The Gray Man of Edisto Marsh

The Gray Man, also known as the Gray Ghost, is reputed to be the spirit of a local resident of Pawley's Island who actually lived in the area during the 1800's. Exactly who he was in that time span is left to speculation. Though his usual sightings are on Pawley's Island, he has been seen in the marshes of Edisto Island some miles south of Pawley's, more specifically in and around the Edisto Island Presbyterian Church and Manse.

Now, the Manse was the home of the Reverend William States Lee who was the beloved pastor of the church for more than fifty years. The Manse, a beautiful old home built on a foundation of tabby and facing a tidal marsh, on several occasions, provided a haunt for the Gray Man, according to accounts found in some of Reverend Lee's papers.

During the tenure of Reverend Lee, the Gray Man was often seen entering the church and sitting on the back pew which was always empty. The island church boasted a fairly good number of Gullah, the descendants of the early slave trade to Carolina, so the singing of spirituals was quite lively. The Gray Man joined in the singing with a deep, loud voice. He acted in a most spiritual and normal manner during the service, but always vanished right before the benediction was given. Then, as mysteriously as the Gray Man appeared at the church and the manse he left, never to return there again.

The Gray Man, who is faceless, shows himself only to those who have been given the gift of second sight, meaning to those who believe in ghosts. Though he stopped his visits to the church and manse, he is still often observed walking along the Edisto tidal marsh, then disappears in an eye's blink. Otherwise this spectre of the past is known for warning residents of an impending storm, especially hurricanes and floods.

Whether or not one believes in ghosts is not in question, for the Gray Man is as much a part of the tidal marsh as is the eternal tide.

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