The Life of Gilbert William Peterkin Former Exciseman Glen Albyn
Now is the right moment to delve deeper into the life of Gilbert W. Peterkin. This article will appear on both the research websites of both Glen Albyn and Glen Mhor due to his significance to each distillery.
The above image shows two Excisemen from 1900, their identities unknown and faded into history. However, they provide a sense of the gentlemen who served in this capacity. My appreciation goes to the Diageo Archives for this image, which I have enhanced using A.I. to kick off our thorough examination of one particular exciseman.
Our understanding of Gilbert William Peterkin has largely come from the surviving excise books of Glen Albyn and Glen Mhor. These records have provided us with insights into his character; showcasing his meticulous nature and his readiness to voice concerns when things did not meet his standards.
He embodies the essence of the traditional excisemen, a profession that has evolved, as evidenced by the changes noted in these 1920s records and again during the Second World War.
As we continue our exploration of these Inverness distilleries, we've uncovered a wealth of names. Most of them were previously unfamiliar, yet these individuals significantly contributed to the development of the distilleries and their whisky. I hope to delve deeper into their stories whenever possible, and aside from the co-owners, none hold greater significance than Gilbert W. Peterkin.
Thanks to his meticulous logbook entries, we have nearly come to understand the man personally, which places him in a distinctive position when reflecting on Glen Mhor and Glen Albyn.
In my recent offline hiatus, I've taken the opportunity to research G.W. Peterkin further and have started to uncover more about his life and it has been hugely worthwhile.
Career Beginning
While we don't have sufficient details about his birthplace to be completely certain, I believe it is probable that the 1881 Census reveals Gilbert, at just 10 months old, residing at 278 George Street, St. Nicholas, Aberdeen. His parents, Gilbert and Jane, were both born in 1843, and his father worked as a mason.
He is noted in the London Gazette from the 7th December 1900 for commencing his Customs career on 5th December 1900:
This entry mentions a 'competition,' which I interpret as being open recruitment following examination, which is very much the methodology of the civil service and government agencies.
A young officer entering the Customs service was expected to absorb a wealth of knowledge, functioning almost as an apprentice under the guidance of a more experienced officer. What's also worth considering is when Gilbert joined H.M. Customs it was concerned mainly with goods entering and leaving the country. Excise which would become his main role that we see in these logbooks, was overseen by the Board of Inland Revenue in 1900. This changed on 1st April 1909 when it became the Board of Customs and Excise leading to the creation of the Customs and Excise Department.
Change was not abrupt; government departments in the 1900s were known for their slow pace, and some would assert that this quality continues to this day. In January 1913, Lloyd George, who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer, noted that the amalgamation process was still in motion. For Gilbert, this could have meant a new opportunity or a shift to a department he had not originally signed up for.
The existence of 'The Excise Officer's Pocket Companion', authored by James Craig, an exciseman in 1794, hints at the extensive subject matter and skills awaiting a novice like Peterkin. This guide provided essential tables, calculations, processes, and accounts that a new recruit or junior officer needed to master, much of which remained pertinent during Peterkin's era.
Peterkin's own reflections reveal the significant control this role could wield, along with the extensive record-keeping, bureaucracy, and management hierarchy involved. Even in the 1920s, the atmosphere felt rigid and unyielding. Publications like Ham's Year Book found in the National Archives could provide valuable insights into his early years; however, they are not accessible online as of this writing.
Let's consider the career of Neil M. Gunn, arguably the most renowned Exciseman from Glen Mhor, we find that his early years are well-documented, providing insight into the expectations placed on a young officer. Neil began his service in 1907 and made the move to Edinburgh in 1909. By 1910, he was engaged in a travelling or roving excise role throughout the Highlands. His first permanent station assignment came in 1921 in Wigan, after which he returned to the Highlands and Glen Mhor in 1923.
From this, we can infer that securing one's own station was neither guaranteed nor bound by a specific timeline. Demonstrating competence was essential, and a position had to be available. These roles were likely in high demand and seldom opened up, typically only due to death, retirement, or misconduct. Once an Exciseman obtained a station, often accompanied by housing, it was common for family life and a lengthy career of service to follow.
Essentially, we can anticipate that following some internal training on the fundamentals of the position in 1900, Gilbert would within a year or two, embark on his first assignment under the careful supervision of a seasoned officer in the field. The question is where?
Marriage
The story takes a fascinating turn with Gilbert's marriage to Catherine Burgher on March 19th, 1906, in Sanday, Orkney. Sanday, one of the larger islands in Orkney, is located East of Eday, which, interestingly, served as the peat source for numerous Scottish distilleries due to its esteemed quality. This very peat was used by Mackinlay & Birnie at both of their distilleries during the time Gilbert W. Peterkin was there... it truly is a small world. Given Sanday's tight-knit community, it's likely that Catherine hails from this remote locale.
According to the Orcadian from January 24th, the marriage was located in Kettletoft, a lively port that prospered because of the herring industry in that period. A summary of the settlement can be found on this Undiscovered Scotland page. Catherine's father is noted to be the harbour master at Sanday.
The Orcadian announces the wedding and highlights Gilbert's position with H.M. Customs, affirming that he is indeed the one we're looking for. Also noting that he is resident in Kirkwall, which puts him at the heart of the Customs operation on Orkney, including the nearby Highland Park, or Scapa just a short cycle away.
Naturally, this prompts the question of how the future couple crossed paths, and what Gilbert might have been doing in the Orkney region as part of the Excise. The most plausible explanation is that he was assigned to Orkney to supervise one or more of its distilleries at that time, such as Highland Park, Scapa, or Stromness. Considering the relatively small size of Stromness, it might not have required a full-time officer, but this is a topic I need to delve into further.
This leads us to Highland Park and Scapa. A visit from Alfred Barnard in the 1880s indicates that Highland Park had designated officers residing there, with its most senior officer being a Mr Graham.
On the other hand, Scapa is still a contender, as it also had facilities, with Scapa House constructed in 1888 by the distillers for the Excise Officer and their family. Additionally, there are planning documents dating back to 1896 at Scapa that pertain to proposed developments, including new offices, which likely included a station for the Customs & Excise personnel assigned there. One can only envision the impact of being assigned to Orkney in the early 1900s, amidst a harsh landscape, further intensified by the even more relentless distillery workers if the antics of those at Talisker on the Isle of Skye are anything to go by. Far away from almost all temptations, Gilbert could learn his craft and put it into practical use.
The Scapa documents are preserved by the National Register of Archives for Scotland and consist of a vatted stock book and a wages book, which could provide more insights into the Excise operations.
Alan Winchester makes a good point here in that the 1823 Excise legislation introduced the requirement that a distillery situated away from a market town had to provide accommodation for the resident Excise officer. Kirkwall would be a substantial market town, and Scapa distillery around two miles from it, this would lead me to be believe this was no automatic requirement, only one that perhaps appeared over time with the changing nature of a distillery, the goodwill of the owner and suchlike. Two miles even in the early 1900s would not be a huge distance to cover on foot, horse or bike.
On page 246 of this Orkney library listing, you can find the memoirs of Customs Officer W.J. Cadlwell, who served at Scapa distillery and undertook additional Excise duties throughout the Eastern part of the Islands. Although these memoirs are dated from 1914 to 1921, which falls outside our specified time frame, they imply that part of the job involved traveling within the community. This aspect is echoed in Gilbert's early entries for Glen Albyn that we've seen, contrasting with his later assignments at Glen Mhor. Sanday, situated east of the main isle, could provide a potential connection to the responsibilities associated with this role for Peterkin and meeting his future wife.
Kettletoft was a thriving port during this period, receiving ships with supplies and goods from the mainland, Orkney Islands and vessels from further afield. This port would have fallen under the jurisdiction of H.M. Customs requiring the presence or visitation of an officer.
