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Sunday
drinking at the Shiel Bridge Inn - 1857
by John Dye
Transcribed
handwritten material from the office of the Procurator Fiscal
of Tobermory, currently held in the Argyll Archive at Lochgilphead.
The
extracts below are a letter and notes recording out-of-hours
illegal drinking and drunkenness on a Sunday. "There was
so much noise in the house it was in an uproar as if it had
been a market day".
Most
of the culprits came from Island Shona and, two were so drunk,
that they could hardly row. One fell out of the boat and nearly
drowned.
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DUNCAN
CAMERON REPORTS
There
were three separate incidents
Strontian
14 August 1857
Sunday selling of Whisky etc at Shielbridge Inn.
William Johnston,
Shielbridge Innkeeper, Parish of Ardnamurchan & County of Argyle is
accused of selling ardent spirits on Sunday the 2nd day of August 1857.
Two painters
from Island Shona
In the first
place, Charles Leslie, a Painter & Alexander Stott, also a painter
and now or lately with Captain Thomas Swinburne Esqr. of Island Shona,
was drinking at Shiel Bridge Inn on Sunday the 2nd day of August 1857
and both were that drunk that they were nearly drowned going across to
Island Shona. Charles Leslie fell out of the boat and was in the water
for a long time until a boat from the shore came to his rescue.
A sailor
and two crofters from Island Shona
Secondly,
John McDonald, a Sailor on board the vessel 'Dart', belonging to Captain
Thomas Swinburne Esqr. of Island Shona & Alexander Smith, son of and
now residing with Alexander Smith, his father, a Crofter in Island Shona,
Donald Kennedy, son of John Kennedy, also a Crofter, Island Shona, all
in the Parish of Ardnamurchan & County of Inverness, has been drinking
at Shiel Bridge Inn on Sunday the 2nd day of August 1857 years, the above
parties did not travel more than 2½ miles that day to the public
house.
And two
crofters from the mainland
Ewen MacPherson,
son of Hugh MacPherson, Blain, Parish of Ardnamurchan & County of
Inverness & Duncan McNaughton, Crofter, Salen, Parish of Ardnamurchan
and County of Argyle has been supplied with three gills of spirits on
Sunday the 2 day of August 1857 and while these were in the house it was
in an uproar as if it had been a market day.
I am your most obt. servant,
Duncan
Cameron
In the
margin of the above are added the names of Mary Smith, daughter of Alex
Smith, Carpenter, Island Shoona and John McDonald Deek (several indecipherable
words)
A second
page gives the following names:
Donald Cameron,
Carpenter,
Donald Cameron, Gardener, Kinlochmoidart
Charles McKinnon a Smith, "
Alex MacKinnon a Smith, "
John Cameron, Joiner,
On Sunday the 13th September 1857 between 1 and 2 p.m. in Johnston's Shielbridge.
House full.
Notes attached
give the details:
The publican
at the Shiel Bridge Inn was fined nearly seven Pounds
Sunday Selling
Wm. Johnston, Shielbridge
Oct 1857
Plead guilty
Fined |
£2/10/- |
Expenses |
£4/3/1 |
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£6/13/1 |
Paid £6/10/-,
3rd November 1857
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