Dracula's Whitby - A Journey Through Postcards.

                               Dracula's Whitby.

Bram Stoker began writing his classic gothic horror story Dracula in 1890, whilst on holiday in Whitby he was staying at number 6, Royal Crescent with his wife and son.   

The Whitby Gazette 22nd August 1890

The story begins with solicitor Jonathan Harker travelling to Transylvania, where he is to negotiate the buying of property in England with the mysterious nobleman Count Dracula. Many trials and tribulations follow, I'm sure all of my readers are acquainted with the tale and it doesn't need retelling here! This is a spoiler alert so if you haven't read the book, do so.....now!

The Count travels with ten boxes of his native earth to England aboard the Demeter, leaving Varna on the 6th July. During the voyage a strange creature starts killing the crew until during a great storm on the 8th August the ship is washed ashore on the east beach next to Tate Hill Pier in Whitby.

The dead captain is seen lashed to the ship's wheel and his log tells a terrifying tale of death and slaughter. A large black dog is also seen leaping from the stricken vessel and running up Tate Hill towards the town.

A dog belonging to a local coal merchant is found with it's throat ripped out and eviscerated, an attack that could only have been done by a large savage beast. 

"One of the greatest and suddenest storms on record" Dracula; Chapter VII  The Daily Graph, 8th August.

The boxes of earth are to be under the jurisdiction of Whitby solicitor Mr S. F Billington of 7, The Crescent, and are to be sent by rail to Carfax Abbey, Purfleet.

In the foreground is Tate Hill Pier where the Demeter ran aground. Up on the west side facing is East Terrace, to the left is East Crescent the location of Mr Billington's office is at number 7.

Jonathan Harker's fiance Mina Murray, her friend Lucy Westenra, and Lucy's mother Mrs Westenra are staying in Royal Crescent. The two ladies love to sit on a bench in the graveyard overlooking the sea. There they meet an old seafarer called Mr Swales who regales them with tales of loss and suicide! On the morning of the 10th August Mr Swales is found dead on their favourite bench, his neck broken and a look of fear and horror on his face.

St Mary's graveyard showing the benches favoured by Mina, Lucy and poor Mr Swales.

Since the great storm Lucy had been suffering from sleep walking, Mina thought wearing Lucy out may be the answer so to lighten their mood and to tire themselves out, Mina and Lucy walk along the cliff path to Robin Hood's Bay where they treated themselves to a "severe tea" at The Bay Hotel.

"A sweet old fashioned inn with a bow window right over the seaweed covered rocks." Mina Murray.

11th August 3 am. Mina Murray's Journal:

No.7 Royal Crescent (red dot) where Mina and the Westenra's stayed. No.6 (blue dot) is where 
Bram Stoker and family stayed in 1890.

"Suddenly I became broad awake, and sat up, with a horrible sense of fear upon me and some feeling of emptiness around me. The room was dark, so I could not see Lucy's bed; I stole across and felt for her. The bed was empty."

Mina guessed that Lucy was sleepwalking again so she gets up, dresses and goes in search of her friend. Standing at the top of the East Terrace above the Khyber Pass Mina had a commanding view across Whitby.

There in the graveyard as the moon came out from a passing cloud she caught sight of Lucy's white nightdress, she was half reclined with a dark figure bent over her.

Mina's view from East Terrace.

Mina ran down the steps and onto the pier, then along the fish market to the drawbridge.

"The town seemed as dead, for not a soul I did see."

Crossing the bridge Mina ran up to and along Church Street.

"The time and distance seemed endless, and my knees trembled
 and my breath came laboured."

Up Church Street - on the left - is the Market Place. Mina would have sped past the rear of this beautiful building, having stayed in Whitby she and Lucy would have walked around it many times.

Whitby Market Place, Church Street is to the rear.

Mina's Journal continues:

"I must have gone fast, and yet it seemed to me as if my feet were weighted with lead, and as though every joint in my body were rusty. When I got almost to the top I could see the seat and the white figure..."

"...as I toiled up the endless steps to the Abbey..."