It is purely speculation on my part, but Gilbert may have visited the island in an official capacity and more than likely would have to deal with the harbour master as well as captains of any vessels. And perhaps during one of these visitations, he met his future wife.
According to The Orcadian dated 7th April 1906, the inaugural golfing competition of the season took place at the Orkney Golf Club in Kirkwall. Sadly, Gilbert finished in the last position among the listed competitors. He may have been unacquainted with the course or simply focused on appreciating the beautiful surroundings. This at least provides insight into what he found enjoyable, or once did, given the result.
Interestingly, The Orcadian released a notice on January 26, 1907, announcing that Mr. Peter MacNicol, a preventive officer with H.M. Customs in Aberdeen, had been appointed as the successor to Gilbert William Peterkin. Although the exact date of his arrival in Orkney remains unclear, we can confidently infer the timing of his transfer to Inverness, coinciding with his departure to the mainland alongside his wife, who was notably pregnant at that time, with their first son.
Posted to Inverness
To grasp the timeline, I turned to the Inverness Burgh Directories, which can be hit or miss yet do offer some value if you dig through them. The 1902-1903 Edition does not feature Peterkin among its listings. Instead, this edition, along with the previous 1901 version, includes the expected excise officers: Robert Ferguson at Glen Mhor and Mr. T.M. Kerrin at Glen Albyn.
This pair continues to appear in the 1906-1907 edition, reaffirming the established order. However, by the 1909 release, Gilbert Peterkin emerges as part of H.M. Customs, residing on Fairfield Road. He is also noted under the Custom-Home and Mercantile Marine Office at Queen's House, Inverness. Meanwhile, Kerrin (spelled as Kerin) remains at Glen Albyn, living on Harrowden Road. Ferguson we know retired on 28th November 1907, as it was featured in a local newspaper.
The 1908 edition again lists Peterkin under the central office, but no residential address is provided elsewhere. Notably, Mr. Kerrin is still associated with Glen Albyn. These records indicate that Peterkin was in Inverness, stationed at the main office, yet not assigned to his own distillery. I would speculate that he was still in the process of learning the trade, familiarising himself with the area and the expectations of his role.
The 1910 listing continues to show him at H.M. Customs. More intriguingly, T.M. Kerrin (again spelled as Kerin) is now responsible for both Glen Albyn and Glen Mhor distilleries.
Robert Ferguson remains listed as an Excise officer, residing at Franklin Villa on Fairfield Road. Strangely, by the 1914 manual, Peterkin is also recorded at Fairfield but at another residence named Glenisla, while Robert Ferguson continues to live at Franklin Villa. In fact, we can track Peterkin back to 1909 using Post Office records on this street. These locations are merely around a ten-minute walk from both distilleries.
In the 1913 and 1914 records, Officer Kerrin is solely in charge of Glen Mhor, with a Mr. J. McGlynn taking responsibility for Glen Albyn, which would seem to be a short-lived position.
As anticipated in 1918, Glen Albyn is absent from the listings, having been transformed into an American Naval Base to support the war effort. It was officially returned to the UK on September 17, 1918. Even in the 1920 listings, Glen Albyn does not appear as a distillery, indicating that significant renovations were necessary to restore it to its distilling operations and we know this is when McKinlay & Birnie would purchase their distilling neighbour. The whole situation mirrors what we observed with Glen Mhor, which sought compensation in 1922 from the Crown due to its involvement in the base's construction and loss of profits.
By 1924, Peterkin is recorded as residing at 54 Kenneth Street, just a short walk from the Temperance hotel.
The records concerning particular distilling positions related to the Excise appear to have been removed from the Burgh books after the war. Nevertheless, our logbook investigations reveal that by November 28th, 1923, G.W. Peterkin was stationed at Glen Albyn and completing the book. Therefore, it stands to reason that when Glen Albyn resumed production, they would need an Exciseman on site once more, a position that G.W. Peterkin likely occupied.
