A most strange and true report of a monsterous Fish, who appeared in the forme of a Woman, from her waste vpwards.
Imprinted at London for W.B.
A most strange and true report of a monsterous Fish, that appeared in the forme of a Woman, from her wast vpwardes: Seene in the Sea by diuers men of good reputation, on the 17. of February last past 1603▪ neare Gylmanes poynt, in the parish of Pendine in the Countie of Carmarthen.
To his louing Kinsman and Friend M. H. P. at his lodging in London, these. &c.
like the touch of the purest Arabian Gold, haue I euer found your Loue, which so often hauing approued, in all true frindship hath obliged mee by all bondes of gentillitie and honesty vnto you (especially) for your kindly and paineful participating from time to time, all those honorable seruices done his most excellent Maiestie, from place to place (in your Letters) so largely describing his royaltie, and the subiects duetie: with the cheering whereof, our hartes were no lesse replenished with all comfort and true affection of loyaltie, then you, the most happy beholders thereof: with remembrance of those happie tydings, such a simphanie of true zeale and duetie comoyning, as brought more comfort to our greeued hartes, which care had ouer charged with imaginations, That the care of the one, was expeld by the ioy of the others: and our decayed sprightes reuiued, as Aqua Celestis the body, resigning his latest gaspe to his maker.
[Page] For these, and millions of other your kind fauours (my good Coosen) set me lade you with thankes, and so many wishes of happines & prosperitie from all your Friendes, in the Westerne Mountaines of Wales, as wee desire: then should you not neede (in ought that should either conserne the worldes felicitie, or heauens biessednesse) but all in all should concurre to make you happie, both with God and men? The time is short of my Messengers stay: his haste on his iorney requiring haste, yet could I not omit this oportunitie, to gratifie your London Newes of ioy, with a most rare and strange matter here in our confines, not long fithence happening.
Strange things many haue published, as monsteerous Birthes, strange Beastes, taking of Whales and other strange Fishes▪ fierie Dragons, & strange sightes in the Ayre, some by nature, (others, as tokens of Gods powerfull Maiestie) all great and admyrable for men to wonder at, and exalt his glory, to the abating of mens pride, and for warning or vs that our sinfull liues may be amended, that true repentance may follow, and pride▪ whoredome, bryberie, extortion, couetousnesse, letcherie, and such like pernitious damnable vices, may be vtterly abolished: reta [...]ning in their place, the feare of Gods wrath for sinne, charitable loue amongst men, and all other holy prescriptions from God, our gracious Soueraigne, and Preachers of his sacred word.
I am somewhat tedious, good Coosen: therefore I referre you to the true report of this most admirable and strange newes, which on my credite I write you: but impart it with the best of our & your good friendes, as foloweth. Viz.
[Page] ON Fryday the xvij. day of Februarie last past 1603. about three of the clocke in the after noone, one Thomas Raynold of Pendine, (a Village in the Countie of Carmarden) a very honest and substanciall Yeoman, walking neare the shores side, not far from a high Land or Poynt in the same parish, called Hollogoho, betweene Gylmanes Poynt and Tolwen, he saw swimming in the Sea (neare the Poynt) a most strange and wonderfull thing: the greatnes and rarenes whereof, being of that forme and length, albeit he was a man of good sence and spright, hauing reason and iudgement, more then many of no better education, droue him so to admire there at, that he spent the better part of two howers viewing of it, as it draue with the Tyde towardes the shore, betweene the two Poynts: where he did discouer it at his full pleasure in this forme.
The shape of a very liuely Woman, from her wast vpwardes, which was all aboue the water: her cullour browne: a very large and faire Paire: ouer which (to his seeming) was a thing like a Hood, about her necke in maner of a white Band, her Brestes round and very white, with two fayre handes, euerie thing formally as a Woman.
Thomas Raynold hauing with great wonder noted all this, neare two howers space, in good fight, and tooke good notise thereof, imagining what might be thought, of vnbeleeuing people, if he should report it, hauing no body to iustifie his wordes, although he be a man of credite: yet leauing it for a time, as waighing his reputation, speedeth him in all haste to the Towne, where, so many of his [Page] honest neighbours and coosens as he could sodainely finde, he caused to goe with him to the Poynt, where he left it, to witnesse what he had seene: who likewise had good view thereof halfe an houre and more, neuer changing any shape, but as Raynold had seene it. A most dreadfull woonder to many of those beholders, which diuersly censured thereof: some being afrayde, least it might be otherwise then it shewed: Standing thus amazed at the sight, with turning of the Tyde, it made way from the place where they saw it swimming: then in swimming, (which was more admirable) it appeared in cullour gray, with eares like a Hound, but somewhat greater and shorter: her backe like vnto a Cock-boate, a full yard or more in breadth: her tayle to their seeming, two fothomes in length: in her swimming she went Soth-east to the Sea: Then came shee North-east to Tolwen, where shee continued vntill night: at which time, the darkenesse of the night approching, the beholders lost her sight, and from that time, was neuer seene more, or heard of as yet, about all the coast. Three howers full or more, they had perfect sight of her, as I haue written.
