INVERKEITHING residents are being asked if they can help solve the mystery surrounding two ships linked with the town.

Ahead of a new, permanent, maritime exhibition opening at Inverkeithing Civic Centre in October, Fife Council’s libraries and museums department is trying to find out more about vessels called The Two Brothers of Inverkeithing and The Maud of Inverkeithing.

The first was shipwrecked near Wainfleet in Lincolnshire nearly 200 years ago. It was owned by brothers James and William Miller, of Inverkeithing.

According to old newspaper reports, a storm along the east coast of England on Saturday, November 10, 1810, wrecked an estimated 400 vessels.

On Friday, November 16, 1810, The Lincoln, Rutland And Stamford Mercury reported that “dead bodies are thrown on shore almost every tide.”

Carroll Foggo, council exhibitions and outreach assistant, said, “Everyone on board The Two Brothers drowned including the two brothers and James’s eldest son, also called James.

“The loss of life must have had a big impact on the town of Inverkeithing at the time.”

She added, “Miller is a fairly common name in the area, so we are hoping that there are some descendants out there who remember being told about the ship and the brothers.”

The little information museums staff have been able to put together has come from a poem written by Captain James Scott (1767-1850), who was superintendent of the Queensferry Passage for nearly 30 years, overseeing the ferries that carried passengers across the Forth.

The libraries and museums department also has a commemorative jug, which was commissioned to celebrate the launch of the ship.

Ironically, it bears the message, “Success to the two brothers of Inverkeithing.”

A painting of the second ship, The Maud of Inverkeithing, completed in 1886 by Danish artist Jorgen Dahl (1825-1890), is being restored.

Dahl lived and worked in Copenhagen and specialised in paintings of sailing vessels and steamers.

He titled the picture with the name of the vessel and that of its master, Captain J. Potter.

Ms Foggo said, “We asked the local history society in Inverkeithing if they knew anything about the ships and they said they didn’t recall anything.

“But there are maybe some older people who maybe remember being told something.

“It’s a long shot, but we’d like to find out if anybody knows anything about the two boats.

“Even if someone could give us a little bit of information, there is a chance that could help us with our research.”

Anyone with family connections to either of the ships or Captain Scott, or who thinks they can help solve the mystery, can contact Ms Foggo at Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery on 01592 583213, or by Emailing carroll.foggo@ fife.gov.uk.