"I called in fright 'Lucy! Lucy!' and something raised its head, and from where I was I could see a white face and red, gleaming eyes."

"I ran on to the entrance of the churchyard."

"As I entered, the church was between me and the seat, and for a minute or so I lost sight of her. When I came in view again the cloud had passed and the moonlight struck so brilliantly that I could see Lucy half reclining with her head lying over the back of the seat. She was quite alone and there was not a sign of any living thing about."

The Gothic ruins of Whitby Abbey.

14th August, Mina Murray's Journal:

"On the east cliff reading and writing all day. The setting sun, low down in the sky, was just dropping behind Kettleness; the red light was thrown over the east cliff and the old Abbey, and it seemed to bathe everything in a beautiful rosy glow. We were silent for a while, and suddenly Lucy murmured as if to herself 'His red eyes again! They are just the same.' She appeared to be looking over to our seat, whereon was a dark figure seated alone."

"Herewith please receive invoice of goods sent by Great Northern Railway."

                         17th August. Letter, Samuel F. Billington & Son, Solicitors, Whitby.

"Same are to be delivered to Carfax, near Purfleet, immediately upon receipt at goods station King's Cross. The house is at present empty, but enclosed please find keys, all of which are labelled."

And so Dracula left Whitby.......Mina left to be with the newly found Jonathan Harker in Budapest, and Lucy left a week later to her dark destiny.

The author Sherlock's Dog, Whitby Gazette May 2011

Mad John Baines, the template for Renfield?

                                 Mad John Baines

The first time Baines comes to our attention is on the 2nd July 1887, Baines (who gives his address as 15, Francis Street, Woolwich) is found drunk and asleep on Woolwich Common by a military policeman called Richard Taylor.

Francis Street, Woolwich

  According to Gunner Taylor Baines was found lying  senseless on the Barrack Field, when he roused him Baines shouted abuse, threatened to "do for him" then punched him in the face. Baines then ran away towards the South Arch crying "murder!". This caused the guard to turn out and investigate the matter, with assistance Baines was taken to the nearest police station.

He said in his defence that he was sorry for what had happened, but being awoke from a drunken sleep and finding that he'd been robbed of 23s, he lost his temper and did not know what took place, the prisoner was discharged with a caution.

Woolwich Garrison

His next court appearance was for an horrific attack, the London Evening Standard of Monday 26th September 1887 takes up the story.

Marlborough Street.

John Baines, a rough looking fellow, was charged, on remand, with assaulting Annie Cummins, an unfortunate, by biting her on the cheek whilst in Hyde Park, on the night of the 16th inst. - Constable Sibley 351A, of the A Division, said that about a quarter to eleven he heard screams of "Murder", and a voice saying, "Don't touch me, don't touch me."

He proceeded in the direction of the Serpentine, and then saw the prisoner following a woman. Upon the man getting up to her he knocked her down and fell over her, and the woman again screamed for help, saying "He is biting me."

Witness ran to her assistance, dragged the prisoner off her and saw that she had been injured in the face. She had been bitten under one of her eyes and blood was flowing down her cheek. She said that she knew the prisoner and had been supporting him by her earnings in the streets.

Prisoner said that it served her right and that he would teach her not to insult people.

Dr Blackett said that he had examined the woman and found that she had a lacerated wound under her eye. A portion of the skin had been torn away and she would be disfigured for life, as there would always be a large scar where the wound had been.

The Prosecutrix said that she was an outpatient at one of the hospitals and attended there daily. The wound in her face was suppurating and as serious consequences might supervene the prisoner was again remanded for a week.

The outcome was taken up by the London Evening Standard Monday 3rd October 1887.

Marlborough Street.

John Baines was charged, on remand, with violently assaulting, by biting a piece of the cheek, Annie Cummins, living in Gun Street, Southwark.

Gun Street, now Boyfield Street, Southwark

The Prosecutrix, whose head was enveloped in surgical bandages, deposed that she had been an out door patient of Guy's Hospital, the wound having shown symptoms of suppuration. It was now healing however, and the doctors had pronounced her to be out of danger, though her face would be disfigured for life.

