Moved by the Spirit: The Murder of Mercy Babcock Hall

Published: April 8, 2024, 7 a.m.

Episode 312: In a home in Shediac, New Brunswick, on February 13, 1805, Amos Babcock, driven by delusions of divine mission, subjected his family to a horrifying ordeal. He gathered his wife, children and sister, Mercy, instilling fear with his erratic behaviour and unsettling declarations. Spurred by imagined threats and seeing himself as an instrument of God, Amos prepared for a sacrificial act, treating his family with cruelty dressed up as a religious ritual. His deep descent into madness was evident as he inflicted violence upon his loved ones, sparing none from his erratic wrath. Babcock's final act of brutality saw him murder his sister, Mercy Babcock Hall, whom he saw as demonic, in a brutal frenzy of madness, bringing a tragic end to a night of unspeakable horror.\nSources:\nAmos Babcock (1764-1805) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree\nSquash, Pumpkin Pie and Mercy\u2026 | Part 1\nSquash, Pumpkin Pie and Mercy\u2026 | Part 2\nNew Brunswick \u2014 History and Culture\nThe Babcock Tragedy, a Story of Madness and Murder\nHellfire in Shediac\nAmos Babcock... Crazed Murderer, or...?\nFull text of "The New Brunswick magazine"\nMar 08, 1939, page 14 - The Montreal Star at Newspapers.com\nApr 13, 1939, page 15 - The Kingston Whig-Standard at Newspapers.com\nJan 18, 1993, page 25 - The Leader-Post at Newspapers.com\nApr 20, 2013, page 79 - National Post at Newspapers.com\nThe Ballad of Jacob Peck by Debra Komar (Ebook)\nGreat Awakening - First, Second & Definition\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices