T M P R G

TMPRG Inv#090509TCMA - An investigation we did in Taunton MA to prove or debunk the myth of Pearl French and Veva Johnson.  This was actually an urban legend that everyone was asking us to checkout.  Click on this link to see the investigation Case Photos.

    The story that everyone has been told since childhood was that Pearl, the only child of a widowed mother, was told to sit in her rocking chair and wait for her mother to return from running a short errand.  As the story goes, her mom left Pearl with her favorite doll sitting in the chair with instructions not to move.  A short time later, supposedly neighbors reported that the home caught fire and was quickly engulfed in flames due to a candle that was left burning in Pearls room for her to see.  Pearl was alegedly found deceased still sitting in her rocking chair clutching her doll.  Now, to this day, people still stop by the family’s burial plot and leave toys, dolls or other child stuff for Pearl to play with.  There have also been reports of her being sighted sitting in her stone chair stone marker.

    As with every investigation a complete historical research of the family names involved revealed much information about the French and Johnson families.  Cross referencing the many similar versions of the urban legend with news accounts of the day led to a discovery that while Pearl did in fact die, she did not die in a house fire.  Pearl died of spinal meningitis at her uncles’ home in Rehoboth, MA.  Pearl and her mother had moved in with the Rehoboth family members after Pearl was stricken with the illness.  The French residence, which no longer exists, did burn to the ground while uninhabited and the land is now occupied by a church.

    Other information of interest which should be noted is that Pearl and Veva (cousins) both died at the age of four.  Both cousins died two years apart, Pearl passed first and both had contracted spinal meningitis.

    Environmental readings were normal for the season.  Daytime temperature was registered at 92°, humidity was an uncomfortable 71°.  The rocking chairs actual daytime temperature was 121°.  Some have said that this is a further indication of a haunting; the high grave marker temperature is supposedly due to Pearls death by fire but having debunked that, maybe it would be more appropriate to say that the high temperature was due to her severe fever caused by her illness.  The evening temperature registered at 79° with a dew point of 69°.  EMF readings registered .001 to .007 with a baseline of .001 and no EVP were or have yet been captured.

    While the urban legend is considered debunked, we will continue on with this investigation in the hopes of verifying the appearance of her ghostly specter and consider it to be open and active.