She had lived with the accused for about a fortnight before the assault and during that time he had done no work of any kind.

In defence Baines said that he had been drinking heavily on the night in question and the woman provoked him very much. He had been in the army and had only been discharged from a lunatic asylum two months ago.

Mr Mansfield said that no provocation could justify such an inhuman assault and sentenced the accused to the full term of six months imprisonment with hard labour.

As an interesting aside to this story Peter Haining in his The Dracula Centenary Book* relates a report from The Times, according to him the policeman on the scene was PC 351A John Harker and the bite was on the neck not the cheek.

 

Regardless of Haining making things up the parallels between Baines and the character Renfield are obvious, also the date the article was published in The Times was 3rd October, in Dracula that is the day Dracula is confronted in his Piccadilly home. If this article was read by Bram Stoker and it inspired the Renfield character then John Baines has become immortal despite himself!

Extraordinary Scene In Court was the headline in the South London Press on Saturday 1st December 1888.

At the Southwark police court, John Baines, aged 25, who described himself as of no home, was charged on remand, with violently assaulting Elizabeth Gunn, an unfortunate, in the London Road.

London Road, Southwark

On the prisoner being brought into court by Sergeant Duncan and his colleague, the deputy gaoler Butcher, he showed signs of impatience and when about to be placed in the dock he became suddenly fractious.

Sergeant Alexander Osbeston took his hat away as he evidently intended to throw it. The prisoner, with great agility, freed himself for the moment, struck the Sergeant a violent blow on the eye and scratched his face.

There was great consternation in court, but the officers at once surrounded the prisoner and secured him. He was removed for a time and brought back, his arms being fastened behind him. On being placed again in the dock, he used most violent language, threatening everyone with dire consequences for their conduct, adding he was a "lunatic" and had been sent to an asylum for a previous assault.

The facts connected with the specific charge against the prisoner were of a very simple character. It appeared that he had lived with the prosecutrix for nine months and took all the money she recieved, till at last, through his ill usage, she left him. Prisoner then assaulted her and she forgave him.

On the 14th inst. he met her in the London Road, asked for money, and, being refused, knocked her down and kicked her. She was rescued from further violence by a police constable, and prisoner was taken into custody and conveyed to the station, after much difficulty.

Prosecutrix was examined by Dr Farr, who found her much injured on the body, and her jaw bone seriously injured, so much so, that although there was no fracture, she was even now unable to open her mouth properly.

It was proved that the prisoner had already suffered two months hard labour in prison for an assault on the woman, and, further, that he had assaulted another woman. The prisoner, on being asked if he had anything to say, or any witnesses to call, said "No. All my witnesses are God, or the Devil. I don't know which I shall call."

He was committed for trial, and was conducted out of the court, using threats to doctors, witnesses and others, and nearing the door exclaimed, "You have heard something today, in two days time you'll hear something else".

A couple of years later Baines was north of the river, in St Georges In The East, the Eastern Post, Saturday 23rd August 1890.

THAMES - An Unprovoked Assault.

John Baines, aged 27, was charged with assaulting Mrs Ellen Evans, of Watney Street, St Georges's. 

Watney Street

On Saturday night Baines came into the shop and called for two-pennyworth of eels. He then called another man in and called for a similar quantity for his friend. He afterwards refused to pay for them, picked up a basin and threw it at her.

She put up her hand to save her face, when the basin caught her and cut her fingers. Mr Dickinson told the prisoner that he had been guilty of an absolutely unprovoked assault, and fined him 20s, or 14 days hard labour.

Baines is at it again! The London Evening Standard, Tuesday 12th July 1892.

John Gardon, John Baines and John Dulwich were charged with burglary and robbery. At 4 o'clock this morning Morgan Dear, a blacksmith, of Commercial Road, was in bed, when he heard a noise in his yard and lifted the window up.

He saw the prisoner in his yard and Baines had one of his ducks under his arm. Baines climbed over a wall to the next yard followed by the other two. They got through an empty house and came out of the front door into the street.

