SMUGGLERS' BATTLES PART 4 - Brandy for the Parson, 1771 to 1779.

SMUGGLERS' BATTLES PART 4

Brandy for the Parson, 1771 to 1779.

A history of the skirmishes seen across Britain during the "golden age" of smuggling, gleaned from newspaper accounts from the time it shows how far both side would go to gain success.

March 1771;

    A few days ago a Customs House cutter from Dover fell in with a smuggling vessel which she ordered two of her men immediately to board, but the smuggler insisted they should not and on their attempt to board were knocked overboard. The Captain of the cutter then left them for a time.

Dover Castle.

    On observing another cutter from Dover they joined company and came up with the smuggler just as they were going to land near Folkstone. They demanded their goods which was refused and the cutters were pelted with stones &c and otherwise very roughly used, upon which an officer on board took up a blunderbuss and told them if they did not surrender that he would instantly fire, which he very soon did.

    Several of them are wounded, one of them is since dead, another taken and carried to Dover Castle, the officers also made a seizure of  150 tubs of brandy.

    

January 1772;

    Brentwood Jan 5. Last week Mr Harvey, supervisor of excise at Brentwood, received information that a party of smugglers being on the road from Billericay towards Brentwood, with several horse loads of tea and other smuggled goods. 

    He immediately applied to one Sergeant Lightfoot of the 34th Regiment of Foot, now on a recruiting party and quartered at Brentwood, to assist him in making a seizure of the same, who, together with three new recruits, the supervisor and three other excise officers, armed with pistols &c, went on horseback between twelve and one in the morning towards Billericay to meet them. 

    And at three quarters of a mile, the turnpike leading towards Harton met about 10 horses loaded as many men well armed to attend them. They impudently without considering the inequality of number, fell on the smugglers sword in hand, but were soon forced to give way, being overpowered, the supervisor, sergeant and recruits behaved with courage and resolution and had the others done the same, there doubtful would have been much mischief done, if not murder, on both sides. 

    The supervisor presented a pistol at one of the smugglers, who in a sneering manner told him to put it up as he would certainly come off the worst of it if he went to that work, but before he could reply to this he was knocked down. The smugglers proceeded on their journey towards London, went through Brentwood in triumph about two and were seen to go through Ilford about four. 

    One of the smugglers received a violent cut with a sword on the side of his head, which almost took off his cheek, the sergeant received six wounds to his head, one of which will prove mortal. The supervisor is dangerously wounded and his recovery is doubtful and one of the recruits is likely to lose his arm. 

October 1773;

Langstone Harbour.

    Sunday morning about two o'clock the noter Squire, master of a smuggling vessel, was met in his boat, laden with about two tons of tea in oil skin bags, at the mouth of Langstone Harbour by the watch boat at Hayling Island.

    The two officers in the watch boat endeavoured, but in vain, to make a seizure of the goods. They, however, did not leave the smuggling boat until they had received several blows from the smugglers who threatened to murder them and several times knocked them down with oars and bludgeons, by which one of them received a violent contusion on the head.

    Smuggler Squire is since apprehended and his cutter is now under seizure at Portsmouth.

A poem from July 1774 on the dangers of chasing smugglers.

"But with your patience not to make too free, we change the subject and the simile

To chase a smuggling vessel full in sight, we've launched a three decked cutter and this night,

With your assistance, we we will make the foe sink or submit to CAPTAIN TIMBER TOE,

But you, ye critics, fall not foul of me, if once I sink, I founder in the sea,

In this condition can I swim to shore, I'm cork 'tis true (pointing at his artificial leg) but then I want an oar,

Besides 'tis dangerous, I find, to sleep, myself and ship in brine twelve fathoms deep, my chin I'd rather above water keep,

Oft you have saved my little Bark from sinking, I am no fish, keep me from water drinking".

November 1774;

    A letter from Sussex says "We hear from Lewes that during the election for that town a party of smugglers were brought into that place by the Dragoons quartered on the coast, after a sharp engagement in which two Dragoons and four smugglers were killed".

December 1774;

    Lewes, Dec 12. A few days ago a Dragoon on his way from Arundel to Chichester came up with and attacked a party of smugglers with contraband goods. They immediately seized him and bound his left hand to his right foot and threw him into a hedge and left him to unbind himself, which with much difficulty he effected.

    He proceeded on his journey but had not gone far before he met another party, who on his attacking them treated him in a like manner with the former.

May 1775;

Fulham Bridge.

    On Saturday evening between eleven and twelve a gang of smugglers, coming over Fulham bridge, was intercepted by some customs house officers, when a desperate fray ensued, by which the officers got the better and seized a considerable quantity of goods, which they brought to town yesterday morning. 

July 1775;

    York July 25. On Wednesday se’nnight the officers of Whitby, having information of contraband goods being landed on the southward of Whitby, armed their boat and went in search of them, which they found and took to the amount of 39 half-anchors of Geneva. 

    In returning they espied a lugger, with two boats astern, making all the sail she could towards them and fearing least it should prove the cutter that wanted to retake the prize, they unanimously agreed to put into Saltwick. 

    But just as they had got their prize landed, they saw one of the lugger’s boats coming in, which discharged a musket or two at them. This directly put the captain of the customs house boat and all his men (save one) to flight, leaving the prize and the man to the mercy of the enemy. 

    But luckily, the supposed enemy proved no more than one of the boats from the King’s cutter, who in the offing had taken them for smugglers. This brought the officers back to the man guarding the prize. 

A case of friendly fire!!

May 1776;

    Yesterday, in consequence of an information being given to some revenue officers of a quantity of smuggled tea being lodged in a public house in Oxford Street, they went there and made a seizure of 12 bags, which they put in a hackney coach, in order to convey it to the customs house. 

The St. Giles Rookery.

     But the alarm being given to a most notorious gang of smugglers, who reside in the neighbourhood of St. Giles, they went out armed with pistols, cutlasses &c and stopped the coach in St. Giles, took out the tea, broke the coach to pieces and wounded the officers in a most terrible manner. 

