Morecambe Mermaid

Morecambe Bay at low tide. Photo by Eiffel.

Are there really mermaids? Shakespeare has said that there are more things in earth and heaven than our philosophy has dreamed of. Rumours have reached us that a mermaid has actually been seen at a certain spot lower down the coast. If a mermaid has really been seen, then Shakespeare was right.

Now, if a mermaid were to come swimming into Morecambe Bay and start combing her tresses within sight of the promenade, there would be some possibility of finding out whether it was really a mermaid. This mermaid, who is said to have been seen, is apparently a coy wench, and she shirks the popular places on the coast, seeming to prefer to choose a spot on the long lonely stretches of sand, where she can bask in the sunshine, uninterrupted by curious holiday makers.

Still, despite her desire for seclusion, the story is told of how a young man and a young woman walking along the sands one morning saw a mermaid sitting on a boulder near the edge of the tide. The shimmering sheen of her tail and her long flowing hair attracted attention, and they eagerly went closer. The mermaid, however, saw them approaching and, so it is said, darted into the water and made off. A polite young mermaid she is, however, supposed to be, because when she got some way out, she waved her tail as a good-bye signal.

The young man and woman went back to the village where they were staying and started talking about what they had seen. Everbody, of course, thought they were "pitching a yarn," but a few days later a young fisherman came in with a story that he had seen the mermaid, but when he gave chase she swam so fast that he could not catch up with her. A local journalist heard about these stories and interviewed the young couple and the fisherman. As he was making his way to the telegraph office to send off the story of the discovery to his newspaper, the Chairman of the Parish Council met him and said, "I say, are you going to send that story of the mermaid away?"
"I was," said the reported.
"Look her, young man," said the chairman, "don't you do it. It's probably all bosh, but just imagine what will happen if you send away the news that a mermaid has been found here. The place will be absoluted raided by sightseers and you know quite well that there are not enough hotels or houses in the village to put the people up if they come. It will simply mean chaos, and if the mermaid is really about, the confusion will frighten her away."
"There is a lot in what you say," agreed the reporter.

"Look here, then; I've often done you a good turn in the past, do me one now. Send your story about the mermaid being seen but don't say where it is. Explain to your Editors that the Parish Council ask for the name of the place to be suppressed so as to avoid the place being overwhelmed with curious sight-seers. For our part, the Parish Council will do all that is possible to catch the mermaid, if there is one, and you shall be the first to interview her."

Realising that the chairman was quite correct that the village would be worst than Morecambe on a Bank Holiday if the name of the place got out, the reporter agreed. Probably the bait of the first interview with the mermaid if she was caught decided him. Knowing this correspondent, we are inclined to think there may be something in the story, and we hope that the Parish Council, or soemone else, will catch her. Oh, if only she had come, or would come to Morecambe. We should not worry about the crowds.

Morecambe Guardian, 18th July 1930.

Standing up for reason

An illustration from 1817, held by the Wellcome Trust.

To the Editor of the Morning Chronicle.

Sir. -- The credulity of the good people of England has often been noticed and commented on, and many a fine fortune has been realized thereby in the hands of the acute natives of France and Italy, &c. yea, the heavy tobacco-headed German, has not failed in the business. While the facility with which the native rogues have managed to impose on their unsuspecting countrymen has been proved in but too many instances. All of these considerations seem to have incited brother Jonathan to try his hand at imposing on brother John, by getting up a monstrous composition under the name and form of a Mermaid forsooth, and impiously and impudently to attribute the abominable forgery to the Divine Being, as his handy work.

In order that you may be aware of the grounds on which I make the foregoing assertions, I have to inform you that the composition was brought from Japan (where I believe it to have been manufactured for the purpose of levying contributions from off the ignorant and unsuspecting). The lower part is a real fish (of a species found in the rivers of China and Japan) the head and shoulders being cut off and replaced by a skeleton, artificially composed, and covered with the muscles, arms, and skin, stripped from off the bust of an old Japanese woman, all which being tolerably well put together, and afterwards smoke-dried, became the "Wonderful Mermaid" now exhibiting in London.

I handled, and minutely inspected the creature, on its arrival at Batavia from Japan, and on that inspection formed my opinion as expressed above. Many blunders have been committed in the  making up of the fabric, too numerous to be here distinctly detailed, nor is it necessary, as it will be readily perceived by any anatomist if opportunity be afforted for the purpose.

I therefore assert that the thing is a composition, and if that be denied, do challenge the proprietor to submit it to be dissected  by a person or persons appointed by the Royal College of Surgeons; and if it he then found to be a real production of natuer, I will then come forward and reimburse the loss, if any, which a Jury may pronounce him to have incurred thereby..
I am, yours obediently,
"SAWNEY."

 Liverpool Mercury, 8th November 1822.

The muscles etc. of an old Japanese woman - that's a bit grim. I'd like to think not though.

Exhibition in Cape Town

The Feejee Mermaid in Boston Museum (1857) - the same creature?

