Meet Rose Hall Great House’s ‘Moses’

by Aug 26, 2021Uncategorized

For close to 39 years Samuel ‘’Moses’’ Williams has lovingly cared for the grounds of Rose Hall Great House in Montego Bay. Visitors to the stately 18th century property, said to be haunted by the ghost of former owner Annie Palmer, have had their own “duppy” stories to share with him over the years. He’s loved every minute of it!

Annie Palmer haunts the halls of the Rose Hall Great House.

One former guest, he says, was the sole survivor of a plane crash and those who have heard the guest’s story are convinced there’s a link to his visit to the Great House.

“He took something from here to Alaska. He said the plane crashed and he was the only survivor. He decided to share this [story] with some people and they said, ‘Oh man, you went to that house, and you brought back that thing, so you’re lucky’,” says Williams, obviously relishing telling the tale. The guest came back for a second visit, he said, this time gratefully bearing gifts for Palmer, the White Witch of Rose Hall.

That’s a recurring theme of Williams’ cautionary tales: be careful not to offend the White Witch. He even has a story about a family friend’s run-in with Palmer. “When she went back [home] to Chicago, stones were thrown all over the place. She said a lady told her that she took some pictures that she shouldn’t have taken. She came back here within six months and threw [the pictures] back in the yard,” Williams tells LetsTravelCaribbean.com.

Williams has a lot of tale tales about the White Witch of Rose Hall. Photo: Philp Lemonte

He thoroughly enjoys trading scary stories with visitors; almost as much as he enjoys learning about their countries. “I meet a lot of people and I educate myself… by reasoning with them. I get to go to places that I’ve never been, not by body but by mind, from reasoning with people,” he says. He’s from a little district in Bethel Town, Westmoreland, called Castle Mountain.

As much as possible, he prepares himself for each conversation with visitors to the historic house museum. “I have met guests from as far as Lithuanian and when I told them that’s in the Baltic States, they asked me how I knew that. I told them that I study those things,” he says with a broad grin.

Williams cares for the plants on the grounds of the Rose Hall Great House. Photo: Philp Lemonte

He balances these chats with cutting the massive lawn, caring for the plants and “doing any little thing” needed on the grounds of the Rose Hall Great House and the neighbouring Cinnamon Hill Great House.

A trained machinist and welder, Williams is very handy to have around. His son Garfield has followed in his footsteps. He’s a machine operator and he works at the White Witch Golf Course. He’s one of Williams’ four children who have no doubt heard their fair share of stories from their father.

Williams admits that he’s told many a tall tale about the Georgian mansion over the years but, he adds with a grin, his number one message has always been, “You must visit Rose Hall Great House!”

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