Mermaid Monday: The Mermaid’s Tail in Argyll December 18, 2017
Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern , trackback
In early October 1811 two young Scots in Argyll claimed to see mermaids: one aged twenty-three, the other aged eight. That is interesting enough, but what is fascinating for the historian is how this news fed through into the wider world. In early November the two witnesses and the eight-year-old’s father were deposed, in other words put on oath about what they had seen. Then 9 Nov Duncan Campbell Sherrif Substitute at Campbeltown sent these sworn accounts to the press. The earliest recorded publication was 28 Nov 1811 in the Glasgow Courier. Of course, this rippled through the British press and by early December the account was being widely discussed. Reference is often made to the case, but the entire bundle of letters has not been republished for two centuries.
Mr. Editor, If what is contained in the following depositions goes materially to establish what was formerly doubtful, namely, the existence of the fish called the Mermaid, I have no doubt but you will give it room in your paper, at your first convenience, for the gratification of the public. What generally appears above water of the Mermaid has been often described, but, I believe, till now, there never was an opportunity of describing the tail so accurately. Any difference in the colour of the hair and tail, as mentioned by the following witnesses, may be accounted for by the sun shining more or less bright at the time the animal was seen by each of them. – I am, &c. D. C.
The depositions follow.
1) Campbeltown, Nov. 9, 1811, At Campbeltown, 29th Oct. 1811. In presence of Duncan Campbell, Esq. Sheriff Substitute of Kintyre, appeared John M’Isaac, son to Lachlan M’Isaac, tenant in Corphine, aged twenty-three years, who, being solemnly sworn and examined, depones, that he resides in the said farm of Corphine, which is situated on the east coast of Kintyre,about four miles south from Campbeltown, that, about three or four o’clock of the afternoon of Sunday the 13th curt. having taken a walk towards the sea side, he came to the edge of a precipice above the shore, from which he saw the appearance of something white upon a black rock at some distance from him. Depones, that, having approached nearer to this rock, he observed this white object moving, which excited his curiosity so much that he resolved to get as near to it as possible unperceived; that, in order to accomplish this purpose, he crept upon all fours through a field of corn, till he got among the rocks near to the white object above-mentioned, and then from rock to rock until he came within twelve or fifteen paces of the rock on which it lay; that, upon looking at this object with attention, he was impressed with great surprise and astonishment at its uncommon appearance; that it lay flat upon the rock, seemingly upon its belly, with its head towards the sea; that the upper half of it was white, and of the shape of a human body; and the other half, towards the tail, of a brindled or reddish grey colour, apparently covered with scales, but the extremity of the tail itself was of a greenish red shining colour. Depones, that the head of this animal was covered with long hair; and, as the wind blew off the land, it sometimes raised the hair over this creature’s head, and every time the gust of wind would do this the animal would lean towards one side, and, taking up the opposite hand, would stroke the hair backwards, and then leaning upon the other side would adjust the hair on the opposite side of its head in the same manner; that at the same time the animal would put back the hair on both sides of its head in this manner; it would also spread or extend its tail like a fan to a considerable breadth, and while so extended the tail continued in tremulous motion, and when drawn together again it remained motionless, and appeared to the deponent to be about twelve or fourteen inches broad, lying flat upon the rock. Depones, that the hair, which was long and light brown in the colour, attracted his particular notice; that the animal, upon the whole, was between four and five feet long, as near as he could judge; that it had a head, hair, arms and body, down to the middle, like a human being, only that the arms were short in proportion to the body, which appeared to be about the thickness of that of a young lad, and tapering gradually to the point of the tail; that at the time it was stroking its head, as above-mentioned, the fingers were kept close together, so that he cannot say whether they were webbed or not; that he continued concealed looking at the animal for near two hours, the part of the rock upon which it lay being dry all that time; that after the sea had so far retired as to leave the rock dry, to the height of five feet above the surface