York Road, now Yorkshire Road

Arthur Springhall, 323H, who was on duty at the corner of York Road, saw the prisoners come out of 655, Commercial Road, the unoccupied house alluded to, and he secreted himself behind a coffee stall. They came towards him and at that time the prosecutor came out of the next house in his shirt sleeves.

The prisoners catching sight of the constable made off pursued by Springhall, and Baines drew a jemmy and threw it over the back premises adjoining York Road.

655 Commercial Road

He caught Gardon and on searching him he found a skeleton key. The other two prisoners were apprehended by constables 212H and 35H, but nothing was found on them. This morning Harry Lusk, an Inspector of Police, found that 655 had been entered by a skeleton key. A double fronted glass door leading to the shop had been forced, the back door burst open and from there they had effected an entrance into Dear's place. Mr Mead committed the prisoners for trial.

The last communication from John Baines was in a letter from Broadmoor.

Reynold's Newspaper - Sunday 8th July 1894.

I have received a letter from John Baines, an ex soldier, complaining of ill treatment whilst an inmate of the Broadmoor Lunatic Asylum. He mentions as one instance that he was in October 1892 stripped naked in a cold stone cell and banged against the wall.

Broadmoor Asylum

His throat was cut open and his ribs were black and blue. In this state he was left for twelve hours. This is by no means the first time I have received communications from persons alleging acts of brutal violence in asylums. Some member of parliament should ask that a committee be appointed to inquire into the management of these institutions.

Published in the Morning Post, Tuesday 21st May 1895 is a list of inmate deaths, among those deceased is John Baines, this was still two years before the publishing of Dracula. If we take the appalling treatment of Baines in Broadmoor and hold it up to the final fate of Renfield in his asylum there is a chilling similarity. In Dracula Renfield is beaten to death in his cell on the 3rd October, the date Baines was reported for assaulting poor Annie Cummins in Hyde Park.

* Haining, P (1987) The Dracula Centenary Book. London: Souvenir Press Ltd, pp. 30 - 31

SMUGGLERS' BATTLES PART 6 - ...and Smugglers To A Man, 1790 to 1799.

 

SMUGGLERS' BATTLES PART 6

...and Smugglers To A Man, 1790 to 1799.

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 1790;

    Some few days since a smuggling cutter was chased by one of the Shoreham custom house cutters, quite to the coast of France, where the smugglers found themselves so hard pressed, they run the vessel ashore and with so much violence that she was dashed to pieces. The customs house cutter, in the eagerness of her chase, shared the same fate.

    A very considerable seizure was made on the coast of Cornwall, of soap, which had been exported and relanded, consisting of 4500lb weight.

September 1791;

Penzance.

    In consequence of an information, Mr Miller, exciseman of Helston and several other officers were proceeding to board a smuggling cutter, which lay off Land’s End and supposed to belong to a person at Penzance.

    As the boat drew near they were hailed by the people on board the cutter who defied them to keep off, as they were determined not to be searched. But the officers persevered in their intention, the crew of the cutter fired upon them by which Mr Miller was shot through the head, another person in the breast, both of whom instantly expired. A third died this morning of his wounds and a fourth his arm is broken. The smuggling cutter escaped.

November 1791;

    The cook of the Badger excise cutter, which lately had an action with a large smuggling lugger, has been obliged to undergo an amputation of both his legs. The smuggler is said to belong to Ruth, in Ireland.

    Last week, at Truro, in Cornwall, Robert Smith, a private in the 34th Regiment, and two men belonging to the town, for a trifling wager tried which could drink the greatest quantity of brandy, which was won by the former who drank nearly a pint more than either of his competitors; he presently fell into a sleep, from which he never more awoke. He was buried on Saturday last. Not a smuggling tale but an interesting tale nonetheless.

December 1793;

    Last Monday a Row Galley, belonging to Shoreham customs house, fell in with a smuggling cutter off the above place, and attempted to board her. Upon which one of the cutter's men appeared on deck, declared he would not be boarded and warned the boat's crew against the folly and peril of making such an attempt, but in vain. 

