Old Smuggling Days
Skidden House and the Guinness Connection
The Guinness Company is doing its bit for Cornish tourism in general and St. Ives in particular, by promoting the Skidden House Hotel and its special association with their famous product.
Some of the history of this old inn has been included in a 'Guinness Brewing' fact sheet, informing lovers of the brew that it is still 'on tap' at the Skidden House Hotel.
In the late 1700's, Captain Sampson, a trader and owner of Skidden House, would sail from St. Ives in his lugger loaded with barrels of pilchards bound for Dublin. Here he would unload his cargo of Cornish fish and, in the early days, load up with all manner of Irish wares.
An Agreement.
However, it soon became clear to Captain Sampson that the famous local stout (known as Guinness) was the most profitable and popular of his cargoes. As the years went by, more and more Guinness came over in the Captains lugger.
Eventually, when he became too old to undertake the trips, he made an agreement with Mr. Arthur Guinness for a regular supply of the Irish stout to be sent from Dublin to St. Ives. His son inherited this agreement when the Captain died and Guinness continued to be shipped for many years.
Apparently, by agreement, an independent up-country firm obtained a licence to bottle and distribute in Great Britain - hitherto Skidden House being the only outlet in Great Britain at that time.
These independent bottlers tried to stop the supply of Guinness to the inn but the directors of Guinness decided that as the agreement with Captain Sampson was signed by the original Mr. Guinness, it should be honoured. Thus, this ancient inn was the only place at that time where Guinness was served on tap.
On the death of Captain Sampson's son the licence lapsed and the original agreement ended.
The name 'Skidden Hill', once the main road into St. Ives, came from the term to describe how carts were brought down the steep slopes to the shore. To prevent them rolling off down narrow lanes, metal skids were placed in front of the cartwheels and skilfully edged forwards by the workers, hence the word to 'Skidden' something down the hill.
Source: The St. Ives Times And Echo, March 25th 1988.)
If you have any stories of Cornish Luggers involved in smuggling please e-mail them to me.