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.

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
  £6/13/1
Paid £6/10/-, 3rd November 1857