Shoreham Customs House

    When the more effectually to intimidate them, without having recourse to more desperate means, several musket shots were fired from the cutter over the heads of the boatmen, but with little effect. For the cockswain being a man of greater resolution than judgement, he persisted in his design, 'till he had so provoked the smugglers that they fired into his boat and killed one man.

    When the rest tacked about and sheered off, 'tis said, without obtaining the least knowledge of any of the persons who had, though reluctantly committed the murder, and would afterwards have sunk the boat, but from some accidental miscarriage in the discharge of their stern guns.

October 1794;

25^th October, 

Mutton Cove, Cornwall

    Last night an affray happened between cutter boat’s crew and some smugglers at Mutton Cove, in which the former were much beat and a man was killed, his body was found floating in Mutton Cove.

May 1796;

    The Hound revenue cutter, Capt Hawke, has captured and sent into Shoreham a French row boat privateer, from Havre; he had been out one day and had taken nothing but was in chase of a loaded vessel bound from London to Bristol.

May 1796;

Bodmin Gaol, the home of many a smuggler.

    Isabella Williams, a woman, genteelly and even fashionably dressed, was yesterday brought into the Court of King's Bench to receive judgement for the extraordinary offence of having sallied out, at the head of 20 men, armed with pistols and other offensive weapons, to attack a party of customs house officers in Cornwall.

    Her council pleaded her sex in mitigation of punishment, but Justice Ashurst observed, that such a plea, if fully admitted, would he believed, presently transfer the business of such assaults from male into female hands. She was sentenced to be imprisoned 12 months in a Cornwall jail.

May 1796;

Custom House London.

    Whereas it has been represented to the commissioners of His Majesty's Customs, that in the morning of the 8th of March last Wm Vernon Simpson Sitter, together with Matthew Hindes, Henry Warren and Thomas Warren, boatmen, belonging to a boat employed in the service of the customs, then stationed in the port of Woodbridge, in the County of Suffolk.

Woodbridge Harbour

    Being upon duty at Bawdsey Ferry, within the said port, observed a smuggling vessel coming into the Woodbridge Harbour, upon which they immediately took their said boat and pursued her and after some time got alongside of the said vessel they boarded her.

    That as soon as the said officers had got on board of the said vessel a number of the crew came upon deck and compelled the said officers to go under the hatches, where they confined them from about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, until nine o'clock in the evening of the same day. 

    During which time the smugglers got their vessel near the shore and there landed a great quantity of uncustomed goods, after which the smugglers released the officers and permitted them to depart in their boat and then proceeded to sea with their said vessel, which appeared to said officers to be about 25 tons burthen.

March 1797;

Saltdean Gap

    Last Monday night the Stag cutter, Captain Haddock, belonging to Rye, seized from a smuggling cutter off Saltdean Gap, upwards of 900 tubs of contraband spirits, just as the smugglers were about to land them.

    Capt Haddock the same night fell in with a smuggling boat off Beachy Head, from which he took 100 bales of muslin and several bags of tobacco.

June 1798;

The dramatic coast at Wick.

   Last Friday night a smuggling cutter, in danger of being taken by a Revenue cutter, run a boat load of cargo near Wick, which the Captain in the service of the customs observing, ordered some of his men on shore in the jolly boat.

  

    Who on their landing attacked the smugglers and made a Seizure of all the goods they had landed but not till they had fired upon the contraband traders one of whom it is said was so terribly wounded that he is since dead.

March 1799;

Customs House London.

The Fencibles, a kind of home guard

    Whereas it has been represented to the commissioners of His Majesty's Customs, that in the evening of the 19th Jan. last, William Woodward and Benjamin Lowsey, two boatmen in the service of the customs at the port of Southwold in Suffolk, having reason to suspect that some cutters would arrive on that coast, with smuggled goods, went upon his duty, accompanied by some Fencibles stationed in that neighbourhood. That about one or two o'clock in the morning of Sunday the 20th of the said month, having before fallen in with about 20 carts near Dunwich, all of which were empty and appeared to be waiting for the arrival of such goods.

