There was more than one Maid of Sker. In truth, however, the title properly belongs to Elizabeth the
daughter of Issac Williams who died in 1776. The other real-life "Maid of Sker" was Martha Howells
(b.1771) - both these two were daughters of well-to-do gentleman tennent farmers who lived and worked the farm at Sker House.
R.D.Blackmore
R.D.Blackmore's ficticious "Maid of Sker" was called Bertha Bampfylde and the book (Maid of Sker)
was first published in 1872. The Victorian novelist R.D.Blackmore (1825-1900) achieved fame with his classic "Lorna Doone".
Maid of Sker - Australian Connection
|
|
Maid of Sker Paddle Steamer (c.1900)
|
|
|
Bischoff Park (c.1970)
|
Maid of Sker Paddle Steamer
An Australian connection with the Maid of Sker story has been unearthed since the development and design of the
Kenfig.org website - A paddle steamer built in Brisbane in 1885 was named the 'Maid of Sker'.
Built at the Evans Anderson Phelan Shipyards in Brisbane for the Gentner & Kleinschmidt families for the
ferrying of general cargo and passengers between Brisbane and Nerang from 1890 to the early 1930s.
It is believed the boat was named after a popular novel of the time – apparently a common practice.
R.D.Blackmore
R.D.Blackmore's 'Maid of Sker' (1st published in 1872) may well have been that popular novel of that
time from which the vessel was named.
Alternative Story
It has emerged that local peoples from the Kenfig / Porthcawl areas who emigrated to the Brisbane area of Australia
may have themselves been involved with the actual building of this paddle steamer - naming the vessel 'Maid of Sker'
to remind them of their homeplace back in the United Kingdom.
If anyone can shed any further information on the above please [
contact us ]
Restoration Project - Maid of Sker
Situated in Nerang’s Bischoff Pioneer Park, the restoration of the 'Maid of Sker' paddle steamer is currently underway.
[
Learn more about this project ]
The Folk Song - Y Ferch o'r Sker
Elizabeth Williams (d.1776)
|
Out of his attempts to woo Elizabeth Williams came the folk song "Y Ferch o'r Sker". The harpist, Thomas Evans
of Newton Nottage was no composer, far less a poet, so he pevailed upon a local bard, David Llewellyn of Nottage,
to write the words, which were set to the hymn tune called 'Diniweidrwydd'.
|
|
|
