An Excise Document, with answers to Robert Edgars Petition
Answers to Rob.t Edgar's Petition
1.mo On my getting Books of the Division, I found
a Notice depending from M.r Edgar to steep as on the
Saturday. - Mr Lewars accompanied me as on the
the Thursday following thinking to secure a Couch
gage; but we were surprized with finding the kilm-head
covered with Malt nearly dry.
2.d Whether Mr Edgar used to Malt all this grain at one
operation, I know, he had four or five large operations
this last season; but be that as it may, a previous
Entry was by act of Parliament was absolutely necessary,
which Entry Mr Edgar had never made. -
As to the Officer telling him that no Entry was
needful, it is false; no Officer would or durst
have said so. –
3.d When I had gaged the Malt on the kiln-head, I
asked him if this was all his Malt; he said it was.
I then desired him to show me his Floors, on which
& places where he kept his Malt; on which he took
me to a large Barn which he said was all the
places he used for that purpose. - In the mean
time, Mr Lewars went to the door of another
large Barn, & insisted on seeing it also. This
Mr Edgar positively refused to do, until we
threatened to break up the barn-door by force
he at last produced the key.
1.mo On my getting Books of the Division, I found
a Notice depending from M.r Edgar to steep as on the
Saturday. - Mr Lewars accompanied me as on the
the Thursday following thinking to secure a Couch
gage; but we were surprized with finding the kilm-head
covered with Malt nearly dry.
2.d Whether Mr Edgar used to Malt all this grain at one
operation, I know, he had four or five large operations
this last season; but be that as it may, a previous
Entry was by act of Parliament was absolutely necessary,
which Entry Mr Edgar had never made. -
As to the Officer telling him that no Entry was
needful, it is false; no Officer would or durst
have said so. –
3.d When I had gaged the Malt on the kiln-head, I
asked him if this was all his Malt; he said it was.
I then desired him to show me his Floors, on which
& places where he kept his Malt; on which he took
me to a large Barn which he said was all the
places he used for that purpose. - In the mean
time, Mr Lewars went to the door of another
large Barn, & insisted on seeing it also. This
Mr Edgar positively refused to do, until we
threatened to break up the barn-door by force
he at last produced the key.
In this barn we found several bags of Malt, war
from the kiln. -
If the forgoing was not a clear Fraud, I
know not what a Fraud is. -
---------------------
from the kiln. -
If the forgoing was not a clear Fraud, I
know not what a Fraud is. -
---------------------
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/28
- Alt. number
- 3.6158
- Date
- 1793
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/28
- Alt. number
- 3.6158
- Date
- 1793
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
Description
An Excise Document 'Answers to Robert Edgars Petition. With annotation by William Nichol Burns that the document was written by his father.
Robert Burns became an Excise Officer in 1789 in the Dumfries District and progressed rapidly from the Nithsdale out-ride division to the third foot-walk division in Dumfries within a year. He later became an Acting Supervisor in 1794.
Burns had been accompanied by John Lewars, a fellow Excise Officer, when an inspection was conducted to measure the malt production output at the premises of Robert Edgar. He was charged with fraud and disputed the information presented by the Excise officers.
This document is an account by Robert Burns describing the facts surrounding a fraud charge being disputed by the accused Robert Edgar, who had been found falsifying malt production returns. A point by point explanation is given by Burns to challenge the assertions by Edgar that the accusations against him were false.
It also contains annotations by William Nichol Burns verifying that the document was written by his father.
This document is an account by Robert Burns describing the facts surrounding a fraud charge being disputed by the accused Robert Edgar, who had been found falsifying malt production returns. A point by point explanation is given by Burns to challenge the assertions by Edgar that the accusations against him were false.
It also contains annotations by William Nichol Burns verifying that the document was written by his father.
Archive information
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- An Excise Document, with answers to Robert Edgars Petition