    They were violently attacked by a large gang of smugglers armed with loaded whips, sticks and other offensive weapons, who beat said officers of the customs and the Fencibles in a violent manner, and threw one of the Fencibles into the sea and took away from the officer Woodward his cutlass and from the Fencibles a blunderbuss, a cutlass and a pike and otherwise behaved in a very outrageous manner.

November 1799;

Customs House London.

    Whereas it has been humbly represented to His Majesty, that on the 24th July last, a smuggling lugger being observed by some officers of the Revenue in Cricketh Bay, in the County of Carnarvon, then landing her goods, Richard Bridgewater, Supervisor of Excise, Maurice Williams, Tide Surveyor of the customs at Pwllhely, together with two tide waiters and some other officers in the service of the customs, went in a boat in pursuit of her.

Criccieth Bay.

    That when they came within three or four hundred yards of the said smuggling vessel (the customs house colours being then flying in the boat) the officers hailed her, upon which the smugglers asked what boat it was, and upon being told the King's Boat, they ordered the officers to keep off, or abide by the consequences. But being told by the officers that they should not, the smugglers immediately fired a musket, the ball from which came very near the King's Boat.

    

    The smugglers then fired eight other muskets, a ball from one of which passed between the fore and main mast of the King's Boat and another close behind the officer Bridgewater, and upon the smugglers threatening to drive the officers into the water if they did not keep off, they returned without being able to board the said smuggling vessel.

SMUGGLERS' BATTLES PART 5 - 'Baccy For The Clerk, 1780 to 1789.

SMUGGLERS' BATTLES PART 5

'Baccy For The Clerk, 1780 to 1789.

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.

November 1780;

    Information having been received at the excise office, that a large party of smugglers, with a considerable quantity of run tea and other goods, were expected yesterday morning in town, a strong detachment from Col. Harcourt’s Regiment of Light Horse was early sent to intercept them. 

Poultry Compter

    These meeting with the smugglers, near Paddington, a smart skirmish ensued, which was continued through Holborn and several other streets, till they came to near Duke’s Place and other eastern parts of the town, the usual repositories of these adventurers. 
    The soldiers here prevailing, the smugglers dispersed and several horses and coaches, with their cargoes, conveyed safe to the King’s warehouse. 

    There were 12 men with horses and five coaches, all fully laden. Several of the smugglers were greatly hurt, one in particular so much wounded, that he was carried to the London Hospital with very little hopes of recovery. 

    Nine others were taken, eight of whom were committed by the Lord Mayor for further examination to the Poultry Compter and the ninth to that of Wood Street. 

November 1781;

The very impressive Deal Castle 

    A letter from Dover received on Tuesday, mentions a great riot having happened on Sunday evening between some smugglers on horseback and the military, when after some hours desperate skirmish they took from the smugglers 18 loaded waggons of different sorts of India merchandise, which they safely lodged in Deal castle, to the amount of 26,000l. During the skirmish, it is said, many lives were lost. The Deal gang were becoming a thorn in the government's side, as such Deal started to attract a lot of military activity.

June 1782;

Monday last a seizure was made near Lombard Street, by Mr Phillips, a surveyor of the land carriage and three assistants, of India goods supposed to be worth 30,000l, being the greatest quantity of goods ever brought to the customs house at one time. The same evening, 13 bags of tea were seized (by the same party) near St. Giles, but after a very long and most dangerous engagement, the tea was retaken by the smugglers and the officers bruised in a most terrible manner.

February 1783;

A letter from Deal, Feb 11.

“On Saturday night last Messers Hubbard and Harris, officers of excise, with upwards of 60 of General Douglas’s Light Dragoons, came to this town and proceeded to break open several store houses at the north end of the town, to search for contraband goods. The proprietors of the different buildings, however, and a large body of townsmen assembled together to oppose them. The soldiery fired, the townsmen returned fire, a number of shots were exchanged, but, luckily, I do not hear of any lives being lost. 

