In 1849, Dr. Allard Flagg moved into his new home, The Hermitage, in Murrell's Inlet. Soon after, he invited his widowed mother and sister, Alice, to live with him. Dr. Allard Flagg and Alice's other brother, Dr. Arthur Flagg were prestigious doctors in the area and rather wealthy. The two brothers courted the Ward sisters, who were known to be apart one of the wealthiest and upper-class families in the low country. Alice was happy for her brothers but knew there was more to a courtship than just high class and money.
While out on a shopping trip, Alice met a lumberman and over the next few months, they fell in love. One day, the young man came to call on Alice; Dr. Allard came out to greet him and would not agree to let him see her after realizing his low class status. Dr. Allard sent him away before the young man could speak or see Alice. She was furious over her brother's treatment of her beau and decided to meet the man in secret. During their meeting, the young man presented Alice with a ring and the two secretly became engaged.
When Dr. Allard discovered the ring on Alice's finger, he commanded her to take it off and return the ring at once. She would not be married to someone beneath her and her family name. Alice promised to return it but instead, strung the ring on a necklace and kept it hidden from her family.
To help her get over her love of the lumberman, her family sent Alice to a boarding school in Charleston. Unable to take her family's oppression any longer, she reluctantly agreed to leave and go to Charleston, although promising to never forget her love. Alice continued to wear the ring around her neck and constantly grabbed at it for comfort.
Alice was heart broken when she arrived in Charleston, she hated the city and missed her true love. She became depressed and withdrew, not going out of her way to make friends or meet a new suitor. One night, Alice became seriously ill. The doctors diagnosed her with malaria and sent for her family at once. Dr. Allard left immediately upon hearing of his sister's sickness to bring her back to the Hermitage and when he arrived, Alice had already become delirious. The four day journey back to the Hermitage was not an easy one. The constant rain, jostling and ferry rides did nothing to help Alice's deteriorating condition.
There's different endings of the story:
One version says upon Alice's return, Dr. Allard discovers the ring on her neck and in anger snatches the necklace off and throws the ring in the Murrell's Inlet marshlands. Broken hearted without her ring, Alice dies a short time after.
The other version says Alice dies a short time later after returning from Charleston. While getting her dressed for the burial, Dr. Allard discovers the necklace and throws it into the marshlands.
So embarrassed and angered at Alice's love of the lumberman, Dr. Allard only had her first name carved on her resting stone.
People say that Alice can be seen wondering around in her favorite white dress at the All Saints Church and the Hermitage searching for her love's lost ring.
If you decide to go, there is a ritual you can do to have a wish granted. Go to the cemetery at midnight, walk around her grave 13 times backwards and place a token above the letter A. It is said that your wish will be granted and Alice will appear before you. While I didn't do the ritual, I placed a nickle on the grave just for fun and made a wish. People that visit the grave will place rings, flowers or other such tokens in sympathy of Alice's sad story.
The graveyard at All Saints Church is actually very beautiful and peaceful. Many of the gravestones are from the 1800's and the Spanish Moss hanging from many of the trees, give the cemetery an eerie but elegant look. Alice's grave can be found at the back of the cemetery; you will probably have to look for a few minutes but it can easily be found if you look for objects on the the gravestone and the eroded circular path around the marker.
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