Flounders and samphire

Enjoyed a couple of fresh flounder for dinner, scattered with samphire.

The marshy shores of Wigtown Bay, and of other places along the Dumfries and Galloway coastline, make for happy homes for countless flounders. In fact, until 2009, the World Flounder Tramping Championships took place at Palnackie. These attracted up to 350 competitors and large sums were raised for the Royal National Lifeboat Institute.

However, the championships, though still wildly popular were finally sunk by Britain's “compensation culture” and the last event took place in 2009. Insurance premiums had risen to ridiculous levels and po-faced officialdom frowned on seeing people enjoying themselves, muttering instead about health and safety.

The method used in the championship, and still used by sensible people today, is to walk barefoot along the shallows, feeling for the fish with your toes. When you find one, you stand on it and stab it with a metal trident known as a “Leister.” Half the fun of this type of fishing is, of course, driving the trident through your foot rather than through the flounder, giving masses of amusement to your mates.

I bought two flounders for a pound each at the Smokehouse. I also picked up a bag of marsh samphire. This is delicious, growing, not surprisingly, in the sea marshes. Tiny little stalks and nice and sea salty. You can just wash it and eat it raw. Or sauté it quickly in butter. It is great to scatter over fish and seafood dishes, baked potatoes, pasta, or anything needing a bit of a lift. Add some oil and vinegar if you like.

Samphire has been eaten in Britain from the mists of history and Shakespeare mentions it in King Lear. It also used to be important in Medieval times in the production of glass and soap, an alternative name being Glasswort. The name Samphire is thought to come from the French for “Saint Pierre”, the fisherman apostle Saint Peter.

I cooked the flounders by frying them for a few minutes in butter, with a generous splodge of sherry.

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Try an 18th century punch

7 June 2011

The Scottish coast of the Solway Firth was always a very busy place for smugglers in the 18th and early 19th centuries. With duty free imports allowed to encourage the development of the Isle of Man, the opportunities for an enterprising and sea-skilled fellow to make a bit with fast runs to the mainland were obvious.

Here's a recipe from the Wigtown Agricultural Society's Town and Country Marquee Cookbook for “18th Century Mulled Wine, that serves 12.

2 bottles of red wine
24 lumps of sugar
12 cloves
2 pints (1.2 litres) of boiling water
Half a pint (300ml) of Curacao
Half a pint (300 ml) of brandy
Grated nutmeg

Curacao is an orange liqueur from the Dutch island territory of that name which flourished as a slave trading centre in the 18th century. Many Dumfries and Galloway fortunes were made in the slave-dependent Caribbean sugar trade. Wigtown's most impressive house, in Station Road, Dunure, was built on the rewards of the sugar trade. If you can't find any Curacao, use another orange liqueur.

Pour the wine into a saucepan and add the sugar and cloves, bringing almost to boiling point. Add boiling water. Pour in the Curacao and brandy. Pour into glasses and grate the fresh nutmeg on top.

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John Paul Jones the Pirate

US Navy hero “a devilish monster”

John Paul Jones (1747-1792) is today revered in the United States as a founding hero of the American Navy. His body lies in a grand bronze and marble tomb at the Naval Academy Chapel at Annapolis. A statue of him features as part of the John Paul Jones Memorial in Washington. One of the most sophisticated ships in the US Navy is the USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53), an Arlleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer. He was born at Kirkbean, on the Arbigland Estate, near Kirkbean, Kirkudbright, Dumfries and Galloway.

Local people who knew him regarded him as a pirate pure and simple, and a thoroughly unpleasant individual, being of “a hellish disposition.” Writing in 1824, John Mactaggart said:

“The late celebrated sea robber; a Gallovidian, I am rather sorry to say, but he was a clever devil, had strong talents of the infernal stamp; he was a short thick little fellow, above five feet eight in height, of a dark swarthy complexion. Now I am going to say somewhat of this fellow, and all I say I think is the truth, for I have it from the lips of many who personally knew him, and all about his singular ways.

“He was a common sailor for several years, out of the port of Kirkudbright, and was allowed to be unmatched on that coast for skill in sea matters; he was a pilot of the first kind, was quick at conception, and a prophet at foretelling the coming of storms; and when tempests might catch the bark he was in, he dreaded them not, but like Falconer's Rodmand, was

“First in action – in retreat the last.”

“Yet, though a famous seaman, his mess-mates generally disliked him; he was of a quick, fiery temper, and of a mad, ambitious, aspiring nature; and when roused, he cared not what he did, with the first weapon he fell in with; a capstan-bar was his favourite cudjell, and once being beset with a press-gang, in Liverpool, he laid three dead on the deck, and dashed the rest overside his sloop, into the Salthouse Dock.