    One of whom had one of his ears cut off and another his face cut with a hanger. One of the gang was taken and carried before the magistrates at the office in Litchfield Street, who committed him to Newgate and a diligent search is making after the rest of them. 

May 1776;

    Yesterday morning Benjamin Harley and Thomas Henman were executed at Tyburn pursuant to their sentence for the murder of Joseph Pierson, a Customs House Officer at Deptford. Their bodies were afterwards carried to Surgeons Hall for dissection.

    It was yesterday confidently asserted that Gipsey George, one of the smugglers, concerned with the above Harley and Henman, was taken by one of the Kings cutters as he was going in a smuggling wherry to Dunkirk.

July 1776;

    York, July 23. Wednesday John Spink, the Riding Officer (who was with the soldiers when the murder was committed by the smugglers at Runswick) went in a small boat, or coble, with Sergeant Barber of the 1st Regiment of Dragoon Guards only and seized a smuggling vessel 20 tons burthen with 40 half anchors of foreign geneva, a league from shore.

April 1777;

    A letter from Canterbury dated 5th April says, 

    " Last week one of the Excise cutters was in pursuit of a smuggling boat and drove her ashore near Boulogne. The master of the cutter ordered six men into the boat to seize the smuggling vessel but the smugglers resisted, the French people on the coast came down and seized the six men belonging to the cutter and confined them in a dungeon at Boulogne.

    The next day they were removed to a more comfortable part of the gaol and an express was sent up to Paris with a state of the facts and the men lay confined waiting the determination of the court.

    A state of the facts by an inhabitant of Bologne, as also another copy signed by the six confined men has been sent over and forwarded to London.

    One of the smugglers received a deep wound in the back by one the cutter's people with an axe. It is said the smugglers being so near on the French coast were not liable to be seized and that the cutter's people were to blame".

June 1777;

    Extract of a letter from John Haven, near Aberdeen, dated 7th of June.

    “Last night a smuggling cutter came in close to the harbour and delivered several boats loaded with gin, in the very face of the King’s officers, so impudent were they, that they left only four men ashore to load the anchors into the cart, while they returned with the boats to the vessel side. 

    The tide-waiters, no longer able to brook the bare faced manner of their proceedings, collected what small assistance they could, which you may imagine in this part of the world was very difficult, and attacked the smugglers. 

    A desperate engagement ensued, in less than 10 minutes they had killed 6 poor people and wounded many more, so that the officers thought proper to decamp and leave them in quiet possession. The desperate villains, however, not satisfied with the blood already spilt, closely pursued them and murdered several in their flight. 

    It is impossible to describe the confusion and terror they spread, in spite of every endeavour made use of by the gentlemen in the town, they set fire to the principal exciseman’s house and burnt it to the ground and after many other abuses were hardly prevailed on to retire to their vessel. 

January 1778;

    On Christmas day, in the morning, a body of smugglers were riding without any loading, by Applesham, near Chichester, they were accosted by Mr W---n, excise officer, of that city, after some altercation with them, shot one of their horses dead on the spot. 

    This treatment so exasperated the smugglers, that they instantly fell on him with their horse whips and had they not been surprised by a party of dragoons (11 in number) who were in ambuscade, it is thought the consequences must have been fatal for the officer. 

    The soldiers, after a stout resistance, being overpowered by numbers, were totally routed and pressed so hard by their enemy in their flight, that several of them were drove into a deep ditch, in which situation their pursuers left them, hinting, that they might form there a faint idea of the sufferings of their devoted brethren in America. 

May 1778;

    They write from Dover that on Friday was brought in there a very large smuggling cutter with several swivel guns and small arms on board. This cutter several days before at about eleven at night fell in with a Customs House boat, the smugglers at that time, having about three tons of tea in their small boat going from the cutter to shore, where a gang waited for the goods.

    The Customs House officers perceiving the boat made after it, on which the smugglers from the cutter fired on the officers, as did the land smugglers from the shore. One of the officers got in and seized the tea, but the smugglers knocked him down and beat the other officers very much with their oars &c.

    Having thus driven them off they landed the tea, but one of the tenders cutters from Dover came up and joining the Customs boat they all went together, seized the smuggling cutter and brought her, with the master, to Paver Pier, where she now lies, the master being in close confinement with a constant guard kept over him.

June 1778;

Fleet Street.

    Saturday evening three riding officers, belonging to the customs, meeting a man said to be a smuggler, near Epsom, endeavoured to stop him, when the latter made the best of his way to town. The officers pursued him and during the pursuit several shots were exchanged. 

    At length arriving in Fetter Lane, Fleet Street, about ten o’clock, another skirmish ensued, when one of the officers, who had received several wounds, shot the smuggler in the body, who was immediately carried to an inn in Holborn, where he lies without hopes of recovery. The officer was soon after taken to prison, where he continues very ill of his wounds.

November 1778;

    Thursday last a very large seizure of smuggled goods was brought in here (Southampton), it was guarded to our Customs House by a party of the Lincolnshire Militia.

    This seizure was made by Mr Brice, assisted by the above party, who were obstinately opposed by the smugglers and in the affray two soldiers were wounded and one Mr Barnes of Christchurch , the owner of the goods, was killed.

    The seizure consists of 14,000lb of tea, 2oo kegs of brandy, 33 horses with wagons and carts and is valued at 4000l. Fifty two horses mostly laden with tea escaped.

December 1778;

    On Monday night last was brought into Margate, by Captain Watson of Dover, a new smuggling cutter of 200 tons burthen, supposed to be the largest in England, laden with upwards of 600 casks of liquors and a ton and a half of tea.

    Captain Watson would not have been able to take the above smuggler had she not lost her mast by carrying too much sail in order to effect her escape.

June 1779;

The Pack Horse, Midford.

    On Saturday last Mr Hayden, supervisor of this city (Bath), being informed that a large quantity of tea was concealed in a barn at the Pack Horse on Midford Hill, he with three of his officers made a seizure of the same.

