THE PRESS-GANG IN
CAMPBELTOWN
Gavin J. Ralston
In early February, 1795, H.M.S. Hazard, under the command of Captain R. D. Oliver, dropped anchor in Campbeltown Loch. This was no courtesy visit; its purpose was to put a party of seamen ashore to "impress" men for the Royal Navy. This visit of a Press-Gang had been planned for some time, for the Government considered that its financial assistance to the Campbeltown fishermen warranted a greater contribution of recruits for the Navy. Press-Gangs, while greatly feared and hated, had full legal authority to impress men for the Navy so long as they adhered to strict protocol, but so inept and provocative were the methods adopted by the landing party from the Hazard and so acute were the passions aroused in the people of Campbeltown that the whole exercise ended in complete failure and considerable embarrassment for the Navy.
The law required that before men could be impressed the Chief Magistrate should countersign Impress Warrants presented to him by a Royal Navy Officer. The officer commanding the landing party was Lieutenant Hunt, who, when he came ashore, sent a young seaman with these documents to be signed by Provost Porter. It was at this point that Hunt made the fatal error which sparked off one of the most serious riots which Campbeltown had ever seen. It so happened that the Provost was away from Campbeltown at the time and, instead of waiting for the signatures of the next senior magistrates, Baillie Maccallum and Baillie Fleming, Hunt proceeded, without authority, to seize four fishermen who were standing at the Old Quay and sent then aboard the Hazard. By the time the Naval party had returned a large crowd, mainly of women, led by Mairie Taylor and Flora MacKinnon had collected and began to shout abuse and throw stones at the Naval party. So ugly was the situation that two excisemen suggested to Hunt that he should withdraw his men, but the Lieutenant, instead of accepting this advice, drew his sword and threatened the crowd. At this point a local merchant, William Watson, joined the excisenen to try and cool the situation. While he was talking to Hunt,Watson was struck on the head by a stone meant for the Lieutenant. Eventually Hunt was persuaded by Watson to accompany him to Baillie Maccallum's shop so that the Impress Warrants could be signed. On his way to the shop Watson feared the wrath of the crowd "more expecially as both in the Street and in the shop Hunt was making use of language to the Mob and even to those who were protecting him that was by no means conciliatory." Hunt had to be restrained in Baillie Maccallum's shop from rushing out with his sword drawn and cutting down some of the women who were shouting abuse. He also threatened to bring the Hazard alongside the Quay and blow up the town.
Meanwhile the members of the Press-Gang were being threatened and attacked by the crowd of women in the streets. Several of the men were disarmed and some knocked down. Baillie Maccallum handled with calm astuteness what had now become a very ugly situation; he ordered the Burgh Officer to admit the naval party to the Prison "for their own safety." Several of the neighbouring shopkeepers escorted some of the seamen to the prison while the rest made their own way there. In all, twenty two sailors spent the night in the town jail. The women surrounded the jail and stayed there all night; they had, in effect secured 22 hostages from His Majesty's Navy.
By ten o'clock in the evening Hunt was beginning to quieten down and Duncan Stewart, the Duke of Argyll's Chamberlain was called in to try to resolve the situation. Lieutenant Hunt was taken to Duncan Stewart's house still followed by a hostile crowd. At two o' clock in the morning Hunt and his sailing master, Stapleton, were quietly taken out to the Hazard on a customs cutter. Later that morning Duncan Stewart had a meeting with Captain Oliver on board the Hazard. A face-saving compromise was reached by Captain Oliver stating that the four fishermen who had been impressed had been found "unfit for service" and would be sent ashore as soon as his twenty-two crew members were safely back on board. This was done and without further delay the Hazard weighed anchor and was last seen rounding Davaar Island.
At a subsequent enquiry into the episode it was stated by Captain Oliver that his visit to Campbeltown was on the instructions of the Admiralty and all he had done was to order Lieutenant Hunt to present his Impress Warrants to the Provost, to take a few men and return quickly on board. It was unfortunate for the Navy that when Hunt went ashore to carry out this mission he was drunk.
The legal authorities in Edinburgh decided that no action should be brought against those civilians who were involved in the disturbance. The Lord Advocate expressed the view that, whatever the evidence the Officers and crew of the Hazard would give, no jury would convict and the whole matter was dropped. The riot, ugly and unpleasant as it was, proved to be, from Campbeltown's point of view, a very successful communal protest against what had been for so long a most vicious form of naval recruitment.
Despite this protest and similar demonstrations elsewhere the Press-Gangs were active until 1815 and it was as late as 1853 before Parliament passed an Act forbidding this form of recruitment.
Reference: Popular Disturbances in Scotland -1780-1615 - Kenneth J. Logue.
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