Skip to main content

Shapwick Sea Monster


On a Tuesday in October 1706, a travelling Poole fishmonger was wheeling his cart on the outskirts of the village of Shapwick. Unknown to him, a large crab fell from his barrow. This was to cause panic and alarm among the Shapwick villagers. Living inland, and perhaps in the 18th century not having travelled beyond Blandford, the Shapwick villagers had never before seen a crab.

Trudging home and exhausted by his day’s labour, a Shapwick farm worker discovered this crawling creature by stepping on it. So strange was its appearance, he believed it was the devil himself. Running on to the village, he told everyone excitingly of his horrid find. Fearing it was the work of the devil, the villagers armed themselves with pitchforks, sticks and stones. Knowing not what to do, they decided to consult the shepherd Rowe considered by many to be the local wise man. Sadly, the aging oracle was now past his prime and for the last six years had been confined to his bed. The old man was as infirm as he was reckoned to be gifted. So the villagers lifted him into a wheelbarrow and carefully trundled him down along the lane to scrutinise this unknown creature. Upon viewing the unfortunate crab, and with the perspiration of fear on his face, the veteran shepherd cried out, ‘Tis a land monster, wheel me off.  Wheel me off or we’re all dead men!’

Realising his loss, the fishmonger retraced his steps back to Shapwick to try to find his errant crustacean. Upon hearing of the chaos caused, he was most amused. A crowd of villagers starkly warned the fishmonger and one shouted. ‘Take care he’ll bite you, you’ve caught the devil.’ To the astonished folk of Shapwick, the Poole fishmonger simply picked up the monster and placed it into his basket. He, then, continued on his way.

‘You silly fools can it be true
A fish so common you don’t know?
This is a crab caught in the sea
This morning it was lost by me
So many fools upon the green
At one time sure was never seen.’  (The Shapwick Monster – Buscall Fox.)

As he plied his trade travelling around Dorset, so humoured was the Poole fishmonger that he told everyone what had happened. Sadly, this fishmonger’s tale gained Shapwick folk an unfair reputation of being slow-witted. Indeed, it was said that this led to some Shapwick villagers being too embarrassed to visit a fish stall.

The tale of the Shapwick crab survived for many generations. In the 1840s, it was re-told in poetic verse by Buscall Fox who also produced his own mocking illustrations. Some 60 years further on, the village produced an Olympic running champion. Charles Bennett won the 1,500 metres race in the 1900 Paris Olympics. Cruelly, some Blandfordians linked the two by suggesting that Shapwick folk were ‘fleet of foot, but slow of mind.’ How unkind, but of course this frequently retold story could just be a good old-fashioned folklore tale?

 


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Panda Pops

Panda  Blue Rasperry Ade, Strawberry Jelly & Ice Cream and Casper Ghostly Limeade were all unique soft drink flavours produced by the Panda Pops brand owned by Badger Beers. Panda Pops were often sold in small bottles of fizzy drink that were as sweet and sticky as it was as possible for them to be. Other popular Panda Pop flavours were Cherry Ade and Bright Green Cola. Even more singular blends could be concocted by mixing two or more flavours in a Panda Pops mixing bowl. Panda Cola achieved a sort of cult status and there is even a song, ‘ Warm Panda Cola’ . While among Panda aficionados there was even the spoof blend of Princess Diana Memorial flavour! The Blandford drink competed remarkably well against American giants Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola. Panda Pops date back to the 1960s when the Blandford brewer dropped the name of Sunparlor for its soft drink brands. Sunparlor had also been the name of a winning race horse owned by a member of the Woodhouse family. Cream soda was...
3 comments
Read more

History Slice with an Aussie Flavour.

  From Dorset Gallows to Van Diemen’s Land is the unlikely but true story of political corruption, hangings and transportation in the small market town of Blandford in Southern England.  It is available as a paperback from  Amazon in the United Kingdom, Australia and the USA. The book uncovers the extraordinary tale of two ordinary men, George Long a shoemaker and Richard Bleathman a butcher. Driven by belief and dissatisfaction they are swept along by events. Sentenced to be hanged in Dorchester Gaol for their protests against political corruption they are instead, following clemency appeals,  transported to Van Diemen’s Land -  on the other side of the world. ‘A fascinatingly  good read.  This book entirely complements the story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs - also transported to Australia.’ (Richard Holledge, newspaper editor, freelance journalist - London. As read in the Independent, New York Times & Financial Times. Author of   Voices of the M...
Post a Comment
Read more

Blandford’s Magpie Mick

Do you remember Mick Robertson - presenter with Jenny Hanley on ITV children’s programme Magpie  in the 1970s? For many years, Mick lived just outside Blandford in the village of Ibberton in the shadows of Bulbarrow Hill. Living nearby was Jack Hargreaves another television presenter and writer who had a keen interest in the North Dorset countryside.  Initially, Mick trained as a teacher before working in television as a researcher. After presenting Magpie, Mick produced many award winning programmes for children. In 2007, he was given the Special Children’s BAFTA Award for his television work . Although now retired Mick retains an interest in television as a family member is the Executive Producer on the popular television series the  Repair Shop. He is a lifetime follower of both County Cricket and Portsmouth Football Club. Together with  ex-Magpie presenting mate Tommy Boyd,  he is a regular contributor to internet radio station  Pompey Sound.  Mick...
Post a Comment
Read more