Amram and Jochabed

It was a grey stormy day and the Excise men were known to be on their way to Plymouth. Amram watched their boat sail round the headland before beginning the task of rolling smuggled barrels out of the farmhouse door and down to his boat. His sister Jochabed carried arms full of silks, tea and tobacco, all was to be loaded and taken to Looe. At last the boat was full and they set off rowing across the bay. It wasn’t far to Looe but half way across, out of the corner of his eye, Amram saw what looked to be another Excise boat approaching the island from Fowey. It was heading straight for Looe and if it didn’t catch up with them on the way it would surely reach Looe just as Amram fixed his boat up at West Looe and he would require a crowd to help him empty the load. 

There was nothing for it, with a heavy heart, Amram began heaving the contraband goods into the sea. Perhaps he would retrieve them when the tide was low, most likely he wouldn’t. He continued on to Looe and took himself for a sorry pint in the Jolly Sailor. Amram told whoever would listen of his lost load.

‘Every time I try to take my contraband goods across to Looe from the Island, the Excise men are there waiting. I’ve lost a good load today but I’ve a lot more to shift off the Island before I go to sea to fetch any more.’

The landlady, who had been listening intently, took him aside.

‘You have been using my pub to store smuggled goods for some time now and I trust you enough to let you into my greatest secret.’

‘You do?’

‘From this pub runs a secret passage all the way to Looe Island. Keep me in the finest silks and my pub in the very best brandy and you can use it whenever you like.’

Amram was soon on his way, rowing back to Looe Island to tell Jochabed of his fantastic discovery. The Jolly Sailor’s landlady had told him where to find the entrance to the tunnel from the island and that very night the brother and sister set out on their first of many trips carrying the contraband along the damp tunnel from the Island to the Jolly Sailor Inn with no fear of the Excise men ever catching sight of them.