    An alarm being immediately given the smugglers attacked the officers with pistols, blunderbusses and bludgeons, when after a combat of half an hour the smugglers over powered them. They immediately loaded their horses and proceeded in triumph through Wellow, Combe Hay and as supposed by way of Odd Down to Bath.

    The supervisor and one of the officers are very dangerously wounded.

September 1779;

    We hear from Filey Bay and Flamborough Head, that the fishermen of those places have formed into companies, for the defence of that part of the coast, having no troops nearer than Hull and Scarborough and style themselves the Royal Fishing Volunteers.

    There cannot be stronger proof of the invincibility of this little island, than what has been produced by the bravado of our enemies against Plymouth. In one day no less than 1300 men turned out from only three parishes, under the conduct of Mr Bastard, a respectable gentleman in the neighbourhood, whose zeal and activity on this occasion deserve great praise. 

    Two hundred smugglers also presented themselves and though the compulsion of the press could never drive them into service, yet, at the first intimation of their country’s danger, they resigned themselves voluntarily and are now being trained by the Royal Scotch.

This shows how real the threat of a French invasion was, no doubt the smugglers put their training to some use in quieter times. 

Deal, a hotbed of smuggling activity.

December 1779;

    William Pringle and Richard Flowers, two officers belonging to the Assistance cutter in the service of His Majesties Customs at Dover, endeavoured to make a seizure of a large Deal boat laden with uncustomed goods which was laying on shore near the north end of Deal.

    In the execution of their duty they were assaulted, resisted and opposed by a gang of smugglers who fired upon and very dangerously wounded the said officers to the great danger of their lives.

SMUGGLERS' BATTLES PART 3 - Watch the wall my darling. 1750 to 1769.

SMUGGLERS' BATTLES PART 3.

Watch the wall my darling. 1750 to 1769.

 A history of the skirmishes seen across Britain during the "golden age" of smuggling, gleaned from newspaper accounts from the time - it shows how far both side would go to gain success.

    After the break up of the Hawkhurst gang the south coast was awash with military personnel, every town and city had soldiers and dragoons quartered close at hand and the navy was constantly patrolling the coast. Hundreds of outlawed smugglers were taken at this time, the newspapers are full of  people being imprisoned, transported and executed, but the trade carried on.

February 1750;

    We learn from several parts of Suffolk that the smugglers on that coast are becoming so daring and formidable, notwithstanding the security afforded by the soldiers quartered in those parts, associate themselves in large gangs and act in the double capacity of housebreaking and smuggling.

    A body of these people the other day entered the house of a gentleman at Diss in Suffolk who was preparing for an evening of entertainment and company that was to sup with him. Being armed with sledgehammers &c they bound the gentleman and his servants, the keys to several rooms were immediately offered but they had no need of them and fell to breaking the doors with the hammers and spitefully destroyed all the china and glass in the house.

    They then rifled the gentleman's desk of 400l in money and to complete their villainy they then hung the gentleman up till he was almost dead, but one of them had so much compassion as to cut him down and thereby happily saved his life.

February 1750;

    Early this morning three prisoners said to be smugglers found means to escape out of Newgate. By sawing or breaking the double braced iron bars of the second window over the gateway facing St. Sepulchre's and by the conveniency of ropes let themselves down from thence and have not since been heard of.

June 1750;

    One Blew, a noted smuggler, was removed from Chelmsford Gaol to Chichester to stand trial for the murder of Michael Bath, a Dragoon in Lord Mark Kerr's Regiment on the 14th of February 1743. (Blew was actually dying of smallpox and it was thought better for him to face a judicial end rather than a natural one). This was occasioned by the deceased opposing the smugglers who were forcing him on board a smuggling vessel in order to carry him and some other Dragoons to France. 

Chelmsford Gaol

    This punishment for the said Dragoons was for assisting a customs house officer in seizing a parcel of goods, the smugglers then raised a greater number and took back the goods and captured the Dragoons. The deceased refused to go, Blew cocked his piece, shot at him and the poor man died directly.

June 1750;

    On Thursday last a gang of smugglers was attacked within a few miles of Whitehaven in Sussex, by a party of Dragoons, in attempting to carry away some prohibited goods. Part of the booty was seized and three smugglers taken.

May 1751;

    Yesterday came advice that last Tuesday a smuggling cutter from Boulogne was run into Bulridge Gut, on the Sussex coast, by the Spence sloop of war and by the assistance of a party of the Scots Greys the smugglers were prevented from carrying their goods to shore, by which means she was made a prize.

    She had on board upwards of 1000 gallons of French claret besides tea and cambrick.

Scots Greys

June 1751;

    By letters yesterday from St. Edmundsbury in Suffolk, there is advice that Nesbit, alias Smock Face and Black James, two smugglers, are taken into custody by General Honeywood's Dragoons.

    Being charged with divers robberies and cruel outrages committed in different parts of that county, which have been so frequently advertised.

December 1751;

    We hear from the further part of Sussex that the smugglers there have lately committed several outrages and that a soldier in a marching regiment was shot in the back.

July 1752;

    Yesterday the eleven malefactors under sentence of death were executed at Tyburn, they all behaved with more decency and seeming concern than is usual when a number of felons are executed together.

    James Holt the smuggler behaved very penitently but did not seem convinced that his sentence was just or that smuggling merited death. Amongst his last words were "it's very hard to be hanged for smuggling".

February 1753;

    We hear from Rochester, that a customs house officer having receiv’d information that a quantity of run goods was conceal’d in a hearse that was travelling from Dover to London, insisted upon searching it, which no sooner attempted, but a bear which the coachman had taken in at Dover to bring to London, clapp’d his paw upon him and so terribly frighten’d him, that as soon as he was at liberty, he was glad to get away without prosecuting his intention.

June 1753;

    Dublin, early yesterday morning His Majesty's Officers at Wicklow had intelligence that a smuggling vessel was on that coast, upon which they went in a boat to make a seizure.

