THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE ― These Findon Chronicles are created by Valerie Martin and are progressively growing to be the only record of life around Findon, West Sussex, England.  Everyday stories about real people..... in fact, a potted history of the village.  The topics today, are the history of tomorrow. 

THE BIZARRE TALE OF THE SMUGGLING LYALL FAMILY

Copyright Valerie Martin

Smugglers have been described as "honest thieves" and can be found in all professions across the board — it is said from the parson to the poacher.   It appears that this is indeed true.   Tales of romantic smugglers in the Findon landscape abound but I certainly did not expect a gentleman coming from Berwickshire in Scotland, such as John Lyall, to have contraband connections and to have built his empire on illicit goods.    After all, his youngest son, Alfred, was to become a pillar of the community and eventually the Curate of Findon.    Although here I must point out that in Sir Mortimer Durand's biography of Sir Alfred Lyall, there is a reference to smuggling and this just might have an oblique allusion to the Lyall family's contraband involvement.  

My original opinions on the Lyall family of Grey Point were to waver ever so slightly when I heard from Derek Janes of Eyemouth in Berwickshire in February 2012......

 

Valerie.... John Lyall...I am fascinated by your piece about John Lyall. I am researching the history of Gunsgreen House and of smuggling in this area and I have come across John, and his father George as quite serious and menacing members of the local smuggling “Fraternity”.

I would be happy to pull together my notes from the local Customs Letter Book if you would like to add something to your website!!

It is interesting to see how John donned such a cloak of respectability so quickly!!

Contact me at home where I have the stuff!

Let me know!  Derek Janes.

 

I found this intriguing knowing that John Lyall had originated in Berwickshire and I immediately asked Derek to reveal all on the Lyall's fine art of smuggling.

The surname of Lyall was well known in its day on the Scottish borders and many carried the name.    I already knew that John Lyall (1752-1805) came from a prolific family and was born in Scotland and lived on his father's farm in Ayton, Berwick.    He had gained a good education but little else.    I was aware that he took an interest in the coastal trade of the day and set out in search of fame and fortune.   It is difficult to separate King's cutters from smugglers at this distance in time.  Trading was a gamble as well as an exciting and lucrative business during the American War of Independence as well as during the French Revolution.   It all happened a long time ago and evidence is now hard to come by.   Many lost money and few gained.  I had already gleaned that eventually John's business-like methods (and maybe the fine art of smuggling) had led him south to Sussex and ending in Findon.

Derek Janes has unravelled a smuggling connection with the family name of Lyall and he believes this leads all the way to the City of London and on to Findon also.    I will leave Derek to take up the story of the contraband ......

 

Valerie....I attach two extracts from the Dunbar Customs Letter Books which clearly illustrate the seriousness with which the Lyels were regarded by the Customs. The extracts are from letters from the Commissioners in Edinburgh to the Collector at Dunbar, which oversaw the SE coast of Scotland down to the Border.

Christopher, who threatened the Tidesmen, was John's younger brother (born in April 1756).

John Lyon, who seems to have been regarded as having links with the Lyalls/Lyels was seen as the most threatening of the local smugglers - he was connected with John Nisbet (of Gunsgreen House)'s protege James Renton.  James' brother David, a lawyer, later lived at Greystonelees!

Extracts from Dunbar Custom Letter Books CE65/5 National Archives of Scotland....

31.8.1780
It also appearing by the Declaration of the Tidesmen that five Ankers of Spirits were likewise seized by them among the corns of George Lyell Tennant in Graystonlies in presence of him and Christopher his son, the Smuggling Cutter at that time lying off shore in their sight – when the son Christopher at that time threatened the officers with getting twenty or thirty of the Smugglers to land and take back the goods again out of the Warehouse and in fact a boat from the Smuggler having soon after landed and convened with the Lyels, the Crew fired immediately after the Officers , and the Warehouse was also broke open that night But neither Lyell nor his son being examined, the same is also to be done. And you are to report the Result of the whole for our further consideration.
 