The people, as a wonder, filled the parish with the rumor of this strange sight, and far and neare went the report. Amongst many others which came, and sent to Pendine, to heare the certaine newes hereof, one M. William Sandars, of the same Parish, hauing been for his Maiesties busines at Garmarthen that day, at his home comming hearing a rumour hereof by his seruants, and knowing well Thomas Raynold to be a man of good name amongst them, desirous [Page] to be resolued of the trueth hereof, on the morrow following sent for him, and examined him of euery part and particularitie hereof, as you haue heard, who confirmed the same vnto him: and for the better satisfaction of the said M. Sandars, Raynold sent for all those, or the better sort, which were present with him, who confirmed vnder their handes, what Raynold had spoken: whose names I likewise send you, as they were subscribed. Viz.
- The Examiner M. William Sandars of Penden.
- Examinates.
- Thomas Raynold.
- William Raynold.
- Iohn Raynold the elder.
- Iohn Raynold the younger.
- Dauid Moris Smith.
- Morish Webb.
- Harry Mores of Morras.
- Alice Row.
- Ioane Mories.
- Anne Mories.
- Elinor Bullocke.
- Kath [...]rine Griphine.
- Philip Day.
With many others, both of Penden and other places.
What this woonder may pretend, to his Maiestie that made vs all, it is best knowen: but with vs, greatly admired. Accept this (good Coosen) which am at your seruice, and let vs all, as our bounden duetie, beseech God all powerfull, and full of might, to blesse and preserue our royall and most gratious king, the Queene, and all their Princely progenie: strengthen our taythes, and continue our peace, to his eternall glory, & our comfortes in Iesus Christ.
Museum Notes
A TALE OF THE SEA.
A few weeks ago these Notes contained an account of the Merman of Linney Head, taken from a strange story related by a farmer who claimed to have seen the creature in December, 1781. An earlier story of one of these perplexing appearances has now come to light according to Mr. H. M. Vaughan, who writes as follows:
A MERMAID AT PENDINE.
A curious and indeed unique little pamphlet recently purchased by the National Library of Wales, is an account of the appearance of a Mermaid off the coast at Pendine over 340 years ago. This pamphlet, which was unknown at the British Museum, where the authorities are greatly interested in its discovery, consists of four leaves octavo with the text in black letter and a picture of the Mermaid on the title page. It is shown as "Imprinted at London, 1603, for W.B." The title runs "A most strange and true Report of a Monsterous Fish that appeared in the form of a Woman from her waist upwards, seene in the Sea by divers men of good reputation on the 17 of February 1603, near Gylmanes poynt in the parish of Pendine in the Countie of Carmarthen."
The account of the Mermaid is contained in a letter by "Mr. P. G." to his cousin "Mr. H. P." in London, and from internal evidence it appears to be based on a careful enquiry made by Mr. William Sandars, of Pendine, a magistrate and otherwise a person of local influence, but he did not make his investigation until several weeks after the event. Many witnesses were then examined and the report contains the names of thirteen of these in full. Here is the substance of the story.
The creature was first observed by one Thomas Raynold, yeoman, who after watching it for two hours, fetched several friends and neighbours so that they might see the weird object and bear witness to its reality. It had "the shape of a lively Woman from her waist upwards which was all above the water; her collour browne: a very large and fayre [head of] Haire: her breasts round and very white with two fayre handes: everything formally as a Woman." This description tallies with the figure on the title page. Various people watched the strange obect until darkness set in: then it was lost to sight and was not seen or heard of again.
What did all these people see? Was it a dugong or manatee or other visitor from tropical seas, or was it, as the picture seems to suggest, an unusually large seal? The chief hindrance to an acceptance of these naturalistic explanations arises from the very human hands and arms. Much imagination would need to be called into play to convert a seal's paddles into the "two fayre handes" shown in the drawing. But [Page] apart from these features the figure might be interpreted as a representation of a seal.
I hope to obtain from the National Library a photostat facsimile of this rare if not unique pamphlet concerning the Mermaid. This copy will be placed in the Library of the Tenby Museum.
It is a curious coincidence that the narratives of the Pendine Mermaid and the Linney Head Merman both begin with stories told by local farmers, Raynold and Reynold respectively, bearing names so unusual in this district that neither of them appears in the current list of Electors in the parish of St. Mary's-in-Liberty. Again in each case the creature had human hands and arms, and the descriptions of its appearance were written not by the chief witnesses but by local persons of importance. May it not be that the Linney Head story is a distorted version, told long afterwards, of the Pendine event and that this may have arisen from an exaggerated and imaginative account of a very large seal?