GUEST BLOGGER RICHARD HOLLAND: The Palé beech Marten

Once again we hand you over to guest blogger Richard Holland, editor of Paranormal Magazine, and all round good bloke. He intends to be a regular visitor tho these pages, and I am sure that you will all agree with me that this will be jolly good news for all of us..

I know Jon Downes is interested in Beech Martens, so I’ve dug through some old research material (made when I was a keen young lad in my 20s, with a proper beard) to unearth an account of the possible capture of such a beastie that may not be well known. It comes from a long defunct old journal called Bye-gones, which was distributed throughout Wales and the Borders and concerned with antiquarian and natural history matters from those regions.

The following extract appeared in the August 1887 edition and was provided by a correspondent calling himself ‘J. Ll.’ (they were all so modest, these Victorian contributors). The location referred to, Palé, is a large estate boasting extensive deciduous woodland in what is now the county of Conwy. Over to J.Ll:

‘A short time ago whilst one of Mr Robertson’s (Palé) watchers was going round his beat he found to his surprise in one of the steel traps set for vermin, a ferocious looking animal, and it was with the greatest difficulty he could approach him. Being caught by the hindleg, he was springing forward, and striving his utmost to bite him. The watcher, however, managed to set another trap, so his forefeet were secured, and he was taken alive to the keeper’s residence.

‘It was sent to Mr Shaw of Shrewsbury to be preserved, and Mr Shaw described him thus: “He is a fine example of the Beech Marten (Martesfoine) and has become very rare; they reside in trees, and feed mostly on squirrels. When descending to the ground they destroy rats and other small animals.”

‘We may also add that in size he is smaller than a fox, and of a dark brown colour with white along the breast, the tail and head very much resembling the cat. He has been well stuffed and looks very well, placed on a branch of a tree. This can be seen at Mr Thomas Hughes’s, Glyn, Llandrillo (the keeper’s house).’

I confess to being surprised by Mr Shaw’s positive identification: my understanding was that the Beech Marten has never officially been recognized as an inidigenous species to Britain, at least not in modern times. Or am I mistaken? The current location – if any – of the stuffed animal is, alas, unknown.

Richard Holland, Editor of Paranormal Magazine (www.paranormalmagazine.co.uk) and Uncanny UK (www.uncannyuk.com).