn't want to bother Annie's spirit.  It is said that Annie's spirit still haunts the house.

The house passed through numerous owners and feel into decay. The Rollins Family bought the house in the 1970s and restored it. Most the pieces had to be resorted but a few original pieces can be found throughout the house.

Today, the property is used for an array of activities including tours both private and public, weddings and other parties.

Our tour guide at Annie's grave