“Having got the command of a pretty large vessel, belonging to Kirkudbright, he set sail with her to America, for a cargo of tobacco; while crossing the wide Atlantic, one of the crew, a young lad of fair promise, having some how or other irritated him, the devlish monster ran to a pot of pitch boiling on the deck, and flang a ladle-full of the horrid fluid about the youth, who, in desperation with the pain, leaped overboard, into the Gulf Stream and was seen no more.

“The Earl of Selkirk, hearing of this diabolic act of Paul Jones, threatened that if he ever came back to the country, he should receive his reward in punishment for the same. Such news reaching the horrid captain as he lay with his ship off Long Island, New York, gave him the first hint of changing his mode of life; having got a crew he could depend on every infernal enterprize and having turned such as did not suit him adrift, scouring the ocean in all directions, and taking prizes and property to great amount; it was now neck or nothing with him, so he brought his mighty talents into action.

“Ships of all nations dreaded him; the name of Paul Jones struck terror into thousands, and he was frequently thought, like Crumwhull's gib cat, to be where he was not. Having captured at one time and another, a large fleet, he became quite piratic Commodore, and was more severe on Britain than on any other nation, and most favourable to the French; the latter soon becoming acquainted with his kindness, offered him one of their highest naval situations, which was channel pilot, the which he accepted, and became a great favourite at the court of France.

“It was just about this stage of his career, that he made his attack upon Auld Scotland, to be revenged on the Earl of Selkirk, for his threat towards him. He brought his fine ship of war, the Serapis, to anchor at the mouth of his native river Dee, one beautiful summer morning, about forty-five years ago, and sent his barge, manned, and armed, to St Mary's Isle, for the purpose of catching his Lordship, who luckily was not at home that day.

“After surrounding the mansion, and making search, the pirates came off disappointed, but took the family silver plate with them, the which they, after a time returned, accompanying the same with a singular letter, in which was notified, that if his lordship had been with him, after he left the Dee, he would have witnessed a fine sea-fight between him and the Ranger, British frigate; this was a severe bout; the pirates beat her off, but did not follow up their capture. What he would have done with his lordship had he caught him, has been a question; it is thought that he would have ransomed him for the value of his estate, and so caused his utter ruin. But before arriving at the Dee, he had called at Whitehaven, a town that once huffed him, and having spiked the cannons on the battery there, he attempted to set the place on fire, but the houses all being of free-stone he could not get it to blaze so well as he wished; such traits, in the character of Paul Jones, prove him a being of hellish disposition; for those men of a revengeful nature, are evidently the most horrid wretches on earth.

“Having rounded Scotland and visited the Firth of Forth, he returned to Brest – attended on the French navy, and had them frequently on the point of almost starting to the invasion of Britain; falling sick, however, he retired to Paris, or somewhat in its neighbourhood, where he died, a young man rather, not fifty years of age; he died very rich and all his gold went to the French treasury; whether any of his heirs in Galloway could come at any of this, I know not. He was the father of a natural son, by a married lady, the which sun yet lives, but is ratherly a doyloch.

“Paul Jones seems to be unrivalled as a pirate; his undaunted courage, his penetrating judgment, and his savage temper, befitted him in an extraordinary manner for the damnable trade. It is laughable to look back at the sensation he caused among the rural bodies of Galloway, when he brought his ship upon their lonely shores; some armed themselves with scythes, some with pitch-forks, old guns too were looked at, while many fled and hid themselves in the Rossens o' whuns, caves, and wild mosses. A row-boat even went down the river, heavily armed, the evening he stood out to sea, for the purpose of intercepting him with their tale of it, if he dared to return; when this boat came in sight of the Oyster Craig, it was thought to be Paul Jones' armed barge, so a heavy firing was opened on it, and as the tide was filling, the rock in time became covered with water, so the fluttering fancies of the borough-bravados conceiving that the barge was down, they returned in a joyous flight home; next day they went back, and on examining the rock, found it battered blue with the leaden bullets, since which time it has been termed the Frenchman's Rock.

Pages 373-376. The Scottish Gallovidian Encyclopedia. By John Mactaggart. 1824.

The John Paul Jones Birthplace Museum, at Kirkbean, about 13 miles southwest of Dumfries off the A710 is well worth a visit. It is open from 1 April to 30 September, 10am to 5pm, Tuesday to Sunday; and every day during July and August. There is an excellent video, a reconstruction of the cabin of Jones' ship, the Bonhomme Richard, a picnic area and easy parking. Telephone 01387 880613. See: www.jpg.demon.co.uk/index.htm

Tricycle explorations

Sadly, few people today read the works of Galloway author S.R. Crockett (1859-1914) but in his day he was one of the most successful writers in Britain.

