Poteen (Poitín) making and the Irish Revenue Police

[Sduddy]

In the 19th century the making of poteen was carried out mainly in the part of Ireland that lies west of a line running from Belfast in the North East to the Shannon Estuary in the West, which of course includes Co. Clare. Poteen making was a home industry that augmented household income, and although it was illegal, there was no shame attached to it.

It was the job of the Revenue Police to hunt down illicit distillers (because they were evading tax). The Irish Revenue Police: a short history and genealogical guide to the ‘poteen hussars’, by Jim Herlihy (Four Courts Press 2018) is intended mainly as a genealogical guide, but it also gives much interesting information on the men who did that hunting.
In 1824,

Daniel Logic, the Surveryor General Examiner of Excise, recommended the formation of a distinct, dedicated revenue police force. These new revenue police, instead of being assistants and protectors of the excise officers on the arduous duty of still-hunting (the purpose for which they had been originally employed), had all the responsibility transferred to them. (p 12)

. The men were armed with carbines.

For full dress, head gear was a plain shako, and during the summer months, white trausers replaced the blue. Shoulder wings were a characteristic of the uniform. The undress uniform for officers of the revenue police was a shell jacket. (p 31)

In 1836, major reforms to the force were made under the command of Colonel William Brereton (a name which struck fear into every heart, it seems), but the uniform remained just as impractical as before. Thomas Drummond of the Ordnance Survey said,

It is difficult to conceive any thing more ridiculous than half a dozen men, very conspicuous on account of their dress, viz., white cross belts over a green or blue uniform, I forget which, strolling out of a town in noon-day, on such an expedition. They might as well send a messenger to give notice of their approach. (p 16)

Those long hours on cold mountain tops, waiting for the mist to clear, had given Thomas Drummond and the other surveyors an appreciation of poteen and a degree of sympathy with the distillers. But, by the time I’d finished reading Chapter I, I felt a degree of sympathy for the Revenue Police. They had a most difficult life and many endured it only for as long as it took to save enough money to emigrate. A party of Revenue Police was stationed in a particular place, but moved about as necessary within the district.

Each party of a lieutenant and thirteen men had to perform in the week at least 5 tours of duty of at least 8 hours’ duration. Colonel Brereton required that three of these tours were to be by day and two by night. They were expected to travel at least 20 Irish miles – equal to about 25 English miles – on each occasion, and certificates were required that this duty was regularly completed. The force was stationed only where the chief inspector had reason to think its services would be useful. (p 52)

Chapter 2 describes the duties attached to each position, i.e Privates, Sergeants, Sub-Officers, Officers, Lieutenants, Inspectors, and describes accountability procedures and disciplinary procedures. There were no grievance procedures, of course, but grievances were aired by means of anonymous letters to the paper, five of which are quoted in full (pp 58-63) and give a good idea of what life was like for the rank-and-file and officers.

Chapter 3 explains how to trace your ancestors in the Revenue Police and is very short because so much of the information is given in the appendices*.

Chapter 4, is a short memoir written by a lieutenant of the IRP, Reminiscences of Matthew Power (1820-84), ex-lieutenant, Irish Revenue Police (published in the Worcester Journal on Saturday, 26 January 1878 and Saturday, 2 February 1878). Among the many interesting pieces in the memoir is this passage, where he gives his dim view of the special powers of entry accorded to the IRP; he could see quite clearly why the Gauger** (Excise Officer) and the IRP were so hated:

How to govern the Irish people is a problem the solution to which has long been sought, and its discovery seems to be as remote now as it was half a century ago. There is a prevailing opinion in England that acts of oppression against the Irish have long ceased to be perpetrated, and for many years past their liberties have been as much respected as have those of the people of England; but while in a general sense this may be true, it is not the less so that while ‘an Englishman’s house is his castle’, and therefore exempt from intrusion, the sanctity of the house of an Irishman, in the humbler ranks of life in these mountain districts, was systematically disregared. Where is the Englishman who would submit to have his house and premises visited by night or by day by armed men, and searched from top to bottom without a magistrate’s warrant? Where is the Englishman who would submit to have such men ransack his house, examine beds and boxes, turn over straw in the barn, knock down turf stacks, and sometimes even dig up portions of his field, in search of whiskey or malt? Would he not demand a magistrate’s search-warrant? and in the event of if it not being produced, would not proceed against the intruders for trespass? Well, that is the treatment to which thousands of His Majesty’s Irish subjects have been subjected for years, and to which, I apprehend, they are subject still, and whose feelings of serfdom have destroyed that spirit of independence which ought to exist in minds of a people desiring to be respected…(pp 92-93)

*Of the 244 pages in this book, 148 are the appendices, which give so much of the relevant recorded information it’s probably not necessary to look any further in order to find your Revenue Police ancestor. However, it is usefulness is confined, really, those who already know the name of an ancestor who was in the Royal Irish Constabulory. Unlike the Royal Irish Constabulary, the Revenue Police were never allocated a service (personel) number, but, when the I R P was disbanded in 1857, a great many transferred to the R I C. This transfer was recorded in their new R I C service file. So, the route to finding your Revenue Police ancestor is through the Constabulary files.

