Hello everyone, Like Mary, who posted the query about Ardmaleish Cottage, I'm keen to see a bit more post :-) In that spirit, I wondered if the following details about a tragedy involving the Cumbrae customs boat in 1786 might be of interest to someone. The info comes from "Clyde Coast Smuggling" by JRD Campbell. Mr Campbell writes: "On 28th May 1786 when the Cumbrae Wherry was away on a cruise, some of the crew seem to have gone over to Bute to borrow the Rothesay boat. The initial part of the journey took them to Inverkip, where they picked up Mr Thomas MACKINLAY, merchant; Mr Samuel MUNN, carpenter; Mr Archibald MOOR; and Mr Archibald BLACK Jr, bussmaster; who all wished to go back to Rothesay. "From a contemporary report a gale seems to have blown up against them, so finally, as they seemed unable to make Rothesay, it was decided to run for Cumbrae and approach Rothesay from the south. What happened next is not clear, but the vessel and its complement vanished without trace, taking with it not only the crew of five men (all living on Cumbrae) but also the four passengers. It was found the next day, about a hundred yards from the shore, and lying in about 11 fathoms of water." The chargehand John RITCHIE was single. The crewmen all left widows and children - William BANNATYNE, Archibald McIVOR, John McCONNECHIE, Hugh McKEON and Dungald LAMONT. One crew member, Andrew TAYLOR, had been left ashore sick. Mr Campbell writes "The Mr Ritchie referred to in the report was the son of the mate of the Cumbrae cutter and it is touching to note that his father insisted that the widows of the boatmen receive his son's share of prize money for a capture made before his death." Madeleine Wales *Clyde Coast Smuggling or a Hundred Years of Clyde Cutters and Smugglers by JRD Campbell is published by St Maura Press 1994