Crockett as born at Duchrae, Balmaghie, Kirkudbrightshire, and perhaps his most popular work was The Raiders, published in 1894, a dashing tale of kidnap, love and adventure set in the wild country of Galloway.

Crockett loved to explore the countryside with his young daughter, the girl being seated in a basket at the front of their tricycle. The picture shows them bowling along. From Sweetheart Travellers, published in 1895.

The Throes of Death

Galloway man John Mactaggart saw an public execution in Edinburgh and, in his book published in 1824, wished he hadn't.

“Death-Thraws – The throes of death. To the man of feeling, there is not a more horrible site to be seen, as a fellow creature in this wretched state; how alive we are then to the power of death, and how grieved to the soul that we can render no relief. I was never able to stand the scene but once, and will never try it again, unless abruptly compelled. I do not think death itself will be more difficult for me to endure than that appalling scene was.

“Once too, that restless being within me, Curiosity, dragged me to see the execution of a young man, when in Edinburgh, but she'll drag well if she drags me back again to see such a spectacle. I was not myself, Mactaggart, for a month afterwards, my mind was so disordered with the sight.

“In a curious way wrought the phrenzy (as I am one who speaks my mind) I tell this. I felt an inclination, both during night, when dream after dream whirled through my brain's airy halls, and in the day-time, to do some crime or other, that I might meet with a similar fate. Whether this is ever the way with any other person, I cannot tell, but so it opened on me, and which has caused me ever since to say, that hanging, instead of scaring from crime, has a strong tendency the other way. May God keep me far from seeing again any in the death-thraws.”

Pages 164-5. Mactaggart, John. The Scottish Gallovidian Encyclopedia. Hamilton and Adams. 1876.

"I hae min o'"

Some time during the 1960s a typewritten book of memories and stories about old Wigtown was compiled. The book includes sections headed “I have min o” or “I remember.” These were obviously the memories of long-time Wigtown residents. Here are some selections.

People often ate rabbit pie, sometimes with mutton in it. They grew their own vegetables and got gifts of fruit from the gardens of the big houses in the town.

On Sundays, food was a little special. In some houses that meant half an egg with the breakfast porridge; in others, it meant bacon and egg, porridge, and toast.

Ordinary folk had their main meal at noon and called it “dinner.” The gentry called that meal “lunch” and had a knife and fork tea. No one called an evening meal “dinner.” Better off people had damask tablecloths.

When the father was paid, a big ham end would be bought. For a special treat, a man had “a pint at the week-end.” As families were large and wages were small, few could afford more than that one pint a week. People baked a lot at home. Tattie scones were popular.

Farmers' wives bought eggs and butter to the town grocers to sell on Saturdays. Farmers had their own pigs and did their own curing. They also made “bleedy” puddings and white puddings. Farmers' children had bacon and eggs regularly, not just on Sundays.

On Sunday nights, children were given “a piece [sandwich] and milk” away to bed with them.
On New Year's Day there was bacon and egg for breakfast, a “fattened” fowl for dinner, and homemade ginger wine to drink.

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Here's how to make tattie scones: Ingredients – One pound of potatoes, two level teaspoons of salt, four ounces of flour, two ounces of butter.

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 20 minutes then drain and mash well. Add the butter and the salt, then work in a little flour to give a stiff dough. Turn onto a floured board and roll out to half an inch thick. Cut into three-inch rounds and fry in a lightly greased pan for five minutes each side. Serve buttered while still warm.

Blind Johnnie's music memorial

If you stroll through the graveyard of Inch Church, near the entrance to Castle Kennedy at Stranraer, your eye will be drawn to the cemetery's most impressive monument. This is a polished granite column that obviously commemorates someone important.

That person is not one of the Earls who lived across the road but penniless Blind Johnnie. The inscription on the memorial explains that it was erected by public subscription in memory of John Alexander, afterwards known as Blind Johnnie, who died at the age of 70 on March 26, 1905.

Blind Johnnie was one of that group of people, found throughout Galloway, known as Worthies. These were people who were often disadvantaged but whom local communities valued and looked after. As the fine memorial shows, Blind Johnnie's street music was much appreciated. He played the recorder and the squeeze box – which are in the collection of the Stranraer Museum. He is said to have been able to recognise people by their greetings to him or by the smell of their clothing, which presumably did not come from fancy colognes and body fresheners.

A picture of Blind Johnnie appears in the pamphlet: Dumfries and Galloway Through the Lens 12. Dumfries and Galloway Libraries, Information and Archives with the Whithorn Photographic Group 1999. ISBN 0 946280 36 3.