The first incident is linked to a raid on the Customs Warehouse in Eyemouth by thirty smugglers on the cutter mentioned, led by Charles Swanston of Coldingham - also the son of a farmer.   Smugglers seem to have rented farms on the coast, so that they had ready access to the shore!

18.7.1785
Gentlemen,
Having received Information that Frauds to the prejudice of the Revenue have been committed from on board the Sloop John of which John Lyal was several years master and is now the reputed owner, which vessel is at present commanded by one Whitehead and has for the above time generally cleared from Newcastle for Hamburgh, Norway and Sweden under the command of one of them, and delivered a Cargo of Lumber at Newcastle having previously discharged her Contraband Goods at or near a place called Graystonelees near Eymouth (near which place lives George, the father of the abovementioned John Lyal.) and very likely will be there in a very short time as she cleared from Newcastle 21st June for Christiana, nominally; also that the Sloop Elizabeth with that name on her stern, barely 60 tons, and rigged like a smack, square sternedand has a very long top mast commanded by one Lyon, a very little man humpbacked; this vessel sailed from the 17th May with grain for London, and was off Dover the 18th of June on her passage to Oporto to load a cargo of wine for Berwick, but as this vessel belongs to the same Fraternity, and as Berwick is not a place to load any quantity of wine and pay the Duty there is no doubt but good part of the cargo will be attempted to be landed at or near Greystonelees, probably in August; we direct you to communicate this Intelligence to Mr David Davidson Commanding the Boat at your port who is forthwith to proceed to Greystonelees, and to cruise between there and Berwick, and to use his best Endeavours to prevent or detect the Frauds intended, we having great confidence in the Information as it is come from most respectable authority, but to prevent Discovery Mr Davidson is to be instructed not to communicate the Information even to his Boatmen, if it shall appear necessary he is at Liberty to employ two additional Boats for this special service.

 


I do have evidence of Berwickshire smugglers having links with Folkestone in Kent. 

I would be very interested if there was any sign of John Lyall having connections with Sussex smugglers, to help him set himself up.    Maybe he was just using his ill gotten gains to set himself up in a legitimate business.

I hope this is of interest to you - I shall be happy to provide more if I come across it!
Best wishes,   Derek"  

 

 

When John Lyall departed from his father's farm in Ayton, Berkwick, I know that he headed south to start a business in London.   This astute Scotsman was on a winning streak and one of the fortunate ones and he prospered and founded his family firm.

As his shipping concern grew, besides purchasing a London home, he also bought a small estate in Findon occupying what some might describe as bold corner position. His Georgian property was situated opposite the Gun Inn in The Square, where at that time cockfights were still being conducted on the land at the rear.    As I have been unable to trace an earlier owner of the property, maybe John Lyall had the house built. The name given to his property at that period has evaded me but in the twentieth century it later became known as "Salteystead" and later as "Grey Point". 

The Findon society entered by the immigrant Scottish ship owner was essentially an agricultural one worked by yeoman farmers, husbandmen and both free and copyhold tenants.     Whether he had given up his smuggling career before or after he arrived in Findon is left to conjecture.   

John Lyall was a gentleman of some means and an energetic one at that.  He conducted his business affairs from the village and rode up country to the city on horseback.   It is reputed that he habitually covered the distance to London (some fifty miles), in a morning’s ride.  My guess is that he started quite early to do this and can be imagined heading north out of the village at a collected canter before the dawn light rose over Cissbury Ring.

Did he have something to declare? 

John Lyall died on 10th December 1805 at the age of 54 years.   To read more about the Lyall family, click on my data so far entitled The Findon Commuter and follow through the generations of Lyalls connected with Findon.

Continue to read about More smuggling in the 1800s

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE —  is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.

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Do let me know of anything you hear about Findon - not too controversial.   Please note that opinions expressed in the Findon Chronicles are not necessarily reflective of my own thoughts.... but sometimes they are!