The Mystery of Jerome of Sandy Cove
Who was he and where did he come from?
On Sept. 8, 1863, an unidentified man was found on the beach of Sandy Cove in Nova Scotia by an eight-year-old boy named George Albright.
The man, who was alive, had both of his legs cut off to stumps and he was brought back to the Albright home in Digby Neck to be nursed back to health. His stumps, which had been amputated by a skilled surgeon, were partially healed but still bandaged. When asked his name, he mumbled something that sounded like Jerome and that was the name that was given to him.
People who wanted to know who he was began to visit him in his sick bed but quickly found he could not speak French, Latin, Italian or Spanish. He was also reported to growl like a dog when people approached him as guests in the home. Adding to the mystery was the fact that his hands were soft, unlikely to be that of a manual labourer and he was described as being Mediterranean in appearance.
There is speculation that Jerome was a man from New Brunswick.
In 1859, a few years before Jerome was found, there was a story of a man found in a logging camp in Chipman, New Brunswick. That man had his legs frozen after falling into a lake. They developed gangrene and were amputated. It was believed the man was Italian.
The man was called Gamby, as he often used the Italian word for leg. He was cared for by locals in Chipman until the town council decided it needed to stop as it was believed his care was costing too much money for taxpayers.
According to the story, in 1863, a boat was hired so he could take him to a place where he could receive better care. The fishermen, instead of taking him to a destination, just dumped him on a beach in Nova Scotia.
Some speculate this was Jerome.
Ironically, the fishermen’s callousness of dumping the man on the beach ended up helping him.
For the rest of his life, locals would house him in their homes and the Nova Scotia government voted a stipend of two dollars per week to support him.
He would eventually stay in the home of Jean Nicola, never talking about himself or the mystery surrounding him. Extra money was brought in for locals by advertising the chance to see Jerome for a fee. Jerome also travelled with Jean Nicola to various communities to not only figure out who he was, but also make some money off of him.
He remained in the home for seven years until his death on April 15, 1912. His death came the same day as the Titanic, so his death was greatly overshadowed in the newspapers.
As for who he really was and what happened to him, no one really knows. Some say that he was a sailor who attempted a mutiny and was punished with amputation. Other theories state he was heir to a fortune and was gotten rid of to make way for someone else who wanted the money. As for his difficulties talking, that may be linked to a brain injury and it was reported he was incapable of speaking in any sort of understandable language.