KINTYRE SMUGGLERS
Ian MacDonald
Part 2
This surname was originally McEachen then McKecheney and later spelt McKechnie. There are old gravestones showing the changes in Kintyre. The McEachen family ware large landholders in Kintyre near Tangy. They sold the place in 1683 and moved to Ireland. Later some of the Kintyre family settled in South America near Montevideo where they ware prominent in the wool trade.
John McEachan and Brother, Achaglass, by Clachan.
1822. Apr. 2. To a worm 10 lbs. @ 2/6. .-----------------------------------------
£1-6-10
" May. 3. By cash £1-1-0. By discount 2/10d.
------------------------------£1-3-10
" Balance to pay. -
----------------------------------------------------------------£0-3-
0.
Donald McEachran, Achanadriane. Lergiesland.
1822. Jul. 18. To a body worm 29 lbs. @ 2/6d.
----------------------------------£3-12-6.
" " To allowance
on old still. -------------------------------------------------5-0.
£3--7-6
1823. By cash in part at Achanadriane.
---------------------------------------------£2--0-0
Balance.
------------------------------------------------£1 --7-6
1825. By cash in full
--------------------------------------------------------------------£1
--7-6
This man and his family later emigrated to Ontario, Canada. This farm is an excellent farm and no doubt a good supplier of grain for the local industry. This was found to be the largest sized model found in Largieside.
Gilbert McCocheran Loch Kierran, beyond Clachan.
1821. Jul. 6. To a still 20 llbs. @ 2/6.
-------------------------------------------------£2-10-0
" " By cash in part.
-----------------------------------------------------------£1 --0-0,
1822. Mar. 22. Cash in part.
----------------------------------------------------------- £1 --0-0.
1823. Jan. 7. To balance of an acct. at settlement.
10-0.
" " To an acct.
7/5d. To a head. 7/6d. ---------------------------------- £0-14-11.
" " By cash 7/6d
and cash in full 7/5d. -----------------------------------£0-14-11.
This man operated under two names, Cochran and McEachran, and the family were some of the earliest settlers from the Clachan area in New South Wales. Other instances include old copper parts being returned to make larger stills and on these an allowance of 9d. per pound was allowed by Armours and deducted from the account. The firm also called in Clachan to collect money due and take new orders.
The following is a list of those supplied from Robert
Armour over the years found in an old supply/order book. In many cases the
purchasers operated their stills for very short periods before placing orders
for larger ones showing just how lucrative the trade was to them:
Sandy (Alexr.) and John McFarlan, Achanadriane, Tayinloan.
Samuel & Coll McAlester & Co., Brantian, Ballochroy.
Donald McEachern, Achanadriane, Tayinloan.
John Campbell, Carnbeg. Clachan. Later in Garvolrline, Skipness.
Finlay & Hector Currie, Courshellach, Ballochroy.
Malcom Curry, Ballochroy.
Archd. McMurchy, Stewartfield, Clachan.
Gilbert McEachran, Clachaig, Measdale.
Angus Bell, Clachaig, Muasdale.
John McFiggan, Barr, Barr Glen.
Neil McCorkindale, Barruachrach, Barr Glen.
Edward McCallum, Barruachrach, Barr Glen.
David Turner, Innkeeper, Glenbarr.
Malcolm McCorkindale, Achadaduie, Barr Glen.
Donald McCorkindale, Upper Barr.
Neil Downie, Drumore-na-bodach, Bellochantee.
Malcom Curry, " "
" "
Archd. McEachen, Claongart,
"
Donald McMillan, Achavrade, Bellochantee.
Neil McEachran, "
"
Effy McCarmaig, Dalintober, Campbeltown. (Wife of Donald McMillan).
John McKechney, Achaglass, Clachan.
Alexr. Graham, Carnbeg, Clachan.
John McLean, Loch Kiarran, Clachan.
Archd. Molloy, " "
"
No doubt every farmer was engaged in some way in the illicit trade of other commodities as well. Farm rents consisted of part money and part farm produce in those times. It was compulsory on Loup Estate in the rental of 1803 to give six days service of a man and a horse annually to carry in peats to the lairds house for winter fuel as by then the woods had become exhausted as a source of fuel. Some farms supplied butter, some cheese and others sheep. The price set against the rent for a three year old wedder was six shillings sterling money. Hens were sixpence each and eggs one penny per dozen. Barley and oats had to be taken to the lairds mill for milling and the miller did not receive any money but got a proportion of the meal ground as payment.
In addition all householders had to do six days free work on the local roads as set out by the local Commissioners of Supply. This announcement was read from the pulpit by the minister on the preceding Sunday. Anyone not complying had to pay sixpence extra rent to his laird.
The local emigration began in 1737-1739 to North and South Carolina and continued steadily for the next hundred years at an increasing rate. Between 1821-1831 one fifth of our local people emigrated to America and Canada.
The parish ministers of both Killean and Kilcalmonell parishes condemned the trading in illicit whisky and the Rev. John McArthur minister at Clachan had occasion in 1825 to write to the Presbytery of Kintyre regarding "Thinkings" which were drinking parties held by "lower classes of Persons" lasting from after church services through the night and into the morning of Monday and which often resulted in immoral behaviour.