    At last, however, the excisemen and dragoons, finding a powerful body against them, thought proper to decamp. A small quantity of goods were seized, but cannot learn the particulars. Three of the dragoons horses have died of their wounds. At present all is quiet and peaceable.”

May 1784;

Deal May 2.

    A desperate contest took place on Friday evening last, between Capt. Bray, of one of His Majesty’s cutters stationed here to watch the smugglers and the noted Brown, who committed so many depredations during the late war and has been outlawed. 

    Being a native of Deal, there was no one who should be bold enough to attempt to apprehend him, since the war he carried on the practice of smuggling and on Friday last he sailed out of Dunkirk with a cargo of contraband goods. Capt. Bray had watched him very narrowly and about 10 o’clock on Friday evening a terrible firing was heard in the Downs, occasioned by an attack made by Capt. Bray, in a row boat, on Brown who was also in a row boat. 

    Capt. Bray boarded him and though Brown presented a blunderbuss, both of them not half a yard distant from each other, Capt. Bray was not daunted. One of his men, seeing his brave master in this situation, with a cutlass cut Brown’s cheek clean off, Bray mounted a stroke and with his cutlass nearly severed his head from his body and so put a period to this pirates life. Bray lost one man, Brown had, with himself, three killed and two wounded and two taken prisoner.

July 1784;

    On the 29th ult, Capt. Stephens, of the Monkey cutter on the Lowestoft station, having received information of a large cargo of contraband goods being intended to be landed that night, immediately put to sea and having cleared the land, soon fell in with two smuggling cutters, one of 14 the other of 2 guns. 

    An action immediately commenced and was maintained with great bravery on one side and with much obstinacy on the other, for near four hours and twenty minutes. When the Monkey being much disabled, her Captain losing his left arm in the course of the first few minutes of the engagement and having 12 men killed and 21 wounded, was unable to prevent the smugglers from landing their cargo, which they did in open day and in triumph. The smuggling cutters were well manned, the Monkey only carries 12 guns and 60 men, above half were killed or wounded in the engagement.

July 26^th; 

    The Oresters sloop of war, Captain Ellis, commander, lying in Cowes Road having advice that two smuggling vessels had arrived at Christchurch Point at the mouth of the Avon, on Wednesday, laden with teas, brandy ect from Guernsey and Jersey. 

    They made a feint of sailing eastwards and arrived at Christchurch very unexpectedly on Thursday evening. But, the smugglers had already landed their cargoes (the same that the troops from Lymington were in quest of) and were most of them in all about 300 in the town and neighbourhood. 

    When the Oresters came near shore she manned two tenders and sent them alongside the smugglers, demanding of those on board to surrender. This summons was immediately answered by a discharge of small arms, whereby several of the Oresters crew were wounded and as it is reported the Captain of the tender killed.

    This alarmed the crews and brought them down to the shore in great numbers, the Oresters bringing her guns to bear thereon to prevent their going on board, which however many of them effected regardless of the cannon shot flying around them. The action lasted from six until nine in the evening when victory was declared for the royalists, many of whom are wounded and some killed, several of the smugglers are also wounded.

    The Oresters departed on Friday morning taking with her the two smuggling vessels, supposed to be worth more than 4000 pounds and also their long boats which the crews had sunk with the hopes of preserving. One of the smugglers vessels was quite new and this was her first trip.

When the Oresters docked at Cowes a letter was sent explaining the full extent of the battle on the 26^th, “the smuggling cutter mounting 24 six and nine pounders, laden with 6000 casks of spirit and near 13 tons of tea. The Oresters had 2 killed and 9 wounded. The smuggling cutter is supposed to be the British Lion and had all her crew killed except 15 men who are confined in irons, this was the 5^th smuggling vessel the Oresters has captured, Captain Ellis received a slight wound in his arm during the action.”

    On the 27^th January 1786 George Coombes was hanged and then gibbeted near Christchurch harbour for the murder of  William Allen, master of the Oresters.

March 1785;

Packhorse Bridge near Drigg Carleton

    Customs officers seized of 12 ankers of spirit and 8 chests of black tea which had just been landed by a smuggling cutter (which lay still in sight), together with the horses and three carts at Ravensglass in Millom.  But in escorting the whole seizure to His Majesties warehouse in Whitehaven, the next day they were attacked on the high road near Drigg Carleton by several persons.