Appendix I lists the Officers and men of the Irish Revenue Police, 1830 – 1857, (about 3520), the year of enlistment, and whether they transferred to Dublin Metropolitan Police, to the Royal Irish Constabulary, or just left.

Appendix 2 lists IRP officers and men who on disbandment were award gratuities, gives the amount of gratuity, and also their rank.

Appendix 3 lists IRP men (about 539), who on disbandment joined the RIC as sub-constables and constables. It gives the RIC Reg. No. for each man, year of birth, county of birth, and “Result”, i.e. whether they resigned, or were dismissed, or awarded a gratuity, or were pensioned. A footnote explains that this information is taken from the Royal Irish Constabulary registers of service, HO 184, vols 12 and 13, National Archives, Kew. Of the total number (about 539), only 11 are listed as being from Co. Clare.

Appendix 4 lists IRP lieutenants who on disbandment joined the RIC as sub-inspectors (taken from Royal Irish Constabulary officers’ register, HO 184, Vols 45-8, National Archives, Kew). Of the 27 listed, only 2 are from Co. Clare: William Henry Vallencey, born 1836, and Percy MacMahon, born 1831, served in Shrade, Donegal, died [in service] on 23.04.1861.

Appendix 10 lists 59 IRP parties in 1833, by station, county, district and strength. There were two in Clare, one (Party No. 42) in Scariff consisting of a lieutenant, sergeant and 10 privates, and one (Party No. 59) in Ennis consisting of lieutenant, sergeant and 13 privates.

Appendix 11 lists 70 IRP parties in 1847, by station, county, and strength. There were two in Clare, one (Party No. 39) in Killaloe consisting of sub-inspector, sub-officer and 18 privates, and one (Party No. 42) in Crusheen, consisting of lieutenant, sergeant and 14 privates.

Appendix 17 lists 72 IRP parties in 1853, by station, county and strength. There are three in Co. Clare, one (Party No.39) in Killaloe, consisting of 2 officers and 14 privates; one in Crusheen (Party No. 42) consisting of 2 officers and 14 privates and one in Kilrush (Party No. 59) consisting of 2 officers and 14 privates.

Appendix 23 gives Salaries and allowances of IRP officers and men, 1847. Privates (for instance) received 1s 5d per day – plus £2 7s 8d for lodging per annum, and double pay while still-hunting.

**The word “Gauger”, I’d always thought, was a term of abuse, but it just means one who gauges alcohol content.

By the time it was disbanded (1857), the Revenue Police had made quite a bit of progress, partly because they had powers of entering, which the RIC did not have, and partly because of the temperance movement (Fr Matthew), and partly because of the very steep fines. The author doesn’t mention the new roads, but it’s generally believed, I think, that roads into the mountains made finding stills a lot easier.

Illicit Distillation (Ireland ) Act, 1831: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1831 ... print.html

https://www.museum.ie/Country-Life/Exhi ... nue-Police

Sheila

[Polycarp]

This newspaper notice gives information on illicit distillation in the Cratloe area in 1852. Reading this account, there is a similarity to contemporary newspaper accounts of 'grow houses' for cannabis in 2019.

Polycarp.




"Limerick Chronicle"
3rd March 1852

Illicit distillation is carried on to a considerable extent in the vicinity of Cratloe and in the Clare mountains. In consequence of the attention of the Inland Revenue being attracted to it, Mr Brodie, supervisor of the Limerick district, accompanied by Messrs Robert Moffat and Thomas Nicholson, officers of the 1st Division, proceeded to search the suspected locality when, after long and fatiguing exertions, they discovered an extensive private malt house, ingeniously concealed by furze, situated between the farm of Burton hill and Woodcock hill, and nothing but the lynx eye of the Excise official could possibly have discovered it.

The entrance was by a single doorway, barely sufficient to admit a person introducing himself in a kneeling position, but on gaining admittance the house was found to be large and substantially built, well adapted for illicit distillation. One floor of malt was in operation and ready for the kiln to be dried, and from its appearance it is presumed that the management had been committed to a person of no mean pretensions in the art of manufacturing "Poteen".

The officers secured four loads of malt, but, for want of sacks, they were obliged to destroy the remaining portion, and having demolished the building they repaired to Limerick with the seizure. It may be mentioned that those officers made several excursions in the same neighbourhood within the last two years.

