Josiah Poole and Richard McGwire

In 1720 Richard McGwire, a Dublin banker, contracted with the Earl of Derby for £1000 pa for a term of 21 years to farm the Customs - i.e. he paid Derby £1000 pa which he recouped (together with the costs of collection and the profit) from the customs - soon after the agreement he partnered with Josiah Poole a Liverpool Alderman and Merchant to jointly farm the customs as well as enter into other business on the Island. Even by 1720 the Island had already gained a reputation as the base for many smuggling activities especially of tobacco and spirits run at night to the adjacent coasts of Ireland, England and Scotland - the Island acting as an entrepot warehouse where goods bearing only a small Manx duty , were imported legally in bulk, then transferred to smaller containers for the illicit (under English etc law) transfer by small wherries.

A Westminster act of 1720 prohibited the import of East India goods except by the East India company - these too were soon available much cheaper via the running trade. Moore summarises their activities as

"The two merchants, nevertheless, persevered in their designs. Besides continuing and extending the former contraband dealings in tobacco, &c. , they purchased spirits and wine in different countries and East India goods in Holland, as well as in England. These commodities they imported into the island, stored them in the lord’s warehouses (these being included in their lease), and ran them, as opportunity served, into the neighbouring kingdoms. This traffic they maintained for a few years, to a very large amount ; and it was likewise engaged in by other adventurers"

Poole had been living for some time in Castletown before the agreement with McGwire and played an uintended leading role in one of the key disputes between Church and State.

McGwire and Poole installed John Sanforth as their first collector of Customs (Lib Irr 11 May 1722) and water bailiff (warrant dated 17 May 1722 signed by Lord Derby); Sanforth signs warrants on the 18 May 1722 for four deputy searchers - James Young(Peel), Capt Nicholas Christian(Ramsey), Neh Kemp(Douglas) and Lewis Monnier(Castletown - Wm Sharrock appt assistant18 Feb 1723) but made an unfortunate choice of Joshua Robinson as a clerk. Robinson was induced by the King's officers on the Island (George Tollet and William Henderson) to provide them with many documents which showed the running of contraband articles into Dumfries and elsewhere (Robinson also it seems also defrauded his masters.); however it was when Robinson was taken, along with the books, to Whitehaven and the books copied that the full extent of the running trade became apparent - Tollet had the nerve to negotiate with Poole & McGwire for the return of both books and Robinson to the Island - as they needed the books they had no alternative but Robinson shortly afterwards escaped before Poole and McGwire had chance to charge him over the deficiencies in the accounts. During this period Sanforth as Water Bailiff was also sworn as deputy governor (singly or in conjunction with others) during the absences of Governor Horne. According to Wilkins Sanforth was replaced as collector by Richard Dutoral, Hendrick Toren and Thomas Harley but these names do not appear in Lib Irr.

Wilkins quotes a 1764 report by the Liverpool Collector of Customs that indicated that McGwire and Poole might have been after a quick profit by offering their agreement, at £3000 pa to Sir Robert Walpole who however rejected it. In 1726 Walpole steered a bill through the House of Commons to prohibit the import of all goods from the Island (except for the produce of the Island) into Britain which bill also contained a clause allowing Westminster to enter into negotiation with the trustees of Lady Ashburnham for the purchase of the Island. Poole and McGwire opposed the bill but on its passage petitioned Derby to release them from their contract - the actual petition for release actually dates after the death of McGwire so that premature death might have been a significant reason. As there had been many complaints about the behaviour of Poole and McGwire's agents on the Island Derby took this opportunity. The proposed negotiation with Asburnham came to naught following the death of the expected heir by the direct Derby line and the Island passed to the Atholls on the death of the Earl of Derby - the British Government finally buying the regalities in 1765 to put an end to a much enhanced running trade.

Poole lived in Castletown for some years, McGwire would appear to be a fleeting visitor though his last visit was of some months, possibly his house at Newtown was ready for occupation - McGwire coming in August 1725 ostensibly to conduct his business under the lease of the customs and also to give directions about the development of the Newtown estate purchased by McGwire . Possibly McGwire was also avoiding some problems back in Dublin as he had been arrested following some dispute over the Irish elections of 1723 but had been released after apologising but a second dispute had arisen when he sued his father's executor, a member of the Irish house, who then complained that McGwire had infringed his immunity. Whilst on the Island McGwire replaces Sanforth as Collector by Ribton Hutchinson and John Fairforth on 1 Oct 1725 possibly during Sanforth's absence as Sanforth signs a few warrants of Deputy Searchers during 1726 but has disappeared from his previous posts by end of 1726 - though he is still on Island as appears as a creditor/administrator of the will of George Waldron after which he surfaces as a merchant in Liverpool in the 1730s.

Richard McGwire died in 1727 supposedly owing Earl of Derby 2000guineas - his will proved in Dublin but also on the Islands mentions £10,500 worth of stock in Dublin - the Manx inventory was of some £1450 comprising mostly calicoes etc (? East Indies goods) and tobacco.

McGwire left his mark on the place names - his estate in Santon named New-town Bally McGwire in one document was shortened to Newtown though never developed as intended - the other estate jointly owned with Poole was a large parcel of inclosed commons in Michael/Ballaugh mountains which had provoked an agrarian riot - why it was named Mont Pellier is debatable though that famous French Mediterranean town was thought to derive its name from Mont Pele - bare mountain - a jest perhaps ?.

Poole and McGwire also it seems had the intention of introducing a new issue of coinage (£500 of pence and halfpence) c.1723 but this it seems was not approved either by Earl James or the Keys but it appears that a significant amount was coined, but by whom is not known, though one of McGwire's employees was charged with forgery and was lucky not to have been hung

References

Frances Wilkins, The Isle of Man in Smuggling History. Kidderminster: Wyre Forest Press 1992 (ISBN 1-89772-500-0) (123p maps + bib, refs)
Frances Wilkins, The Isle of Man & the Jacobite Network Kidderminster: Wyre Forest Press 2002 (ISBN 1-897725-15-9)
John Gelling, A History of the Manx Church 1698 -1911, Douglas: Manx Heritage Foundation 1998 (ISBN 0-9524319-4-0) (very readable but somewhat flawed by lack of any references)

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor © F.Coakley , 2011