Haunting of the Robert P. King

Picture generated with AI
Location: New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
Dates Active: 1893-1899
Category: Haunting, Lighthouses, Mysterious Sounds
Cause: Unknown
Status: Closed
Entry ID: 010724A-00006

Summery: 

A haunted lightship which once helped boats sail into New Haven was once the scene of an attempted mutiny.

In Depth:

The Robert P. King was a schooner that operated off the eastern coast of the United States, captained by a man named Parker Hall. His crew consisted of his sweetheart Jennie Hardenburgh (who worked the galley) and two brothers: Charles and Frank Duard.

After stopping in New York, the Duard brothers attempted to kill Captain Hall over money by ambushing him on the deck. Hall managed to fight off his attackers, with Frank Duard dying from a gunshot wound.

After a highly publicized trial, Captain Hall was acquitted of any wrongdoing and he and his ship was hired to act as a lightship at the end of a newly installed breakwater. The Robert P. King was retrofitted with a fog bell and two lanterns in order to warn ships of the treacherous waters, and took its position on October 27, 1894. It maintained that job until 1899, when Parker sold the boat to the West Indies Trading Company.

However, during those five years Hall had a hard time keeping a crew onboard his ship, as those that did crew the vessel swore up and down the it was haunted. Claims of disembodied voices speaking and even yelling at them were common. Even Captain Hall found his name being called out by a sailor who could never be found.

After being sold, little is known as to what other strange occurrences happened on board the Robert P. King, if any. What is known is that it was eventually dismantled for salvage, and the ship's name plank is currently mounted on the wall inside the Shipcarver's Shop within the Mystic Seaport museum.

The Haunting of the Robert P. King in Media:

  • Wicked New Haven, book by Michael J. Bielawa.
    • The full story about the Robert P. King and Captain Hall is featured within the second chapter of this book.

 Related Entries and Connections:

Last Updated: March 23, 2024

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