Throwback to the Fireside Yarn published in the July 1998 issue of Downhome Magazine.
Death Tokens and the Strange Case of Mrs. Dower
by Dale G. Jarvis
Newfoundland has a great tradition of what are known as death tokens. A death token is where a person becomes aware, through some paranormal means, that a person close to them has either recently died or that their death is about to occur. The victim may appear visually to the grieved, or the loss may be communicated in some other way, such as through the stopping of a clock or some unexplainable event. Tokens have taken the form of animal figures, strange noises, moving lights, and voices calling as if from a great distance.
In Ireland, which also has a great tradition of death tokens, a common warning of imminent death was the appearance of a phantom coach. The death coach was believe to be a large dark coach which would appear to warn of the death of a family member. It was said that if one heard the coach approaching and managed to open the gates to the property before it arrived, the coach would not stop to call for a member of the immediate family, but would instead pass on, warning of the death of a distant relative.
The belief that the spirit of a loved one would appear at the moment of their death was not uncommon throughout Newfoundland’s history, even into the present day. Sometimes, in special circumstances, powerful emotions such as love even had the power to blur the line between life and death altogether. An example of this can be found in the strange tale of Mrs. Dower of Conche.
On March 10th, 1873, Skipper John Dower left Conche with his son aboard his ship the Eleanor to prosecute the seal fishery. Mrs. Dower, who loved her husband very much, became ill a week after he had left, and within a matter of hours, died, much to the shock of the community.
During the second night of the wake for Mrs. Dower, the Eleanor slipped back into port, its flag at half mast. No sooner had the ship entered the port that a truly miraculous event occurred.
Much to the terror of the mourners keeping vigil beside her, the dead woman emitted a great sigh, and suddenly sat straight up in her coffin. The corpse then spoke, saying, “I am tired. I have been far. I have been with John.”
While this may sound unbelievable, apparently she had. When Skipper John Dower reached his house, he told the assembled crowd that the ghost of his wife had appeared to him while on the ice. Convinced that he had seen a token of her death, he put his flag at half mast and returned home with this son to attend the funeral. The spirit of his wife it seems, had followed his ship out to the ice while her body remained at home, such was her love and anxiety for his safety. The good captain it is said, never went to the ice again.