The numerous relations of mariners with respect to the existence of the Mermaid have generally been deemed fabulous, but the following description of an animal of this species, comes in a shape so plausible, that there appears every probability that the narratives of sailors ont he subject of this striking resemblance of the human species, have been founded on fact:-

Extract of a letter from the Rev. Dr. Philip, representative of the London Missionary Society, at Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, dated April 28, 1822:--
"I have today seen a mermaid, now exhibiting in this town. I have always treated the existence of this creature as fabulous; but my scepticism is now removed. As it is probable no description of this extraordinary creature has yet reached England, the following particulars respecting it may gratify your curiosity and amuse you: - The head is almost the size of that of a baboon. It is thinly covered with black hair, hanging down, and not inclined to frizzle. On the upper lip and on the chin there are a few hairs, resembling those upon the head. The ossa mallarum, or cheek bones, are prominent. The forehead is low, but, except in this particular, the features are much better proportioned, and bear a more decided resemblance to the human countenance than those of any of the baboon tribes. The head is turned back and the countenance has an expression of terror, which gives it an appearance of a caricature of the human face; but I am disposed to think that both these circumstances are accidental, and have arisen from the manner in which the creature met its death. It bears the appearance of having died in great agony. The ears, nose, lips, chin, breasts, nipples, fingers, and nails, resemble those of a human figure. The spinous processes of the vertebrae are very prominent, and apparently arranged as in the human body. From the position of the arms, and the manner in which theya re placed, and from such an examination as could be made in the circumstances in which I was placed at the time I saw it, I can have no doubt that it has clavicles; an appendage belonging to the human subject, which baboons are without.

The appearance of the teeth afford sufficient evidence that it is full grown: the incisores, being worn on the upper surface. There are eight incisores, four canine, and eight molares. The canine teeth resemble those of a full-grown dog; all the others resemble those of a human subject. The length of the animal is three feet; but not having been well preserved it has shrunk considerably, and must have been both longer and thicker when alive than it is now. Its resemblance to the human species ceases immediately under the mammae.

On the line of separation, and directly under the breast, are two fins. From the point where the human figure ceases, which is about twelve inches below the vertex of the head it resembles a large fish of the salmon species. It is covered with scales all over; on the lower parts of the animal, the scales resemble those of a fish; but on that part of the animal that resembles the human form, they are much less, and scarcely perceptible, except on a near inspection.

On the lower part of the body it has six fins, one dorsal, two ventrical, two pectoral, and the tail. The pectoral fins are very remarkable; they are horizontal, and evidently formed as an apparatus to support the creature when in an erect posture, like that in which it has sometimes represented combing its hair. --The figure of the tail is exactly that which is given in the usual representation of the Mermaid.

The proprietor of this extraordinary animal is Captain Eades, of Boston, in the United States of America. Since writing the above description he has called upon me, and I have learned from him the following particulars: - It was caught some where on the North of China, by a fisherman, who sold it for a trife; after which it was brought to Batavia. Here it was purchased by Captain Eades for 5,000 Spanish dollars, and he has since been offered 10,000 Spanish dollars for it, but refuses to part with it for that sum. Captain Eades is a passenger on board the American ship Lion, now in Table Bay; he leaves this port in about a fortnight, and the Lion visits the Thames on her passage to America, so that it will, probably, be soon exhibited in London."

In the Kentish Weekly Post, 23rd July 1822.
Is this just a long advert? It'd certainly have piqued my interest. I'd be hoping to go and see it when it arrived.

Mermaid abduction

The cover of Yevgeny Zamyatin's A Provincial Tale

A Novel Case of Abduction.

A thief, by some means, got access to the Mermaid, at Mr. Lefevre's exhibition, on the Parade, and whilst Mr. L. was delivering a Lecture on the properties of glass, succeeded in carrying her off; but was detected in passing down stairs, and the fair prize was restored to her home. It is doubted whether the delinquent may not be brought before a very high Tribunal for this offence, as the Maid is stated to be a Ward of Chancery. -- Cork Paper.

Morning Advertiser, 17th January 1824.

I'm not entirely clear about the whole 'ward of chancery' thing, but you can read about it here in Jan Bondeson's book. 
In the same paper on 27th December 1822, they report the entertainments at the Olympic Theatre. "The humourous transformation of a baloon and a salmon into a mermaid, and making it a Ward of Chancery, created the highest mirth."

Mermaid on St Kilda

Cliffs off St Kilda. CC image by Mike Pennington.

 A poor Welch seaman, who was last summer cast away in a squall on the island of St Kilda, applied to a gentleman in Ayr last week for pecuniary aid to help him on to Carnarvon. He stated in consequence of the little intercourse which exists between the island and the mainland, he had been detained there till lately, and related a variety of circumstances as to the habits and opinions of the St Kildians, which removed all doubt as to the authenticity of his story.

A belief in the existence of mermaids, it seems, is universal among this little known people, and although the Welchman at first was extremely sceptical on the subject, he was finally converted by the convincing evidence of ocular demonstration.

To secure to himself the means of a precarious subsistence he was obliged to participate in the dangerous labours of the islanders, and one day while he hung suspended over one of those dreadful precipices, from which "The crows and choughs that wing the midway air Show scarce so large as beetles" in search of feathers and birds' eggs, the staple produce of the island, his attention was drawn to the unruffled sea beneath by a strange unearthly sound, as if some monster of the deep were raising its voice in song, in mockery to the human race. At the same moment a native similarly engaged on the rocks near him, exclaimed, "The mermaid, the mermaid!" and the astonished Welchman descried on the surface of the magnificent waters a being resembling humanity; but yet so curious withal, as to start a doubt in his mind as to the reality of the vision.

The description which he gave our informant of its form and features, varied little from the accounts of other historians of veracity, who have had the luck to behold these ominous creatures. Under a very short forehead were two small round eyes, separated by a flat nose, and the cheeks, which were exceedingly broad, were split across by a mouth which nearly reached from ear to ear. The chin and neck were short, and altogether it presented that dumpy appearance which has been often assigned to the rustic maidens of the Welch mountains -- Ayr paper.

Caledonian Mercury, 19th December, 1825.