(By Clare McComb) (Photo and editing: Svein-H. Strand) Johnnie Martin and Kate Iversen. I think we are looking at a love story here. Between a quiet english man who went to Eton and Oxford, but does not want an establishment career. Rather preferring to work building boats.
Johnnies parents have come to Norway for the salmon fishing many times.
And he goes to Soon – possibly to build his brother Georg’s boat with the Jac M. Iversen – and becomes Jac’s business partner. I think he is also British Vice Consul. even in 1908.
THEN HE MEETS Jac’s sister. They get married in England. Kate has to live within English upper class society where even the clothes are restricting, never mind all the rules.
In Soon she was free (I imagine) to swim and fish and live on a boat. Things in England are very different.
THE WAR COMES. Johnnie is British vice consul in Trondheim now, and children are born. Then Kate goes back to England, and they write many letters to each other which have survived until today…
At the same time Jac Iversen and George Martin, brother in law and brother, are becoming famous – so their stories are woven the love story…
This is how I see it.
IF WE CAN blow away the dust, we will see their story which is a beautiful one. And it will tell something quite deep about the relationship between Norway and England at that time.
ETTERORD:
Johnnie Martin (1884-1974) kan trygt sies å være den kjente båtbygger Jack M. Iversens glemte partner før konkursen rammet verftet i Son i 1926.
Sent på høsten i 2013 ble Johnnie så å si fløyet inn i Sons stolte båtbyggerhistorie – med en besøkende fra byen Durham i Nord-England. Det var Johnnie Martins barnebarn, historiker og frilansjournalist Clare McComb.
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