of the water, the animal leaning first upon one hand or arm, and then upon the other, drew its body forward to the edge of the rock, and then tumbled clumsily into the sea; that the deponent immediately got upon his feet from the place of his concealment, and in about a minute thereafter he observed the animal appearing above water very near to the said rock, and then, for the first time, he saw its face, every feature of which he could distinctly mark, and which to him had all the appearance of the face of a human being, with very yellow eyes; and, being particularly interrogated, depones, that the cheeks were of the same colour with the rest of the face; that the neck seemed to be short, and the animal was constantly, with both hands, stroking and washing its breast, which was half immersed in the water, and of which, of course, he had but an imperfect view; that, for this reason, he cannot say whether its bosom was formed like a woman’s or not. Depones, that he saw no other fins or feet upon the said animal but as above described. Depones, that this animal continued above water, as aforesaid, for a few minutes, and then disappeared, and was seen no more by the deponent; that one of his reasons for lying so long concealed, as above described, was from the expectation that the ebb tide would leave the rock and that part of the shore dry, before the animal would move from it, and that he would then be able to secure it. Depones, that he has been informed that some boys, in the neighbouring farm of Ballmatumie, saw a creature of the above appearance in the sea, close to the shore, on the afternoon of the same Sunday. All of which he depones to be truth, as he shall answer to God; and depones he cannot write. DUN. CAMPBELL, Sheriff-Sub.
There is then a testimony of John’s good character: Beach appreciated how he modestly could not comment on the mermaid’s bust.
Campbeltown, 29th Oct, 1811. We, the Rev. Dr. George Robertson, and Mr. Norman M’Leod, ministers of Campbeltown, and James Maxwell, Esq. chamberlain of Mull, do hereby certify, that we were present when the above-named John M’Isaac delivered his testimony, as before-mentioned; that we know of no reason why his veracity should be called in question; and that, from the manner in which he delivered his evidence, we are satisfied that he was impressed with a perfect belief that the appearance of the animal he has described was such as he has represented it to be. GEO. ROBERTSON, NOR. M’LEOD, JA. MAXWELL, J. P.
We now move to the child witness.
2) At Campbeltown, 2nd Nov. 1811, in presence of Duncan Campbell, Esq. sheriff-substitute of the district of Kintyre, compeared Catherine Loynachan, daughter to Lachlan Loynachan, herd in Ballinatunie, aged eight years and a half, who, being examined and interrogated, declares, that on the afternoon of a Sunday, about three weeks ago, she was herding cattle for her father at the sea side, on the said farm, and had a brother with her younger than herself; that, as she was turning the cattle towards home, and being at the time very close to the sea-side, she observed some creature sliding upon its belly off one of the rocks very near her into the sea; that she observed this creature had a head, covered with long hair, of a darkish colour, the shoulders and back white, with the rest of the body tapering like a fish, and as she thought of a darkish brown colour; that, after sliding from the rock it disappeared under water, but immediately thereafter it came above water again, about six yards farther out, and turned about with the face of it towards the shore, where the declarant was standing; and having laid one hand, which was like a boy’s hand, upon another rock that was near the first rock, it came in nearer to the shore than it was; that at this time the declarant saw the face of it distinctly, which had all the appearance of the face of a child, and as white, and at this time the animal was constantly rubbing or washing its breast with one hand, the fingers being close together. Declares, that, after this animal continued to look towards the declarant for about half a minute, it swam about and disappeared, but in a very short time thereafter she saw the head and face of this animal appearing above water again, and swimming away south towards the farm of Corphine, but soon after disappeared, and the declarant saw it no more. Declares, that from the appearance of this animal above water, when swimming south, she thought it was a boy that had fallen out of a vessel passing by, and was swimming in shore for his life, upon which she went home in a hurry and told her mother what she saw at the shore as aforesaid; all which she declares to be truth, and that she cannot write, DUN. CAMPBELL, Sheriff. Sub.
And her father. Interesting how the girl originally described the merman as a boy, see further below.
