----- Old world (prior
to the TS2 revolution) -----
This lot is the base of
the powerful Mervil family ever since the hood was cleared by Edmund Mervil
299 years before TS2! The history books tell that Knight Edmund Mervil
was awarded with the Simmerville area after winning a battle for Duke Mazaloom.
Edmund made a living of hunting small forest dragons, guinea pigs and wild
chicken for export. Try to imagine how the hood must have looked liked
when here was a large forest full of wild chicken, forest dragons and guinea
pigs. No farm land, and no roads. Only Edmund's small cottage here at 7
Old Simmer Lane. When Edmund died at age of only 46, his son Brigoon got
the tiny shed and hunting rights (provided by Duke Mazaloom's son, Duke
Mixalone).
The Mervil family saga is
to detailed and long for this page, but here is the list of descendants:
Edmund Mervil, 323-254 years
before TS2
Brigoon Mervil, 273-198
Edgar Mervil, 241-175 (at
this time the hood area was split in 3 parts)
Britin Mervil, 207-141 (Britin
got 1/3 of Edgar's land)
Edven Mervil, 167-102 (Edvin
got 1/2 of Britin's land)
Brigort Mervil, 128-58
Edgar Wilfred Mervil, 99-9
This family always owned
a lot of land, and most of their income came from renters. But they also
grew considerable amounts of cabbage and raised pigs for bacon production.
The house was always at this lot, but the farm also included the property
at Edmund Lane. Britin Mervil's farm was even bigger, including parts of
today's old town near Mervil Bridge. Hunting became harder about 150 years
before TS2 as the hood got more residents and the number of wild animals
were reduced.
Edven Mervil introduced garden
gnomes production to Simmerville. He probably established a market at the
Gotic Quarter (across the lane), but the garden gnome project was never
a success. The crafters still preferred producing gargoyles, and the garden
gnomes symbolized a modern time to come.
Brigort Mervil had the hood's
wealthiest household by far, net worth has been estimated to §808925,
and the house was as big as it is today. It must have appeared like a castle
up here over the Mervil River. This was about 100 years before TS2 and
the industrial revolution was really coming to Simmerville. Farming lost
market shares, and many local farmers lost income, but the Mervils' main
income was based on letting land to others, and that market exploded together
with the general population growth. The fact that Simmerville had become
one of the most important hoods of the Mazaloom county made the land here
even more valuable. So while many Sims suffered, the Mervils kept building
their net worth.
In addition the Mervils co-ordinated
the trades for the entire Simmerville hood. This was a community privilege
that was passed on within the family only as long as the heir was intelligent
and bright. 88 years before TS2 the Mervils lost their trading privilege,
some says it was because Brigort's lack of skills, others say he was not
too bright. Even without the privilege the Mervils managed way better than
other families.
Edgar Wilfred Mervil, born
99 years before TS2 and now recognized as the legendary Ol'Ed was the last
Mervil to be born here at 7 Old Simmer Lane. He ran the farm well, but
when his aunt Listher Mervil died without children, Ol'Ed was heir to the
new Mervil Farm and 51 years before TS2 his household moved to 1 Mervil
Farm. He became the hood's wealthiest man ever, and he is the Sim who contributed
the most to the local community. See 1 Mervil Farm.
Ol'Ed let this house to Steiver
Lobster who continued to grow cabbage and breed pigs, but when the next
renter, Marton McArthur got here 14 years before TS2, it meant the end
to farming. They had founded the "Association for Unfairly Jailed Sims",
looking to help ex-criminals back to a normal life. They opened Maple Inn,
still as renters, but they couldn't pay. Ol' Ed was planning to sue them,
but 9 years ago he surprised everyone by giving 1/4 of his fortune to this
organization, including 4 more lots in Simmerville - land that had been
the Mervils' main property since generations. The organization was heir
to 1/10 of the heirloom after El Mervil. Many historical experts have tried
to explain this, but nobody managed to explain Ol'Ed's will.
A few years before TS2 the
couple who ran Maple Inn disappeared, and Mr and Mrs Appleton moved in
to reopen Maple Inn in the name of "Organisation for Unfairly Jailed Sims".
Ol'Ed's will says that after 50 years/simdays the organization has to sell
7 Old Simmerville to any of Ol'Ed's descendants who can pay what it takes!
It means there will be a change of owners again on local simday 41. |
This
is Simmerville's very first residential lot, cleared by Knight Edmund Mervil
299 years before TS2! Read its story below. It used to be the main family
property of the Mervil family for many generations. The house is still
one of the largest, and it is definitely the most historical.