    But when they came near the smugglers threw stones at them, which made the officers fire, who killed a man and seized 127 anchors of brandy, tobacco, tea and coffee.

September 1754;

    They write from Cornwall that the smuggling trade flourishes in the north part of that country more than was ever known in the memory of man, insomuch that French spirituous liquors are so plentiful as to be drank muzzled with cyder instead of small beer.

November 1754;

    A gang of smugglers came lately into this town (Whitehaven) about eleven at night with several cart loads of run goods. They were so well armed that if our officers had known of their coming, they durst not have faced them.

    The officers catched a boat lately from the Isle of Man coming into the harbour with tea and brandy, seized her and the cargo. The Captain of the Customs House sloop the other day met with a larger one laden with brandy, rum, wine, tea and tobacco which was seized and taken to Cirkcudbright.

February 1755;

    By a letter from Marazion in Cornwall we are informed of a desperate skirmish, which happened on the 8th inst, between the officers of excise and customs and a gang of smugglers, wherein several were dangerously wounded on both sides, but that in the end the smugglers went off in triumph, enough to ring the chapel bell in their way thro’ Marazion, in the same manner as they did about a fortnight ago.

June 1758;

    Mr Armstrong Chief Mate of the Bridlington smack, in the absence of the commander, failed last week on a cruise against the smugglers. On the 3rd inst. at about two o'clock in the afternoon he fell in with a smuggling cutter upon the Yorkshire coast and chased her until around eight in the evening but with the weather being calm could not come up with her. He therefore manned the smack's boat and pursued.

    The cutter's people observing them getting closer threw overboard their half anchors of brandy and put their tea and coffee into their boat. As soon as Mr Armstrong came near they called and told him what they had done and they would not suffer him to board them but they would drop their boat astern with the tea and coffee for him to take. If he refused they would send him and his men to the bottom.

    As the smugglers took up glasses and drank damnation to him Mr Armstrong observed six swivel guns and men standing with matches in their hands to fire and so he thought it prudent to take the tea and coffee and look for the half anchors.

May 1759;

    Plymouth, this day was re seized by Harry Gibbs, Surveyor General of His Majesty's Customs, and landed at the Customs House quay from the Isis man of war 140 anchors of brandy, 17 bags of tea and 200 Wt of tobacco.

    Captain Wheler had taken the goods from three smuggling boats off the Lizard. The smugglers declared they were going to land on the coast of Cornwall and that they came out of Guernsey in company with seven boats, one brig, one schooner and a sloop, all intended for the said coast.

    The total of their cargo did not amount to less than 2000 anchors of brandy and about 25 tons of tea.

July 1761;

    The smugglers continue their old practices, notwithstanding the war, of running goods, but happily for the Officers of the Customs they do not often appear with fire arms.

    Thursday morning last a large quantity of smuggled goods were seized on the sea beach near Chichester by George Pierce, Commander of the King cutter that is stationed on this coast, it consisted of 3500lb of tea and 40 tubs of brandy.

December 1762;

    On Wednesday the 1st September last at about eight o'clock at night a most violent outrage was committed on the person of Joseph Manuel of Ilford in the parish of Christchurch in the county of Southampton.

Ye Olde George, Christchurch, a smugglers haunt

    A gang of smugglers consisting of eight persons forced open the door of the house of William Manuel and violently seized his son Joseph, they said they were King's men (press gang) and dragged him by force out of the house. They carried him across the heath to the sea shore towards Poole and forced him down to Bournemouth to a lonely house there called the Decoy Pond House, notoriously frequented by smugglers, where after he had been some little time confined, he was put into a boat.

    He was then thrown into the sea and then carried on board a smuggling cutter called the Ranger privateer of Guernsey, Thomas Donna's commander and well known amongst the smugglers by the name of the Dorcas cutter. Soon they were under sail and put to sea.

    In their passage to Alderney and after their arrival there the said Joseph Manuel was treated with great cruelty and would probably have been murdered if some of the crew relenting had not interposed. Then the said Joseph was compelled to fire off (with intent as it is supposed to destroy him) an overcharged blunderbus, which burst and tore off his left thumb, but having been left in this condition he found means to escape and thence return home.

July 1763;

    At Hawkhurst in Kent there has been a battle between the smugglers and soldiers &c, the smugglers had 17 horses loaded with tea and brandy, which the officers, with the assistance of the soldiers, went to seize in the night, upon which a terrible battle ensued. 

    The smugglers had no fire arms but with their bludgeons and whips (which are loaded in the handles), beat the officers and soldiers and carried off their goods in triumph. Several of the soldier’s hats, with some of their firelocks broken in the battle, were found in the road next morning. 

May 1764;

    They write from Greenock that one of His Majesty's cruising cutters had discovered a suspicious vessel making for the Isle of Man and gave chase. The crew of the smuggling vessel then ran the sloop on shore.

    When the officer of the cutter landed also in order to claim his prize he was given to understand that as the Master of the sloop claimed protection of the Island (which is without jurisdiction of the Government) he must desist from his attempt especially as he was not taken by him at sea.

    Soon after the whole cargo was safely landed by the assistance of the Islanders, who on this occasion, resorted to the sea shore in very great numbers.

December 1764;

    Yesterday arrived His Majesty's armed cutter the Laurel and has brought in a smuggling lugger with 150 anchors of brandy and 15 bags of tea. She was met with soon after she came out of Guernsey and the master of the Laurel was dispatched in a boat to examine her.

    On his boarding her he was most violently assaulted and beaten, his boats crew were thrown overboard by the smugglers and it was no small difficulty their lives were preserved with the assistance of another boat from the Anson cutter.

Weymouth harbour in the 18th century

    They were however over powered  and three of the principal offenders secured, but they have since made their escape at Weymouth, the port the said vessel was obliged to take shelter in the late storm.

April 1765;

    Last Sunday night a scuffle happened at the Sand Banks near Poole betwixt thirty smugglers who were conveying a large quantity of tea just landed and about fifteen crew of a cutter stationed there to watch their motions.