3) Compeared Lachlan Loynachan, herd in Ballinatunie, father to the preceding declarant, who, being particularly examined and interrogated, declares, that upon Sunday the 13th day of October last, as he was going from his house before sunset to look after some of the cattle of the farm, the day being stormy, his wife called him back, and informed him that their daughter Catherine came from the shore, and saying that there was a boy swimming along shore, and desired the declarant to see what it was. Declares, that he, his wife, and his daughter Catherine, went down to the sea side, where she said the boy was swimming, but no boy or person was to be seen there. Declares, that his daughter then told him all that she has now declared about the appearance of the boy, and pointed out to him the two rocks where she had seen the person they were in quest of. Declares, that he is well acquainted with the fishing rock, called the Black Rock of Corphine, and he thinks that the distance betwixt that rock and the two rocks where his said daughter saw the boy or animal before-mentioned, will be about half a mile, or rather better. All which he declares to be truth, and that he cannot write. DUN. CAMPBELL, Sh. Sub
One final thought. Why swear to mermaids: another Scottish mermaid sighting from 1809 had taken a similar strategy. Other examples of early 19C swearing to the supernatural or the cryptozoological: drbeachcombing AT gmail DOT com. The account of John is particularly impressive. Either he had an ‘episode’, was lying or he saw something very unusual.
30 Dec 2017: Chris from Haunted Ohio Books writes…
There is something of a minor sub-genre in 19th-century supernatural stories of people swearing affidavits, usually before a notary or Justice of the Peace. This is not always indicative of a genuine event. In some cases, we have a long list of “witnesses” swearing to improbable occurrences, except that I can find no trace of the witnesses or the notary in other records. (And there are often good records of notaries available.) In some cases, real people are named and apparently swore oaths before real notaries. For example, this, from a longer story on spirit photography:
Spirits gather before the camera of a Washington photographer. William H. Andrews and Joseph L. Williams, his cousin have made affidavits to this effect.
Taking a solemn oath before a notary public, Andrews avowed his confidence in the camera of W.M. Keeler of 1343 Euclid street.
“I never saw the photographer until a few months ago, and he never asked me to make this affidavit, but he has certainly taken the pictures of my dead father and brother and other relatives. My brother had never had a picture taken, and I know that he could not have copied the pictures. My father had none taken since 1831. The one of my father was just as he looked in 1861 (?) when I saw him in Kansas, just before he died. Andrews lived at Kenilworth, D.C. Williams his cousin lives at Allen, Ohio. After seeing the group pictures of his dead relatives, he sent it to Williams and other relatives, and depositions were given by them to the effect that the resemblances were indisputable. The affidavits of the two men follow:
Mr. Andrews’ Statement.
“District of Columbia. On the 16th day of February, A.D. 1906, personally appeared before me, a notary public in and for the District aforesaid, William H. Andrews, aged fifty-three years, who being by me duly sworn, deposes and says as follows:
“November 12, 1905, I went to W.M. Keeler, 1342 Euclid street, Washington, D.C. and had a sitting for alleged spirit pictures, having little faith in the truth of the phenomenon. In a few days two pictures of myself, with groups of faces thereon, arrived by mail, on one of which I instantly recognized an accurate picture of my father, Charles Andrews, as he appeared at eighty-five years of age when I last saw him, the spring of 1901, at Concordia, Kans., November 4, 1901, and had no pictures taken since about 1881.
“I was quite confident I recognized the faces of two uncles, William and Herman Andrews, whom I had seen many years before, and I guessed one to be that of my brother Marvin because of his resemblance to mother.
“He was accidentally killed when he was four and a half years old, and my parents informed me that he never had his picture taken.
“I had several pictures taken from the one above described and sent them to persons who recognized father’s picture. I submit statements from two, Joseph L. Williams and H.H. Andrews. I showed father’s picture that was taken about 1881, to twenty persons, nineteen of whom, unaided, selected at once his spirit picture.
“On one of the pictures I recognized my first wife, unlike any picture she had ever had taken.
