After warming up over hot coffee in a local diner, we drove to the Cumberland Town Hall so that I could show Nick (and the film crew) an intriguing report of the Town Council meeting of 8 February 1796 that was entered in the Cumberland Town Council Records (vol. 4, p. 1). The entry reads:

"Mr Stephen Staples of Cumberland appeared before This Council and Prayed that he Might have Liberty Granted unto him to Dig up the body of his Dofter [sic] Abigail Staples Late of Cumberland Single Woman Deceased In order to Try an Experiment on Livina Chace Wife of Stephen Chace Which Said Livina Was Sister to the Said Abigail Deceased Which being Duly Considered it is Voted and Resolved that the Said Stephen Staples have Liberty to Dig up the Body of the Said Abigail Deceased and after Trying the Experiment as aforesaid that he bury the Body of the Said Abigail In a Deasent Manner."

While there is no direct reference to consumption, heart burning or vampires, I cannot imagine what other "experiment" might be referenced here. To date, this is the only explicit, official permission to exhume a body for the purpose of saving a life that I've uncovered in my extensive research of New England's vampire tradition.