Reflecting on the journeys of Gunn and Peterkin, Neil experienced a 14-year wait for his initial stationing, and it took him 16 years to secure one in Scotland. In contrast, Gilbert faced a longer wait of 20 to 23 years, contingent on when Glen Albyn resumed distilling, a detail I aim to verify later. This comparison highlights the lengthy process both men endured professionally to gain acceptance, develop their skills, and ultimately earn the opportunity to manage their own stationing.
John Birnie moved into Glen Albyn House around 1921 after acquiring the distillery. It’s probable that some renovations were necessary to get the distillery back into operation. Thus, the timeframe from late 1921 to early 1923 appears to be a sensible estimate and when a new Exciseman was required.
The Family
Thanks to We Relate, we have a glimpse above of Catherine at the age of 12, captured in a family portrait where she stands closest to her mother, Jessie, around 1890. I've scrubbed this up using A.I. tools for its debut here. Catherine was born on 20th October, 1878, in Sanday. She appears in the census reports of 1881, 1891, and 1901 for Orkney and Sanday, indicating her strong roots in this secluded area of Scotland.
Gilbert and Catherine welcomed two sons, the eldest being Gilbert Burgher Peterkin (the inclusion of her maiden name adds to the reliability of this connection), who was born in February 1907 in Inverness and passed away in 1985. This indicates a strong likelihood that Gilbert was assigned to the city by 1907, if not earlier, and if he had been stationed elsewhere in Scotland, it is possible that he and his wife relocated to Inverness to start their family.
This intriguing entry about his youngest son, Douglas Brock Peterkin, who served with the 11th Light Field Ambulance and was part of the team stationed at the Belsen Concentration Camp in 1945, from its liberation until its destruction, adds depth to our understanding. It reveals that Douglas was born in 1914 in Inverness to Gilbert William Peterkin and Catherine Burgher. At the time of Douglas's birth, Gilbert was 33 years old, indicating he was born around 1880-1881.
I am also reminded of the challenging circumstances Gilbert had to endure at Glen Mhor during the distillery's closure in World War II. Throughout that period, his son was among many fighting for freedom and confronting the grim realities of liberating the camp. As a parent, I can hardly fathom how that must have felt.
Could there be a resemblance to the individual in the 1939 staff photo of Glen Mhor, who I previously speculated could be G.W. Peterkin? I have employed A.I. to enhance the image further in order to advance that discussion, and I still believe there is a chance. The age and attire of this person indicate someone of significance, probably in an office role, and judging by their looks, they are of the appropriate age.
Length of Career
Given that we have a reasonable estimate for Gilbert's birth, it corresponds with our findings that he seemingly vanished from our research around 1947-1950, suggesting he would have been around 67-70 years old at that time.
In 1909, Customs & Excise implemented compulsory retirement at the age of 61, but this was adjusted during the First World War to allow retirement at 65, unless there were health, efficiency, economic, or public-interest concerns to force an early retirement.
By 1941, he would have been approximately 61 years old, which could have placed him at retirement age. However, the wartime relaxation of compulsory retirement is well documented. Additionally, parliamentary discussions highlighted that reaching 40 years of service was a significant milestone for pensions, and many officers faced mandatory retirement before achieving this goal, which caused understandable outrage.
For Gilbert, the war may have prolonged his tenure with the Excise, allowing for an extended period of service. Although there is no definitive evidence at this point, I would speculate that he retired closer to the early end of the 1947-1950 debate. By that time, the war had concluded, and veterans had returned to the UK, ready to pursue new job opportunities and careers.
Gilbert hopefully cherished some form of retirement alongside his wife, passing away on May 26, 1959, while Catherine followed on January 26, 1969.
Last thoughts
I have enjoyed the opportunity to compile and research this article about Gilbert. It feels long overdue, and it’s the least I can do for someone who dedicated himself so well to the distilleries. Thanks to his meticulous records, we gain a rare glimpse into the history of Glen Albyn and Glen Mhor, capturing the essence of changing times.
My hope is that this is merely the beginning of the puzzle. With the knowledge we’ve gained, I believe new details will surface, allowing our appreciation and understanding to deepen further.
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