    One of the smugglers whose name is Trossiman was killed on the spot and there is reason to believe several of them were wounded. Nine of their horses were killed and about 20cwt of tea taken.

    On the side of the cutter one man was shot through the leg, a midshipman wounded in his head and otherwise much bruised. The purser was beat in such a manner as to be left for dead and was thrown within the surf of the sea to be carried off by it, but luckily he recovered.

May 1766;

    On Thursday last one of His Majesty's cutters commanded by Captain Hackett of Shoreham, took a large smuggling vessel off Brighthelmstone in Sussex and brought her into that place, her cargo consisted of 40 half anchors of brandy.

    On which 28 smugglers came down with 30 horses and immediately attacked the crew of the King's cutter, obliging them to go on board and quit their prize. The smugglers loaded it onto their horses and carried it off, the above affair was transacted at noon day.

February 1768;

    Yarmouth Feb 18. About 12 at night on the 13 inst, Mr Peter Haslip, the excise surveyor, with five of his boatmen, being at sea, fell in and took a cutter boat with seven men, the cargo 160 half anchors and 70 lb of tea. 

Great Yarmouth Customs House, built 1720.

    The men requesting to be set ashore, the surveyor sent his own boat, with two of his men, to land them. They no sooner came to shore, a little south of Haven, than 40 or 50 horse and footmen, armed, seized the boat and secured the two men, demanding strictly if they knew the face of anyone there. Then mounted the boat with 17 of the gang, went back to sea, retook the boat and cargo, cruelly beating the four men on board, till some of their brains gushed out. 

    Mr Haslip, a decent and well behaved officer, died of his wounds next day in great agony and Jenkins, a boatman, is since dead of the wounds he received. They then run the goods unmolested, one of the gang fell overboard and was lost at sea.

October 1768;

    Captain William Cumming, commander of His Majesty's cutter the Lord Howe stationed at Milford had information of three smuggling cutters on his station, one mounting 8 carriage guns, a number of swivels and carrying 30 men, the other two mounting 4 guns and a number of swivels with 18 men, all Irish living in France.

    They had killed several customs officers in Ireland last year, so he wanted to go in pursuit of them, having heard they were seen near Studwall Roads. He arrived around sunset and found two of them at anchor, Capt Cumming instantly run his ship close along side of the largest vessel determined to board her, but before he could hale her she haled him and asked where he came from and to keep off or they would sink them.

    They soon saw she was a King's cutter and immediately the small cutter fired into the Lord Howe, which was instantly followed by another. The Lord Howe then fired a broadside of both his large and small arms which was abruptly returned on the other side and they all concentrated their fire very smart for a long time with the small cutter continually attempting to board the Lord Howe on the side she was not engaged on by the other cutter.

Boarding ships, a bloody business.

    The Lord Howe beat them off every time at great loss, with the wind dying all three vessels lay close to one another engaging as brisk as possible, at last the Lord Howe laid the largest cutter on her side, her firing ceased and all judged her to be sinking, but in a few minutes she recovered her action and was as vigorous as ever.

    As a breeze sprung up they endeavoured to get off but being disabled in making much sail the Lord Howe kept up with them each continuing to fire until the wind freshened and the smugglers set more sail and the action ended in a running fight. At last by good sailing the smugglers got off, the engagement lasted for four hours.

January 1769;

    A gentleman in the west end of London declared openly in a coffee house that smuggling was come to such a pitch with numbers of men (who call it a legal trade) that fifty horse loads of tea was brought into London one night last week and that ten horse loads came in all together last Monday night.

    There have been upwards of sixty horse loads brought into town every week for five weeks past by twenty and thirty men in a gang. Is it not most surprising that some method is not taken to suppress these audacious smugglers, who are become a great terror to some officers in defence of the law.

September 1769;

    The gang of smugglers that is settles near Rush (Ireland), about 11 miles from this city, upon the sea coast, seems to have grown more desperate since the taking of Patrick Cutter, a party of them having landed a large quantity of brandy and tea near Skerries, a few night ago, were attacked by some of the King’s officers, but after an obstinate dispute the latter were obliged to retire, having three of their number desperately wounded. 

    One Conner, a principle among the smugglers, is supposed to be killed as he received several slugs from a blunderbuss in his breast and was carried on board his barge by his companions covered in wounds.

September 1769;

    On Thursday night last four customs house officers being on the river in their galley, keeping a good look out, espied a boat going from Prince’s Stairs, Rotherhithe, across the river to Execution Dock, which they immediately boarded and found it full of valuables and china ware, in their endeavouring to make a seizure, they were immediately attacked by another boat with 7 Irishmen on board, armed with bludgeons and cutlasses. 

Execution Dock, Wapping.

    The officers, who unfortunately having but one cutlass, which in the confusion they could not find, were soon overpowered by the Irishmen. One of the officers they threw overboard and hanging by his hands at the side of the boat, they barbarously chopped his fingers entirely off, another officer sheltered himself under the seat of the vessel, the remainder two being cruelly and grievously wounded, begged for their lives, which these barbarians refused and declared they would cut them to pieces and were inhumanly hacked away, when providently another customs galley, who had taken up the officer that was swimming in the river, came immediately to their assistance. 

    On which the Irishmen rowed away with great precipitation and were pursued by the last customs house boat to Execution Dock, where the Irish landed and instantly gave their usual howl, which brought down 16 of their friends, who made the officers retreat to their boat, where they found one of the men taken into custody, by the assistance of the crew of a collier. 

SMUGGLERS' BATTLES PART 2 - The Gentlemen of Hawkhurst. 1741 to 1749.

SMUGGLERS' BATTLES PART 2.

The Gentlemen of Hawkhurst. 1741 to 1749

 A history of the skirmishes seen across Britain during the "golden age" of smuggling, gleaned from newspaper accounts from the time - it shows how far both side would go to gain success.


January 1741;

    Cranbrook, Friday 26th December, Thomas Carswell and William Grey, riding officers of the customs, belonging to the port of Rye in Sussex, upon their duty, with the assistance of another man and four dragoons, seized in a barn in the parish of Salehurst upwards of eighty bags, containing about 2000 weight of tea. 

