Abnormally Pale And Ghostly Women Were Sent To Marry The First French Colonists In New Orleans, Becoming Known As The Casket Girls
When the first French colonists settled in modern-day Louisiana in the 1700s, they found that there was a shortage of women. To solve the issue, French women were sent over to New Orleans to be married to the local men. However, the women who arrived were not what the men had been expecting.
They were abnormally pale, and their skin blistered almost immediately when exposed to the hot, subtropical sun. As a result, rumors spread of their ghostly characters, and they became known as the Casket Girls.
Some believed they were ghosts that were sent to haunt the city. Others thought they might be vampires that would attack the people. These women have become a significant part of the haunted history of New Orleans. Here is their story.
In the early 1700s, the new French colony in Louisiana was undergoing a population crisis. The governor of Louisiana, Jean Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, asked the French government to deliver nice young women to the territory so they could marry the male French colonists. The government ended up sending women from the poorest places in France.
Between 1719 and 1721, a total of 258 women were shipped to Louisiana. Of the 258 women, 29 were from orphanages, 35 were from poor houses, and 194 were convicted criminals.
When they arrived in New Orleans, they were seen holding small casket-shaped trunks, or casquettes, that carried their clothes, which was how they got the name Casket Girls.
The men were appalled by their appearances, behaviors, and backgrounds. Some men refused to marry them. The Casket Girls were also sent to other locations like Mobile and Biloxi.
Most of the Casket Girls were placed into unwanted marriages, where they were abused by their husbands. Those left unwed had to find other ways to support themselves.
After the French king found out about their mistreatment, he ordered that the young women be returned to France. While they waited to go home, the girls were kept under the care of the Ursuline nuns.
Mark D. Savignac – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
The Ursulines built a school right after their arrival in 1727, which many of the Casket Girls attended. Their first convent was built in 1734, and the building was replaced in 1751, which is still standing today.
The nuns brought the girls’ casquettes to the third floor of the convent for storage. The third floor had always been sealed off, its doors and windows tightly secured.
When the nuns returned to collect the girls’ belongings in preparation for their departure, they were shocked to find that the luggage was empty. They searched the entire third floor but were unable to recover any of the items.
Fearing the possibility of a supernatural occurrence, the nuns decided to bolt every entrance to the third floor shut, ensuring that no one could ever get in or out of the space again. It is said that the nails used to board up the third floor were blessed by the Pope.
There was speculation that the Casket Girls had brought along vampires in their trunks, but they were not big enough to fit a body.
You can visit the Old Ursuline Convent or tour the city today to see if you can sense any haunting activities.
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