The Malt Tax

This is the story of the Glasgow malt riots and their long-term implications. Perhaps we should refer to them as the Malt Tax Protests, as few of us would argue that the people of Scotland had a right to protest what they saw as the imposition of an unjust, even foreign, tax.

England had imposed a malt tax in 1644, sixpence on every barrel of beer. The tax was introduced to help pay for the English government’s favourite hobby of the day – shooting at the French. When Scotland found itself on the verge of bankruptcy, thanks largely to the terribly conceived Darien Scheme, the nobility felt the best option to protect, or even recover their interests, was to join England in the Act of Union.

When the Act of Union was signed in 1707, there was no agreement in place to allow for the rollout of English taxes across Scotland. In fact, reception to the idea was best described as hostile. Such matters rarely leave the parliament for long, however, and in 1713, there was an attempt to put the Malt Tax back on the table. So strong was the opposition that there was a motion to repeal the Act of Union. That motion lost by just four votes. The Union survived. Just.

Protesting the Malt Tax

Nevertheless, the Malt Tax was beginning to feel inevitable, and by the 1720s, support for its rollout had grown, and in 1725, Parliament implemented a new version that would apply throughout Britain. Even though the tax would only be charged at half the rate in Scotland, the population reacted furiously. Fuelled by a sense of betrayal and anger at the Scottish politicians who ignored the voices of their constituents, spontaneous protests broke out in Stirling, Dundee, Ayr, Elgin and Paisley, whilst in Edinburgh, Brewers went on strike.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the fiercest protests took place in Glasgow (it doesn’t take much to start a fight here). Crowds began to assemble on the 23rd of June, and some of the protestors gained access to the city’s fire bell, which was soon ringing continuously in order to summon additional support to the cause. As time passed, the crowd became increasingly agitated, and it wasn’t long before that frustration turned towards the local MP.

Campbell of Shawfield

Daniel Campbell, Member of Parliament for the Clyde Burghs, lived at Shawfield Mansion, at the junction of Trongate and Glassford Street. His house was described in contemporary reports as the finest in the city. Campbell wasn’t home when the protests took place (good decision), but the angered protestors targeted his house, smashing windows and even looting the premises. This escalation caused the authorities to call for military reinforcements, and shots were soon being fired at the demonstrators. Nine citizens of the city of Glasgow fell to the ground, dead. A further sixteen were injured.

Such a heavy-handed response elicited a similarly hostile reaction from the protestors, and the military was withdrawn to regroup west of the city. Near Dumbarton, they were harried by another angry mob, and again, shots were fired into the crowd, and Scottish citizens lay dead in the street.

Eventually, a larger military force, led by General Wade, arrived in the city and Government control returned. Accompanying Wade was the Lord Advocate, Forbes of Culloden. Forbes happened to be the owner of Ferintosh, the only commercial distillery in Scotland at that time. Conveniently, he had been given an exemption from the malt tax. In fact, the new taxation would put such a strain on other businesses that it was very much in Forbes’ interest to see it succeed. By damaging potential competition, his distillery could flourish.

As Lord Advocate, Forbes ensured many of the protesters were jailed, whipped through the town or exiled for life. Then he arrested the town council and fined them a total of £10,000. Daniel Campbell would also do well from the whole tragic affair. Damage surveys estimated the cost of repairs to Shawfield Mansion in three figures, yet he was paid £6,000 in compensation from the Government. A significant amount of money in 1725. Compensation, or corruption?

Campbell of Islay

Perhaps wisely, Campbell decided that Glasgow wasn’t the place for him anymore. With his pockets full of Government cash, he sought out land to the west and found another branch of the Campbell family who had mismanaged their estate and were only too eager to sell. With that, Campbell of Shawfield became Campbell of Islay.

The Campbells had a profound effect on the Isle of Islay, reshaping the island to suit themselves. Daniel’s son, also Daniel, saw fit to renovate and expand Islay House, which meant shifting the population from the nearby village of Kilarrow. A new administrative capital was commissioned at Bowmore, and construction of the new village began in 1770.

Daniel Campbell passed away in 1777, and the island was inherited by his younger brother, Walter, who went on to encourage new industries on the island, including mining, fishing and distilling. The latter, he saw as a convenient buyer for barley grown on the island. In 1779, just 9 years after the village that shared its name was established, Bowmore Distillery went into production. It was the first of its kind, but it would not be the last.

Islay’s southern coast was a haven for anyone who wished to make some whisky away from prying eyes, but Walter had made that area a target, too. Laphroaig and Ardbeg were officially registered in 1815. Lagavulin followed a year later, when Walter’s son, Walter Frederick, had taken over the running of the estate.

Walter Frederick would then shape the island further, by establishing the villages of Port Ellen, Port Charlotte and Port Wemyss, named after his wife, his mother and his Father-in-law. The Campbells carved out the island of Islay, and its whisky industry as we know it today is the direct result of their actions. Is it possible that none of it would have happened, were it not for the Malt Protests of Glasgow, in 1725?

The story of the malt protests might mark the start of Glasgow’s connections to Islay’s wonderful whisky, but there are many more links if you know where to look. We’re going to be exploring those links in much more detail at our next Dram Jam whisky tasting on Friday, April 10th, at the Old Toll Bar. We’ll be sampling 5 Islay malts, all with some connection to Glasgow, as well as offering some cocktails and live Scottish Trad music. It’s going to be very special, and we hope to see many of you there.