    As they were carrying the same in a waggon to the customs house at Hastings, were attacked at a place call’d Hurst Green in the said parish of Salehurst, by a resolute gang of about 40 men, armed with blunderbusses and other offensive weapons, who fired on the said officers and their assistants, shot the said Carswell off his horse dead, wounded two of the dragoons and rescued and carried away the said tea. 

    It is said they are the same gang as fired upon the excise man and twenty dragoons on the 16th November last at that place, where one smuggler was killed and one shot thro’ his thigh, who we hear is since dead. (Possibly the first report of the notorious Hawkhurst gang)

The Oak & Ivy, Hawkhurst, the gangs first HQ.

February 1741;

    Whereas on Tuesday the 16th December last at about nine o’clock in the evening, John Darby and Freebody Dray, riding officers of the customs, were assaulted in the execution of their duties, at Brooks near Lydd in Kent. 

    About twelve smugglers on horseback, unknown, armed with clubs, who had oyl-skin bags of tea under them, and eight drove horses laden likewise with tea, some of which were actually seized by the said officers. But the smugglers immediately assaulted them with their clubs and the said Darby, after several strokes, was knock’d off his horse and Dray was much beat and bruised and the tea that had been seized, forcibly rescued and the whole quantity carried off by the smugglers. 

    And whereas on Thursday the 18th of the same month, about twelve o’clock at night, Francis Riggs and Richard Lake, riding officers of the customs at Week Wall, about a mile from said town of Lydd were assaulted in the execution of their duty by twelve smugglers on horseback, unknown, and armed with blunderbusses, pistols and cutlasses, who had bags of tea under them and about eight drove horses or led horses, likewise laden with tea. 

    And on, the said Riggs and Lake coming up, and telling them they were the Kings officers, the gang swore at and damn’d them, and instantly fired several blunderbusses and pistols at them and two dragoons they had to their assistance, when they were not above two rods distant, and riding in a body upon them at the same time, forced Riggs and his horse down a steep bank into a ditch of water, and fired at him in the ditch. 

    Seizing one of the dragoons horses by the bridle, disarm’d him and afterwards compell’d him to lead one of their loaded horses to Sandhurst, in the aforesaid county of Kent, being upwards of twenty miles from Lydd. Hawkhurst gang

January 1743;

    Last week one Chant, a customs house waterman, meeting two women at the turnpike near Deptford with about 20lb of smuggled tea, by virtue of a deputation made a seizure thereof, but had not got 30 yards from the place before he was pursued by three fellows and the two women, with whom, by the help of a long knife, he maintain’d a smart engagement and in defiance of them all he brought off his prize.

August 1743;

    Letters from Brighthelmstone in Sussex advise, that a party of Dragoons assisted by some Officers of the Customs attacked a gang of about eighty smugglers who had with them a great quantity of tea.

    But after a desperate engagement, wherein several were wounded on both sides and one of the Dragoons kill'd on the spot, the smugglers carried off their goods.

October 1743;

    Yesterday an information was given to some customs house officers that a large quantity of tea was conceal’d at a house in Kennington Lane in which were several smugglers to guard it. Accordingly a posse of about twenty of them assembled as the smugglers had threaten’d them with the loss of their heads if they came that way before Christmas, they took with them a file of musketeers. 

    When they came to the house the officers demanded entrance, which the smugglers absolutely refused telling them they should lay siege to it in form before they would surrender. 

    But after an attack of three hours they agreed a capitulation, which was, the officers should enter the house and search it provided they would pay the damage done to the same, which was accordingly complied with and after searching for a considerable time they found the information to be a cheat and were obliged to pay about 10 shillings damages and go off without their booty. 

January 1745;

    Yesterday Mr Bolton, one of the customs house officers that was seized by the smugglers a few days ago and carry’d to Hawkhurst in Kent, came safe to town, having had the good fortune to escape out of their hands. 

    But what they have done to the other two is at present unknown. Further to this event….Last Saturday Mr Jones, another of the officers who was seized by a gang of smugglers and carried to Hawkhurst, arrived in town, so that only Mr Floyd is missing, who was put aboard a cutter, in order to be sent to Bologne in France. 

As to the fate of Mr Floyd….We hear advice came yesterday to the customs house that the smugglers had drowned Mr Peter Floyd, one of the officers seized by them some time ago at Shoreham in Kent. Hawkhurst gang. 

February 1745;

    Last Thursday about one o’clock in the afternoon, six smugglers, well mounted and armed with blunderbusses, pistols &c, rode through the town of Lewes with their pistols drawn and cock’d and their blunderbusses in a posture fit for engagement, daring the whole town and bidding defiance to everybody, though there was a company of soldiers with their officers in town. 

    But to complete their impudence, they called for a bottle of wine at the White Horse Inn. The drawer not bringing it so soon as they would have it, one of them rode into the house and seeing a sergeants halbert, took it, and carried it away with them. 

    As they went thro’ the upper part of the town, they shot into the houses, and had like to have kill’d a Gentlewoman, the ball passing very near her, thus they went on driving all before them, none daring to molest them. Hawkhurst gang.

March 1745;

    We hear from Folkestone, that Mr John Jorden, a customs house officer there, having by his industry fallen under the displeasure of a gang of smugglers who use that coast. 

    On Thursday last in the afternoon they came in a large body, attack’d his house, destoy’d his goods and took what plate they could find. And one of the smugglers observing a man to look thro’ the glass, taking notice of their actions, he went into the room and endeavour’d to shoot him, but missing fire, the man took a pistol that was at hand and shot him dead. 

    They then made off, went to Hyde and joined the rest of their companions, who, one and all, agreed to rescue the body of their deceased friend and another of their companions who was in custody. But being on the road to Folkestone they were inform’d the townsmen were up in arms against them and had sent to Dover for a detachment of soldiers, they march’d off threatening vengeance. 

