James Pirie - "Extraordinary" Sheep-Stealing at Durris and Old Deer

Sheep-stealing is a crime that has not featured in this blog up until now, but I'm pleased to say that this can now be included with the audacious and sometimes farcical exploits of the agricultural labourer James Pirie. James didn't appear in court until October of 1876, although two reports of his rural misdemeanours appear in the Aberdeen Press and Journal of the 24th and 31st May that year, the first under the headline, "Sheep-Stealing in Kincardineshire":

"A somewhat extraordinary case of sheep-stealing, involving several features of a rather romantic nature is being investigated by the Kincardineshire police authorities. It seems that very early on Wednesday morning a farmer in the Durris district and one or two of his servants had been out in a field for the purpose of watching for the appearance of some dogs, which had on several previous nights done considerable damage to a flock of sheep belonging to the farmer, several lambs having been worried. It is stated that about three o'clock a man, whom they believed to be a poacher, was seen to enter the field in which the sheep were, and, as he was accompanied by a dog, the watching party immediately made in his direction. Thinking probably that he was being pursued by a party of gamekeepers, the intruder instantly turned and fled, closely followed by the farmer and his assistants. In his rapid career, the hunted sportsman bolted right over the dyke onto the public road, and, to his utter astonishment, found himself landed in the midst of a number of sheep. Before he recovered himself his pursuers came up and captured him. It was then discovered that two men were in charge of the sheep, which were six in number; and, on being questioned by the farmer, they could give no satisfactory explanation as to how they had come into possession of the animals, or where they were going with them".

Following investigations by the police, it became apparent that the sheep in question had been taken from Wardend Farm (about two miles south of Crathes, just off the Slug Road) and had subsequently fetched a good price at the King Street Auction Mart in Aberdeen. The flesher (or butcher) who purchased the animals had slaughtered them soon after, although the police were able to recover the heads and skins. James Pirie and his accomplice Alexander Philips were arrested "near the Queen's statue", which at that time stood on the corner of Union Street and St. Nicholas Street. They were then committed to the prison in Stonehaven "pending further investigation".

During these further investigations, it came to light that about a week prior to their rustling exploits at Durris, Pirie and Philips had stolen and sold a further eight sheep from the farm of Millhill near Old Deer. Judging from the report in the Aberdeen Press and Journal of 31st May 1876, this was evidently a well planned and brazen operation. The pair had caught a train from Aberdeen alighting at Auchnagatt where they coolly booked space for a number of animals in a livestock wagon for the return leg of the journey due to depart the following morning. They then made their way to Millhill Farm, stole the sheep and drove them back to Auchnagatt station where they were then loaded and taken to Aberdeen and sold at the King Street Auction Mart.

There was a delay in reporting this second crime as the farmer at Millhill took a number of days to realise that his animals were missing. Nonetheless, justice caught up with Pirie and Philips who were tried at the High Court in Inverness on 2nd October 1876. On the trial papers (held at the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh under the reference JC26/1876/53) Pirie is described as an "odd job man, formerly a shepherd", while Philips is noted as a "former shepherd to Mr. Biedie, Banks of Strichen". Although Pirie pleaded not guilty and Philips guilty, the evidence against them was overwhelming and after a short trial they were both sentenced to five years' imprisonment. Interestingly, one of the newspaper reports alludes to a motive for the crime, suggesting that Pirie and Phillips were intending to use the money raised from their crime to emigrate. 

Following his discharge from prison on the 5th October 1880, James Pirie's mugshot was pasted into the 'Register of Returned Convicts for Aberdeen' (see below) and his various details such as age, height, and colour of hair are noted alongside. These details also record that he was blind in his left eye, a feature which can just about be made out in the photograph. The entry reveals that after his release, Pirie lived at 28 Virginia Street, Aberdeen. This address was known as Prospect Court and was situated just off the south side of Virginia Street. In the 1881 census, which took place on the 3rd April, there are five separate households listed as living at Prospect Court a number of the residents being either mill workers or coopers. James, however, is listed as living alone, his occupation being that of an agricultural labourer. He remains at that address until June of 1881 when he moves to the address of Forbes Court situated just off Back Wynd. He lives there until at least October of 1881, at which point he no longer has to report to the police and no further entries are given.