The Excise Officer

William Dawe comes to the wedding

William Taylor was aware that the stranger in the midst of the wedding party was William Dawe the Excise Officer (on behalf of the Inland Revenue Department monitoring the illicit production of whisky, known as ‘smuggling’). Both Williams were keeping an eye on each other. While the law was on the side of Dawe, he was at a wedding that was full of local people who would defend Taylor, with even the chance of a skirmish breaking out. What was more, if Taylor was going to be successfully charged with making illicit whisky, Dawe had to be very careful that he got the right man and that he had good evidence.

So as the wedding party continued, whisky did indeed run out. William Taylor was not a happy man. Dawe heard Taylor lamenting that ‘he had not more of the home-made stuff because of the suspicious attentions of the excise to the locality’. Dawe made note!

Finally Taylor decided to leave Halsary and get more ‘refreshments’ from home. He returned with more of the ‘home-made’ stuff of which Dawe actually partook, and later used his sampling as evidence against William Taylor.

Both these men used wit and cunning to do what they had to do.

Dawe eventually departed the gathering at Halsary. He kept his records judiciously and spent the next few months vigilantly getting what information about Taylor he could. He knew well enough that Taylor was in the habit of distilling but to succeed in court he had to put his case painstakingly. It was well known that crofters, tenants, landlords and even magistrates often supporting each other’s part in this business and all got some personal reward.

It was not until September of 1878, nine months after the wedding at Halsary that Dawe made his move on Taylor.

In the meantime, James Taylor moved into the Rangag teashop with his wife Catherine, affectionately known as Kitty.

Catherine McLeod in old age (the only photo I have of her) 

The house on the Causewaymire Road at Rangag that had been the home of Catherine’s parents and was now Catherine and James home. 

Not looking very romantic in this picture of the interior of the Rangag house. Shows the back fireplace and Caithness flags on the floor. It was being used as a farm building at the time of this photograph.The house probably originally had Caithness flags on the roof like the Halsary building as they were both built at the same time. This house is now restored. 

To be continued...