    They were all arm’d with a brace of pistols and a carbine, as the smuggler had that was kill’d, who had ruffles and was genteely dressed, a piece of plate and some letters belonging to Mr Jorden were found in his pocket. Hawkhurst gang. 

The Mermaid Inn, Rye, second HQ of the Hawkhurst Gang.

Further to this story, an arrest is made.... Last Friday John Barrett alias Brimstone Jack, an old smuggler, was committed to Folkestone Gaol in Kent, for being concerned with several other smugglers in forcibly entering the dwelling house of Mr Jorden, riding officer, destroying his goods and carrying off a silver pint mug, which was found upon him.

March 1745;

    Last Friday two vessels belonging to the Customs attack'd a smuggling cutter off Rye in Sussex for above an hour, wherein two of His Majesty's officers were very much wounded.
During the action the Eagle Snow privateer, Capt Beezely, luckily came to their assistance. The smugglers perceiving this got into their boat and made for shore, leaving the Eagle in possession of the cutter, wherein was 25 tons of tea.

April 1745;

    Advice to the Customs House, on Thursday last a party of smugglers sixteen in number, were taken at Hawkhurst Kent, by officers of the Customs assisted by a party of Wade's Horse.

June 1745;

    We hear that last Thursday night a desperate engagement between a party of soldiers and a gang of smugglers happen’d near Hythe, wherein 8 smugglers were killed and 18 taken prisoners and a boat and the cargo taken. A corporal and two soldiers were also killed, as it is reported. 

Further to this story….The report about the soldiers and smugglers mentioned in our last is not true, tho’ it was confidentially revealed by a soldier who came to this city, declaring to several persons that he was in the fight and pretended to give particulars. Could this by the army falsifying reports to make up for their lack of success in combating the Hawkhurst gang? We shall probably never know.

September 1745;

    On Wednesday night some Officers of His Majesty's Customs at East Grinstead seized a large quantity of tea, the smugglers to whom it belonged having information thereof got together and attacked the officers.

    We hear that one of the smugglers was killed on the spot and the others retired, the tea &c was the next day conducted to the customs house under a strong guard.

September 1745;

    Last Tuesday was committed to Horsham Gaol, in Sussex, James Roe and William Winter alias Black Sam, two notorious smugglers.

    They were taken the day before by Mr Smith, riding officer, assisted by a party of soldiers after some resistance.

January 1746;

    Some time since the Two Batchelors of Dartmouth, laden with wines from Oporto, for some merchants in London, was forced upon the shore near this place (Brighthelmstone near Brighton), by a violent storm, when the great part of the cargo was plundered and carried off by the wreckers of this coast. 

    But by the diligence of Mr John Kempe, agent to the Lord of the manor, there were saved and secured about 30 pipes of wine and put under the King’s locks, into a strong warehouse and two watchmen constantly employed to guard it. But about eleven o’clock last night there came above 100 arm’d smugglers, with half anchors, and having seized the watchmen they broke open the King’s locks and began to fill their casks. 

    When Mr Kempe and the inhabitants, alarm’d at the noise, arose and endeavour’d to drive off the smugglers, but they were soon overpower’d and taken prisoners and Mr Kempe very much wounded. And notwithstanding there were so many witnesses of their villainous outrages, they continued here several hours, filled their casks and carried them off in triumph towards Eastbourne and Hastings, declaring they would come again on Monday for the remainder and feared no opposition &c. 

Further to this event…On Thursday last week an attempt was made at a warehouse near Eastbourne in Sussex, where a great quantity of wine is lodged belonging to some merchants in London, which was saved from a ship lately stranded on that coast, to carry the wine off. 

    But the design being discovered by one of the watch appointed to guard the warehouse, the villains who made the attempt cut the poor fellows throat and afterwards hanged him up near the place. It is said to be done by the smugglers, for the Tuesday before some of the gang carried off Mess. Newton and Waller, two customs house officers of Brighthelmstone and the same day shot and wounded several of the militia, under the command of Col. Spence, near Lewes. They are very numerous and now daily exercise themselves in the regular military manner. Hawkhurst gang.

April 1746;

    Whereas on Sunday the 30th March last, about ten o’clock in the evening, six smugglers on horseback, arm’d came to the house where John Polhill, a riding officer of the customs, inhabitants, at Lydd in Kent, and finding he was in bed, broke down a window and one of the smugglers got into the house with a pistol cock’d in his hand and swore if the said Polhill did not come down the stairs that moment he would shoot him in his bed. 

    The said Polhill finding the house surrounded went down the stairs and immediately four of the smugglers seized him and clapp’d a pistol to his head and swore they would kill him and then dragg’d him out of the house. The other two, that were on their horses knock’d him down and beat and abused him in a barbarous manner, insomuch that his arms, hands, shoulders and other parts of his body are exceedingly bruised and he is thereby render’d incapable of dressing himself or doing any duty. 

    Whereas on Saturday the 5th of this instant April, as Joseph Montgomery, sergeant, and William Ross, private soldier, belonging to a party of Lord John Murray’s Regiment of Highlanders, quarter’d at Rye in Sussex, were coming to London by leave of their commanding officer, upon their arrival at Hawkhurst in Kent, about 15 miles distant from Rye. 

    They were billeted at an Inn kept by John Hider, and soon after their arrival there, they were assaulted by upwards of twenty persons, whom the said Montgomery and Ross apprehend were smugglers, being arm’d with blunderbusses and pistols, who took from them their broadswords, durks and pistols, with the money they had about them, cutting them and abusing them so much, that it is doubtful that William Ross will not die of his wounds he reciev’d from the said persons. Hawkhurst gang. 

May 1747;

Extract from a letter from Goudhurst, April 1747.

    "Permit me to inform you that the country hereabouts has been long under the cruel and arbitrary dominion of smugglers, who had so far intimidated all sorts of people, that no one durst whisper any dislike of their proceedings. 