    Several of them on horseback all of them armed, their faces blackened and most of them disguised as women, who rescued the goods and carried the whole off. On the news reaching Whitehaven the military were dispatched with several officers of the customs in pursuit of the smugglers, they returned unable to effect a thing.

May 1785;

    On Thursday 25^th May a desperate contest took place at Town Malling, in Kent, between three revenue officers and a gang of smugglers, consisting of six or seven armed horsemen.

    After several discharges on both sides, four of the smugglers were secured, two of them being wounded in the body, one in the shoulder and another in the arm. On seeing their companions fall the rest rode off.

June 1785;

    The Hawk and Lark revenue lugger stationed at the port of Falmouth fell in with the Happy Go Lucky smuggling shallop belonging to Cawsand and commanded by one Thomas Wellard, when the said shallop , being hailed by the customs house lugger to bring to, the crew of the said shallop  feloniously fired into the Hawk, whereupon an engagement ensued which lasted a considerable time.

Pendennis Castle

    The smugglers finding themselves overpowered by the revenue vessel and their commander killed and several others killed and wounded, thought fit to surrender and being taken possession of were after committed to Pendennis Castle.

    From whence after knocking down the sergeant and some of the sentinels they made their escape between seven and eight o’clock, a reward of one hundred pounds has been offered by His Majesties Customs for the discovery of the offenders.

August 1786;

    A letter from Dunwich (15^th), in Suffolk has the following article: “Last Friday a smuggling vessel having got into a creek near this town, which runs by the side of a wood, in which they land their goods. Some revenue officers, having got intelligence of it, went and seized the vessel and going under the hatches to see what they could find there, the smugglers shut down the hatches and put out to sea immediately. The officers have not since been heard of, it is feared they have been thrown overboard.

August 1787;

    Fowey, Aug 4^th. Yesterday Robert Bundle, officer in the customs in this port, in company with John Edwards and Lawrence Gill, excise officers, fell in with six horses loaded with 12 cwt of hyson tea, which they made a seizure of.

After a very obstinate resistance made by the six daring smugglers, in which contest two horses were shot dead, one smuggler killed and excise officer John Edwards dangerously wounded between the shoulders. The goods are safely lodged in the customs house.

November 1787;

Honiton, November 4^th. 

    Yesterday morning three excise officers, on being informed that a party of smugglers would return from the sea coast laden with spirits by way of Roncombe’s Gulf turnpike gate, lay in wait for them near that place.

The Roncombe Lane Turnpike

    The body of smugglers, six in number with horses laden with spirits had artfully sent two of their number on before, on being attacked by the excise officers offered up their goods, at which the officers told them to give up their horses and be gone. They begged the officers a drink and while they were making preparations for that purpose the other smugglers caught up and a furious and bloody engagement ensued.

    The excisemen being armed stood their ground for some time, particularly Mr  Jenkins of Honiton and Mr Scott a supernumerary from Ottery division. These two being knocked down with large stones thrown by the smugglers were overpowered by numbers who taking their cutlasses from them exercised them with more than savage barbarity, while those who had not got weapons made use of large stones until they left their mangled carcasses most horrid objects to behold. The other exciseman saw the danger his person was in and made his escape.

September 1789;

    The Ferret excise cutter fell in with a smuggling lugger at anchor on the coast of Cornwall and the weather falling calm, two boats from the Ferret attempted to board her, under the command of Captain Morris and his mate Mr Parry.

    On the boats coming along side they were attacked in a most desperate manner, which put them under the necessity of firing on the lugger (but not until the Captain and five men were much wounded, some of them it is feared mortally) they soon obliged the smugglers to beg for mercy, two being killed and several wounded.

    When Captain Morris with great humanity ordered his men to cease firing ran his own boat between his consort and the lugger. The smugglers took to their boat and got on shore, where they found protection from the country people who had been hovering about in sight during the whole action.