“I had never seen said photographer prior to November 12, 1905.
“William H. Andrews
“Sworn to and subscribed before me this 14th day of February, 1906, and I verify that the affiant is well known to me as a respectable and creditable person.
(Seal) Edwin D. Tracy ‘Notary Public.”
H.H. Andrews’ Letter.
“W.H. Andrews, Washington.
A “Dr John Morton” swore to a walking dead woman haunting her late husband in the form of her decaying corpse. [The story is too lengthy to quote here, but can be found in The Ghost Wore Black: Ghastly Tales from the Past. I could find none of the witnesses ]
Mrs. Josepha H. Green, being duly sworn, deposes and says, that the letter of Dr. John Morton, hereto appended, which she has read, is strictly true, so far as it goes, though much of the history of what occurred at her brother’s (the late Mr. Hayden) house is omitted, and this she deposes of her own knowledge. Josepha H. Green.
Sworn and subscribed before me, a notary public, in and for the county of Grand Traverse and State of Michigan, on the 20th day of December, A. D. 1856.
James Taylor, Notary Public. County of Grand Traverse, Michigan, ss:
James Hudson, being duly sworn, deposes and says, that he, in company with Geo. Green, Albert J. Bailey and Henry K. Smead, on the 1st day of Dec. last past, in the afternoon of said day, did go to the house of William H. Hayden, then deceased, for the purpose of burying the body of said Hayden, deceased; and that they found upon the floor of the room in which the body of the said deceased lay, and near the door of the said room, the putrid remains of a human corpse, a female, as the deponent verily believes and avers; and that they carried away and buried the body of the said Hayden, deceased; and found the grave of the wife of said Hayden, deceased in the month of August last, open at the head of said grave, and that said grave was empty of the body of said wife of said Hayden, deceased, being gone from said grave; and that they returned to said house wherein said Hayden died; and, after removing the furniture from said house, the deponent did, at the request of Mrs. Green, sister of said Hayden, deceased, set fire to said house, and that said house was entirely consumed, with all that remained in said house, and burned to ashes. This I aver of my own knowledge. James Hudson.
We aver and solemnly swear that the above affidavit is strictly and entirely true, of our own knowledge.
Geo. Green,
Albert J. Bailey
Henry K. Smead,
Sworn and subscribed before me, a notary public, in and for the county of Grand Traverse and State of Michigan, on this 20th day of December, A. D. 1856.
James Taylor, Notary Public.
[Despite the official-looking affidavits, I can find no evidence for the existence of any of the people involved.]
A truly sensational pair of affidavits were recorded in Bracken County Kentucky in 1866 and 1868, involving giant fiery, shapeshifting devils.
This day personally appeared before the undersigned, John G. Finley, Justice of the Peace, within and for the county and State aforesaid, Nathaniel G. Squires, Minerva Squires, Sarah D. Squires, Lucy Squires. Martha W. Dole, Adam Fuqua and Jesse Bond, who, being duly sworn according to law, declare that the statements in the foregoing letter are true as far as it refers to each of them. And I certify that affiants are credible and reliable persons, and their statements entitled to full faith and credit.
John G. Finley, J. P. B. C.
JOSEPH PEYTON [Another virtually identical version of this article spells the name Payton.]
State of Kentucky, Bracken County, S.S.
We, the undersigned, make oath and say that the above statement is substantially correct, and has been examined by us.
Lucius Langdon
Jonathan C. Soule
James S. Wolfe. His Mark
Sworn to before me this the sixteenth day of October, 1868. John P. Jones, J.P.
Setting aside the improbability of the stories, the parties named do not seem to exist anywhere except in the affidavits.
I’ve also run across an Ohio ghost story where the family swore to seeing a ghost in the kitchen. Swearing out an affidavit seems an extreme measure, just to establish your bonafides, but when I was making ghostly house-calls, many people were anxious not to be labelled crazy. I suppose putting yourself on oath tried to make that point.
