The Business of Smuggling in south-east Scotland. John and David Nisbet and their associates c. 1740 -1790
Janes, D
Date: 20 April 2020
Publisher
University of Exeter
Degree Title
PhD in History
Abstract
Research into the career of the merchant-smuggler John Nisbet of Gunsgreen House, Eyemouth has led to a ‘bottom up’ analysis in this thesis of the North Sea smuggling business in the second half of the eighteenth century. Building on previous work, but supplemented by a range of new material, this thesis challenges some assumptions, ...
Research into the career of the merchant-smuggler John Nisbet of Gunsgreen House, Eyemouth has led to a ‘bottom up’ analysis in this thesis of the North Sea smuggling business in the second half of the eighteenth century. Building on previous work, but supplemented by a range of new material, this thesis challenges some assumptions, notably about direct links between smaller Scottish ports and Gothenburg and highlighted the role of the merchant-smuggler in managing the import of tea from Sweden. It has also highlighted the significance of ‘Gottenburgh Teas’ as a brand, extensively advertised in newspapers in Scotland and the north of England. As well as this important addition to our understanding of the northern smuggling world, the thesis examines in detail the activities of the small port of Eyemouth, developing a knowledge of the methods adopted by smugglers and their relationships with each other and with the customs. It will also review the North Sea timber trade of the period, challenging earlier preconceptions about both the source of much of the timber that came to Scotland and how the business was managed. What it shows is that it is now possible to undertake micro historical research of a small port with, apparently, minimal local records, by combining a wider range of material, including much now available online, such as family history resources and the British Newspaper Archive. In this case, too, evidence is provided by Gunsgreen House itself, its physical fabric – the so-called tea chute, for example – and its symbolic importance for John Nisbet. The result is a detailed analysis of northern smuggling, including the importance of the role of Scottish merchants in Gothenburg, some of whom were Jacobite exiles, and of the business processes involved in smuggling which were essentially those of regular merchants.
Doctoral Theses
Doctoral College
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