[Paddy Casey]

Thank you Sheila and Polycarp for these most interesting postings.
For those following this topic there are some more postings on this forum which can be found by entering the terms 'worm' or 'mash' or 'singlings' (or, of course, 'poteen' or 'poitín' into the forum Search field (top right).

Paddy C

[Sduddy]

Good poteen sampled at Killaloe Petty Sessions gets a recommendation for a reduction in the penalty!
Clare Journal, Mon 2 Apr 1866:

Illicit Distillation. At Killaloe Petty Sessions on Tuesday, before W H Mayne, R S Studdert, and Edward G Bell, R M, Esqrs, Head Constable Connington, Ballina, prosecuted James Durack, in whose house a quantity of poteen, or Scotch whiskey, was found. Three policemen were examined, and they proved to the best of their belief that the whiskey produced was poteen and not Scotch. On cross examination by Mr Ryan, solicitor, they admitted it was possible, and even probable, that they might be mistaken. Mr Ryan asked one of the Constables if his eyes were bandaged, and that samples of Scotch whiskey and poteen were given him could he distinguish one from the other, and he said he would not swear that he could. Mr McAdams (Excise Officer) was examined, and he proved that the whiskey produced was illicit whiskey. He said that the difference between Scotch and poteen whiskey was that the essential oil was distilled from Scotch whiskey, not from illicit whiskey. He also admitted to Mr Ryan that he might possilbly be mistaken in his opinion. Mr Studdert asked for a glass of whiskey, and on tasting it, gave it as his opinion that it was illicit whiskey. He said that the often drank poteen before he became a magistrate (laughter.) Durack was fined £6 and costs, Mr Mayne dissenting, and requesting to have his dissent entered in the court book. The Magistrates stated that they would unanimously recommend the defendant to the Inland Revenue to get a reduction of the penalty.

Sheila

[Sduddy]

Clare Journal, Thur 26 May 1864:

Illicit Distillation. On the 20th inst. the police of the Caher station in this county succeeded in making the following seizures: 3st of malt and 40 gallons of wash. On the 14th another seizue was made by the same force consisting of 120st of malt and 300 gallons of wash. On the 16th inst., the police at Feakle seized 200 gallons of wash, 80 gallons of pot ale, 20 bushels of grain, 12st of malt. On the 17th the police of Crusheen made a seizure of 2 bushels of grain and 4 gallons of pot ale. And on the same day 20 gallons of wash. The police of the Lissycasy district on the 21st inst. also seized 116 gallons of wash. The foregoing furnishes pretty strong evidence of the effect of increased duty on malt. It also demonstrates the efficiency of our County Constabulary.

Clare Journal, Thur 2 Jun 1864:

Illicit Distillation. Last week the police of the Feakle district seized, by night, a still, three gallons of singlings, seven vessels, forty gallons of pot ale and 300 gallons of wash. Two men named Michael Lenihan and Patrick Molony were arrested and sentenced by Mr. O’Hara, R.M., to pay a penalty of £6 or three months imprisonment.

Clare Journal, Mon 7 Nov 1864:

Illicit Distillation. Throughout the past month some extensive seizures have been made of illicit whiskey and materials for making such. In the Tulla district in this county, through the active exertions the constabulary stationed at Caher police barrack under the command and directions of constable Digby Devenish. On the 5th of October they found concealed in the mountainous district of the Townland of Scalp two large vats containing 80 gallons of wash; on the 25th the same party seized in the Townland of Fahey no less than one hundred stone of ground malt, and on the very day after in the same place they succeeded in capturing 60 stone of illicit malt together with arresting a man named Thomas O’Donnell who had it in charge and who was subsequently brought before the magistrates presiding at Tulla Petty Sessions, who sentenced him to three months’ imprisonment, in default of paying a fine of £6. Notwithstanding these two seizures, and the punishment the guilty party was sentenced to, two more seizures were made in the exact same place five or six days after, when in the townland of Fahey a country man was arrested with a tin still in his possession, and on the day afterwards, 60 stone of malt and 40 gallons of wash. Those numerous extensive seizures following so soon one after each other give unmistakable evidence that the baneful practice of illicit distillation continues in the county to an alarming extent. W trust, however, that such activity, as has been displayed by the small body of constabulary, stationed in this remote district, will have the effect of putting a stop to it. The community and, particularly, the fair trader in licenced spirits, must be indebted to the active exertions of the constabulary of Ireland, on whom this harassing duty had been saddled without any addition to their pay. We trust that the efficient services of Constable Davenish and his party will be represented in the proper quarter, and that they will soon receive that promotion they so richly deserve for their services in putting down a system which has been the cause of many crimes and much calamity among the peasantry of Ireland.

Sheila