Background Notes

The Mermaid of Penperro...

The fictional village of Penperro is based on Polperro, Cornwall, a small fishing village on the south coast of England. The place is a tourist haven nowadays, but once upon a time was famous for its smuggling. The hero of the story is loosely based on Zephaniah Job, who served as a sort of manager and banker for the smugglers, as well as owning stakes in several privateers. He died a bachelor at the age of 75, a fate which I could not have befall my hero, Tom Trewella.

The idea for the "mermaid" came from a Cornish legend about the mermaid of Zennor, a village near the very tip of Cornwall. One version of the story goes that the mermaid met the vicar on the beach, and was invited to Sunday services. She came, dressed as a noblewoman, her gown damp with sea water. In the choir was a youth named Matthew, who sang so beautifully the mermaid fell in love. Over time he came to love her as well, until finally she persuaded him to come with her to the sea, where they disappeared under the waves. Of course, on moonlit nights, one can still sometimes hear them singing.

The harbor of Polperro, Cornwall, where Foweather and his crew would have lived on their hulk.

The valley of braken ferns, where Konstanze hides.

Hanging out with the Pirates of Penzance. 
Err... actually, they were Russian sailors,
on a replica of an 18th century ship that they
were sailing on a long journey. 
Although he wouldn't let me take his picture,
there was another sailor present -- a Welshman -- who
served as the physical inspiration for Tom Trewella,
the hero of "The Mermaid of Penperro."