That Reminds Me: Milford Haven memories of years gone by

"Dear Jeff, my grandparents on my mother's side, aunt and other extended members of the Hooper family, all lived in Milford Haven. In researching the ancestry of the Hooper side of my family, I have found out that my great grandfather, Robert Hooper, although born in Brixham, Devon, first became a skipper in Hull at the age of 21.

"My delve into my family history revealed that he, with his wife Christiannia returned to Brixham, and then around 1891 census shows the family living at Church Road, Llanstadwell.

"My guess is that by then he had transferred from sail to steam. His son, also Robert, followed into the fishing industry in Milford following his marriage to Elizabeth Raymond, we find living in Robert Street.

"During WW1 the family, without Christiannia moved to Fleetwood, Lancashire, where it is assumed that the two Roberts were employed on convoy protection duty.

"Following the end of the war, the family, without Robert Hooper Snr. returned to Milford, where they remained for the rest of their lives, first residing in Hakin and then Shakespeare Avenue.

"I have traced Robert Hooper, my grandfather on the following trawlers: "St Brides", "Marloes" (skipper 1912/13), and "Willam Humphries."

"My memories of my grandfather (1950's) was of him repairing nets in a red
corrugated shed, sited approximately toward the dock entrance of Mackerel Quay Road.

"Guess no pensions for retired fishermen?

"I have a couple of unanswered questions that I hope someone may be able to help me with.

"1. Confirmation that I am correct in that only steam driven trawlers were used out of Milford.

"2. Living in Llanstadwell, would my great grandfather have worked out of Neyland or Milford?

"3. The date(s) when Shakespeare Avenue was built.

"4. Would his net mending job in his later years be perhaps a form of employment by the trawler owners?

"I really enjoy your articles in the Western Telegraph. We are frequent visitors to Pembrokeshire, siting our caravan at Broad Haven for the season each year."

If anyone can help, please get in touch and I'll pass it on.

I've found a pic of the stream trawler "Marloes" M76, with details confirming that she landed at Milford from June 1911 to August 1913, and that Robert Hooper was skipper in Dec 1912/January 1913. In August 1926
she was operating out of Ostend, having been re-named "Commandant Bultinck. 0.177" and here's a snap of her in October 1929, after she'd been wrecked on Rossall Beach, Fleetwood, where she was then broken up.

I'm sticking with the fishing industry but going back a couple of centuries having resurrected a fascinating piece about mermaids, originally given to me by Milford's Alison King, a dozen years ago. The story dates back to July 1822, when Alison's Great great great great grandfather once hooked a "mermaid" whilst fishing off the Shetlands.

It obviously caused some excitement in the press at the time, and here are some extracts from the solemnly sworn statements given which described the encounter.

A drawing of the 'mermaid' (Image: Philip Muirdon)

"In the beginning of the month of July last they were fishing from 30 to 36 miles from land, and about midnight took up a creature attached at the back of the neck to a hook, which was about three feet long and about thirty inches in circumference at the broadest part, which was across the shoulders.

"From the navel upwards it resembled a human being, had breasts as those of a woman; attached to the sides were arms about nine inches long, with wrists and hands like those of a human being, except that there were webs between the fingers for about half their length. The fingers were in number and shape
like those of a man. The little arms were close on the outside of the breasts, and on each shoulder was placed a fin of a round form, which, when extended, covered both the breasts and arms.

"The animal had a short neck, on which rested a head about the length of a man's, but not nearly so round, and somewhat pointed at the top; had eyebrows without hair and eyelids covering two small blue eyes, somewhat like those of a human being, not like those of a fish. It had no nose but two orifices for blowing through. Has a mouth so large that when opened wide it could admit a man's fist.

"It had lips rather thicker than a man's, of a pure white colour. There was no chin but they think the lower jaw projected a little farther than the upper one. There were no ears. The whole front of the animal was covered with skin as white as linen, the back with a skin of a light grey colour, like a fish.

"From the breasts the shape sloped towards the tail, close to which it was about four inches in circumference.

"The tail was flat. The animal was nearly round at the shoulders, appeared to have shoulder bones and a hollow space between them, like a human being. The diminution of size increased most rapidly from the navel, which might be nine inches below the breasts. There was between the nostrils a thing that
appeared to be a piece of gristle about nine inches long and which resembled a thick bristle.

"There was a similar one on each side of the head but not quite so long.

"When the men spoke the animal yawned and moved those bristles which led them to suppose that the creature heard by means of them. There was no hair on any part of the body which was soft and slimy.

"There is an opinion among fishermen that it is unlucky to kill a mermaid and therefore, after having kept it in the boat for some time, they slipped it."

As the existence of the Loch Ness monster still continues to divide opinions who's to say that mermaid's don't? Following Alison's news cutting, Milford artist Philip Muirdon having read the description, kindly drafted this sketch for me. It certainly crushes my visions of the lovely Daryl Hannah in the movie "Splash!"

"On the other hand, maybe the "mermaid" hooked was some kind of sea mammal, like a dugong or manatee.

"Whatever it was, it certainly put me off my fish'n chips for a while!

Time's up, so here's this week's words of wisdom.
The legendary cricketer, Richie Benaud, once said: "I used to think I'd like less grey hair. Now I'd like more of it."

Take care and please stay safe.