    They took prisoners and whipped in a most inhuman manner several innocent people. They robb’d and destroy’d the effects of others without restraint. They had lately taken upon them to insult the inhabitants of this little town, when lo! a spirit of bravery and resolution appear’d in certain young men, who took up arms to defend themselves and friends from those ruffians. 

    This resolution was disagreeable to the smugglers, as it tended to weaken their power they had assum’d of awing the country. They thought it necessary to nip this bravery in the bud and gave out that they would come in a body and reduce the town to ashes. They came accordingly, arm’d to the neck with carbines, blunderbusses and all the terrible weapons they could think of and stripped to their shirts, with handkerchiefs about their heads, as is usual when they go upon their inhuman exploits. 

Site of the battle of Goudhurst

    In this manner they made the most sudden and furious attack upon the house where about 14 of the young associators were assembled (they having just had notice of their approach), they fir’d a volley of shot into and through the house, which, to the immortal honour of the defendants, was return’d with so much coolness and intrepidity, that they laid two of the most resolute dead at their feet, upon which the rest thought proper to withdraw. 

    With proper countenance and assistance from the government this spirit of resistance may be cherish’d and encourag’d to the utter extirpation of those pestilent fellows, the smugglers, who now have taken up the trade of robbing everyone. “General” William Sturt’s Goudhurst band of Militia fought a diminished Hawkhurst gang, many of the key members had been taken and choked out their last at Tyburn. This band were led by Thomas and George Kingsmill, one of them (George) was killed the other being Barnard Woollet, the gang had lost face but they were still a force to be reckoned with, by July a Regiment of Foot were stationed at Goudhurst.

May 1747;

    Yesterday Pollard, the noted smuggler of Hawkhurst, for the taking of whom a reward of 500l was offered, was brought from Dartford, under strong guard to the customs house, where he was examined and ordered into close custody.

    He was taken asleep last Friday in an out house near Rye by two Dragoons and a third person. He was twice before taken and rescued.

    Yesterday morning early the guards had intelligence that upwards of 50 smugglers were assembled near Blackheath in order for a third rescue, on which they crossed the water and thereby prevented the designed rescue. Last night he was committed to Newgate.

September 1747;

    Fuller, head of the Hawkhurst Gang, a noted smuggler, for the taking of whom a reward of 500l had been offered was committed to Newgate under a very strong guard. Fuller was hanged at Tyburn on the 16th November.

April 1748;

    On Saturday the 16th, about two o'clock in the morning, near thirty smugglers armed with blunderbusses and pistols came into the court yard of the House of the Collector of Customs at Colchester.

    Threatening Thomas Coker, his servant, with immediate death if he did not show them where his master lay and obliged the said Coker to show them where the King's Warehouse was. They broke it open with a large blacksmiths hammer and crow and took from thence sixty oil cafe bags containing 1514 pounds of tea.

May 1748;

    Timothy Harris, alias Tim Rough, alias Bludgeon Head, is taken at Hawkhurst by a party of Lord Cobham's Dragoons and committed to Horsham Gaol.

January 1749;

Letter from Chichester, January 15.

    “I thought it could not be disagreeable at this time to give a true detail of that wicked affair, the murders of Mr Galley and Mr Chater, therefore have sent you, at the general desire of my neighbours here, the following account, which you may depend on as genuine and which you may publish, if you think proper.

    His Majesty’s warehouse at Poole in Dorsetshire being broken open in February last, by a gang of armed smugglers, who took away between 1300 and 1400 lb of tea, a proclamation issued for apprehending them, accordingly one Diamond was apprehended and committed to our gaol. 

    Chater, who was a shoemaker by trade, and one concerned in taking away the tea, being apprehensive he should also be taken up, resolved to turn evidence and gave information to the late Mr Galley, a customs house officer, who agreed to go with him to one Major Batten, a justice of the peace near this place. 

    Accordingly they both set out, but having occasion to bait, called at a public house at Rollins Castle, which was kept by Elizabeth Pain, who has two sons, both reputed noted smugglers. After Galley and Chater had put up their horses, they sat down to drink, but dropping in their discourse something of their intentions, the two Pains went and fetch’d Jackson, Carter and Steel (the last is one of the King’s witnesses) and three more smugglers not yet taken, who forced Galley and Chater away with them, setting one of the gang behind Galley, who held him on his horse by means of a cord tied over Galley’s breast. 

    But Galley struggling and refusing to go any further, they beat him unmercifully and threw him off his horse, by which Galley fractured his skull and in that condition they flung him across the horse like a calf and carried him to a place called Lady Holt, where they buried him among the sand before he was quite dead. 

    As for Chater, they took him to the house of one Mills, an ancient man, a smuggler, near Midhurst, where they kept him until Thursday (being four days after the murder of Galley, during all which time the poor man was continually praying them that they would not murder him as they had done Galley). On Thursday eighteen of them assembled at Mills’s and agreed to draw lots who should be the murderer of Chater. 

    The lot falling on Benjamin Tatner, he immediately thrust a fork into one, then the other of Chater’s eyes, the left of which fell on his cheek, after some time, Tatner cut off Chater’s nose and privy parts, the space of time between each operation being a full half hour, scoffing and jeering the unhappy man during all the time of his sufferings, who returned them no other language but only, pray,

Gentlemen, spare my life, which he repeated even after his privities were cut off. The villains, after committing these barbarous acts, threw him down a well, while living, and covered him with stones.” 

The gruesome details of these murders are very suspect, however, the basics are true. The raid on Poole customs house was, at first, treated like the crime of the century, but as the details of the murders that followed came to light the general public were horrified, action came swiftly with arrests, trials and executions, within four years most of the Hawkhurst gang were either transported or dead. Their gibbets could be seen swinging in the breeze from as far as London, Dover to Poole, never again would this gang terrorise the coast, but others would soon follow.

The remains of Lady Holt well today.

July 1749;

    Last week seven smugglers were taken up at Chichester for smuggling and carrying fire arms. There's about 100 in the gang and all informed against. Three of the seven are sent to Horsham and four brought to town (London) to be examined by the commissioners.