The Martin Mere Mermaid
Burscough, Lancashire 1600s
“A bold swimmer, o’ my troth!” said Molyneux; “her body tapers to a fish’s tail, no doubt, or my senses have lost their use.”
How could I possibly go any further without bringing up mermaids? A very recognisable idea thanks to stories like The Little Mermaid (I dare Disney to try again, properly this time...), mermaids were once a dangerous and terrifying sight. I feel if I saw a half woman half fish hybrid floating in the waters, I would be more petrified than lustful. I’ve seen a few Medieval illustrations of mermaids having both tail/fin and legs simultaneously, which is an even more terrifying concept.
This particular mermaid tale takes us back to the seventeenth century to Martin Mere, a vast marsh near Burscough in Lancashire. The story was recorded in Roby’s Traditions of Lancashire Volume II in 1872 and our protagonists are Captain Harrington and his friend Sir Ralph Molyneux.
The pair journeyed around Martin Mere, enjoying the views and the impending setting of the sun. Suddenly, a female form seemed to rise from the waters. She swam effortlessly, as if she was born to do so, with long dark hair flowing behind her. Harrington muttered, “something dark comes upon that burning track left on the surface by the sun’s chariot wheels.” Ralph replied, “a fishmonger’s skiff belike”.
After leaving the waters edge to head back home, the two encountered some difficulties with their horses, the marsh was getting boggier and the trip was taking longer than anticipated. Spotting a light in the distance, and realising they were in a slight bit of trouble, Harrington and his friend headed towards the isolated hut. Upon entering, they were greeted by man and wife, and in the woman’s arms was a baby. Harrington described the baby as being ‘an image of more perfect loveliness’.
“Have ye seen her?” inquired both man and dame with great alacrity.
“Seen whom?” returned the guest.
“The Meer-woman, as we call her.”
Fearing their tale would be laughed at, and confused at the casual demeanour the couple had when asking if they’d seen her, Harrington confessed they had seen something in the waters. Suddenly, as if summoned, a low muttering could be heard by the window. Hearing it, the fisherman left to go and consult with the mermaid, leaving Harrington in the company of the wife and child.
Returning, the fisherman explained to Harrington that the baby was not theirs, and was in fact given to them by the mermaid. “She says our lives were just now in danger; and that the child’s enemies are again in search” the fisherman said, face whitened. He explained that the mermaid wished for Captain Harrington to take the child, and keep her safe until the mermaid can return.
Harrington, who was already quite taken by the baby, agreed. The baby returned to Harrington’s home, and years passed. Harrington married, and his wife was like a mother to the child, keeping Harrington’s promise alive. Terrified of losing the child, Harrington kept returning to the mere but the sea-lady was no where to be seen. Days after Harrington’s wife recounted a nightmare she’d had of the return of the mermaid, Harrington encountered a cloaked figure who told him it was time for the child to go home.
Grace, the name of Harrington’s adopted daughter, was overjoyed to hear they’d be making a trip to the mere and told of her excitement at meeting a mermaid - Harrington’s heart grew heavier with every step closer to the waters. They finally made it back to the fabled fisherman’s hut, ‘half-burnt turf and bog-wood lay on the hearth; but the walls were crumbling down with damp and decay’.
Once again, Harrington heard the low muttering by the window and raced out to meet with the mermaid... but she was not there. As he returned into the hut, his heart sunk as he desperately tried to seek Grace out, but she was no longer there. Harrington was suddenly ambushed, masked, and taken aboard a ship.
Upon unmasking, Harrington was faced with what could only be described as a pirate.
The pirate told Harrington of a daughter he once had, taken from him not long after birth, “thy fell, unpitying purpose, remorseless monster, hath made me childless! But thou hast robbed the lioness of her whelp, and thou art in her gripe!” Harrington protested, claiming his innocence, he had not stolen the child but rather was gifted her and had promised protection over her.
The pirate did not believe a word, and drew his gun, ready to put a bullet in Harrington. But the bullet was stopped, nothing hit Harrington, as the mermaid appeared and took the blow for him. The mermaid’s spirit departed, leaving both the pirate and Harrington awe-struck. The child and the pirate, her real father, lived on Harrington’s estate and the three spent many happy years together repenting their sins and forgiving those who’d wronged them.
Whilst it seems like the mermaid had taken off in Harrington’s story, weird happenings have been reported at Martin Mere since. An unknown large creature has been spotted in the waters, snatching local wildlife and dragging them down into the depths. Locals have described the creature as ‘a powerful, fast swimming creature of immense proportions’, could this be the return of the sea-dwelling woman?
Sources
https://festivalofmaking.co.uk/projects/graduate-micro-commissions/daniel-nelson/
https://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/cryptozoology/martin-mere-burscough/
https://www.spookyisles.com/martin-mere-mermaid/
Traditions of Lancashire, Volume 2. Roby, John, 1793-1850.