On 23 February 1800 John Connel tailor at Arevore, parish of Kilcalmonell, petitioned the Kirk Session for a hearing to absolve him from the accusations of almost all the farmers on Stonefield Estate thirled to the Mill at Lagavullin (Whitehouse). One day he came down the hill leading into the village accompanied by the Excise Officer who was pushing a large barrel of whisky which he had found hidden in the woods nearby. His explanation that he had met the officer by accident was not accepted and many insults were heaped on him and his family. "Your meal kist will be well filled this year because of the information you gave the gauger" was levelled at him. The following were cited to attend by order of the Kirk Session:
John Taylor, tenant farmer, Bartarabhain.
Alexr. McKinven, tenant farmer, Kilnacraig.
Duncan Carmichael, tenant farmer, Achahois.
Duncan Campbell, tenant farmer, Bartarabhain.
Donald McCorquodale, tenant, Lagavullin.
Peter McFarlane, tenant, Arivore.
William Campbell, tenant, Grassfield.
Archibald Campbell, tenant, Leamnamuick.
Andrew McKinven, shoemaker, Lagavullin.
John McFarlan, tenant, Eascart.
John McFarlane, tenant, Achahois.
John Blue, tenant, Drimnaleck.
The Excise Officer named McLean was also cited to attend. Unfortunately the result does not appear to be recorded or a decision announced later and the minute book of the Session is incomplete at that period. The minister of Kilcalmonell and Kilberry at that time was the Rev. Alexander Campbell, M.A.
There are similar instances in the minute book for Kilberry parish including one concerning a lady caught in the act of distilling.
The old record for Killean records one James McMillan, cottar at Taychroman, and engaged in smuggling goods that he must cease these practices forthwith under penalty of the Minister "to refuse baptism of his children".
In Kintyre there was also a levy on every landowner annually for the apprehension of criminals and wrongdoers. This levy was paid to Dugald McTavish Sheriff Substitute and paid out by him to informers. The names of wanted criminals were published twice annually in the "North British Advertiser" and it recorded two McMurchy brothers who were farmers at Lenaig near to the village of Rhunahaorine and were associates in the still there.
The Rhunahaorine still was situated in a bog near to the village which in the census of 1841 had a population of almost 150 people and in 1851 it even had three schools for education. adventure and sewing. Small wonder therefore that it had many shareholders running it. It produced far more than local needs so the company purchased a boat and were sending supplies over to Sperasaig and Grogport in East Kintyre from where they were shipped to Saltcoats, Ayrshire.
In its heyday about the years 1830-35 the main operators ware John McInnes and Duncan Downie aided and abetted by Dugald McLachlan, a North Highlander who settled there in early life. He was probably a descendant of a displaced Jacobite family. An old list named other local people involved as Duncan McFatter, John Smith, Angus McAlester, Donald Montgomery, Dugald Carmichael, Hector McLachlan, Hector and John McKay, Alexander McKay, John Smillie, Duncan McMillan, Donald McPherson, Alexander and James McKinnon, Donald Smith (the oldest inhabitant in the village), Peter Stewart, John McPherson and several members of the McMillan family who ware large farmers in the district and could supply ample barley.
The local public house was kept by Alexander McMurchy and the Port Office and Inn in nearby Tayinloan, which served Saddell and Carradale together with the island of Gigha, was in the capable hands of Jenny McKinnon.
The steady supplies of whisky available to the local hostelry did not go unnoticed by the authorities and the source was traced back to Rhunahaorine. The two officers of Excise, Captain Watson and Gauger Brown from Campbeltown, hounded the villagers daily in an effort to trace the still but to no avail. Even the local children kept a sharp eye on every stranger who came to the village and the women folks were often more alert than their husbands and sons when it came to outwitting the searchers. The secret of the still was that it was underground in a tunnel in the peat bog, remnants of which remain on the farm of Lenaig, and although the Excisemen used spears to probe the bog it never was located.
On one occasion the good lady of a house was surprised by the entry of Captain Watson and caught "redhanded with two kegs in the house". She invited him and his companion in and plied them both with a good dram of old whisky by the fire and followed it with another soon afterwards. Soon the two were fast asleep by the fire and the two illicit kegs safely removed.
Another with two jugs full met Captain Watson at the door and calmly put them in a large tub, added water with another jug. and carried on doing the washing whilst every corner of the house was searched by the Captain's men, who found nothing.
However, the tide of emigration to America proved
to be a stronger atrraction and most of the families mentioned earlier took
to conquering other worlds and went to Ontario in Canada. Their old letters
tell of lands which belonged to themselves and where they could brew what
they wished. "free from the attentions of Gaugers and tidewaiters". John
McKay, one of the stalwarts, lived to the age of 116 years in
Canada.
No 37 Spring 1995
Page 2: Janet and Marie Morrison's 1999 Trip to Scotland - Part One
Page 3: A Hill-Farm Girlhood
Page 4: John and Mary Morrison of Rocky River - The Fifth Part
Page 5: Rambling in Kilkerran with the Colonel
Page 6: The Horse People of Kintyre
Page 7: Kintyre Smugglers - Part 2
Page 8: By Hill and Shore - Part 2