Getting on with it.

Often their actions are in the dark and considered dangerous yet lucrative. Who has not seen the images of men trying to secretly bring their goods ashore or distract a revenue cutter elsewhere so that barrels of precious goods could be taken away unnoticed?

The History

Whether this was always true is questionable, but smugglers are secretive and began their trade as early as the 13th century. Especially the coast of southern England, the counties of Kent and Sussex, which was a gateway to Eastern Europe and the market there, were attractive for smugglers.

Smugglers carrying goods. Painting by Louis Gabriel Eugene Isabey (1803-1886)

The wool trade was the main business because under the rule of Edward III and Charles II, it was forbidden to take wool out of the country. But it was done anyway and the wool was shipped to Holland where it was returned to the English market as cloth. Because it simply paid more for Dutch cloth. In 1676 a service was established which eventually became that of the Revenue Cutters.

A Smuggling Lugger Chased by a Naval Brig by Thomas Buttersworth, 19th century

Among the smaller sailing ships of the seventeenth century were a number of smacks and coasters, of which the newly formed Customs House organization hired a nucleus to watch over the ‘owls’ – so-called because wool smuggling had to be done at night when the owl was on the move. Whole villages were devoted to smuggling and when one was found out, the village stood together and as soon as the convicted owler was to be arrested, the officer was beaten so badly that he quickly left or was bribed.

The wars with France during the reign of William and Mary 1689-97 made the smuggling of silk and lace (as well as much Jacobite correspondence) into England fairly easy, and so the threat increased. Small gangs of ten grew into hundreds of villagers, and those with cellars stored the illegal imports, which were transported by armed French smugglers whose crews openly defied the Revenue officials.

HM Revenue Cutter Vigilant towing the Barque Alfred of London, a valuable Prize captured 17th Dec 1828 having on board 1010 half Ankers of Contraband Spirits concealed under a Coasting Cargo, by H. Rolfe 

The situation worsened in 1713 to such an extent that even the navy was sent on patrol in the Channel to stop the smuggling. However, the network of smugglers at that time was underestimated, because they had already made the islands their own and operated over the entire English Isle as well as the European mainland.

And the smugglers did not even stop at the navy. And many a sailor or officer smuggled large quantities of wine, brandy, and other dutiable goods with the help of a few prostitutes or disguised as supplies. It got so bad that no one could be trusted and even these ships had to be thoroughly inspected. But here too there were often middlemen who looked the other way for a fee. So much so, that the Revenue Service had no chance of stopping them and increased the controls.

Rigging out a Smuggler, by Thomas Rowlandson 1810 

The smugglers changed their method of concealment, and in the period between 1816 and 1860, the goods were very creatively hidden on board. The goods could be found in the partitions between the hull and the fairing. Many a gun was not loaded with a ball and in the hold, there were whole barrels of brandy under the ballast. Smaller ships operating between France and England disguised themselves as fishermen with their cargo under the hull. In these cases, the captain who was caught could at least still claim to have picked up the barrels with his nets by mistake. Even supposed greengrocers did not have potatoes on board but tobacco shaped into balls. Dragging barrels behind him was one of the most popular methods because you could cut them off if necessary to escape quickly. If you were lucky, they would get caught on the shore and could be collected later.

The Revenue Service and their ships

To get to the smugglers, the revenue service used fast light cutters known as revenue cutters. These fast vessels, usually armed with up to 14 guns and swivel guns, had to compete against equal cutters (they were often built in the same shipyard) and schooners, which required a good crew. They were stationed in all major coastal cities in order to quickly reach a nearby area. The crew consisted of 23 men in total, one of whom was the captain and he had two mates at his side. Even though they had no uniform until 1804 and wore only a red shirt, blue breeches, and petticoat breeches over them, the men earned more than the men of the Navy. A successful revenue captain could earn between £250 and £500 per annum. The First Mate could earn between £75 and £150 per annum and the second was able to earn between £50 and £75 per annum. The common sailors, all able seamen, were able to earn £36 and £60 per annum. This high payment was partly due to the danger they faced and the service they rendered to the crown because every smuggler caught brought the crown additional goods that could then be legally resold.

Revenue Cutter of 1799, by Mike Fuller, 2018 

From 1804 onward, a uniform for the three officers was added. The captain then wore a blue coat with silver buttons three and three sets and a silver epaulet. He also wore breeches and a waistcoat and a cocked hat. The mates, on the other hand, wore silver lapels on the sleeves, and two and two silver buttons, the rest was the same as the captain.

Known Smugglers

John Carter the so-called King of Prussia from Prussia Cove in Cornish operated there from 1777 and 1807 with the whole family running a very well-organized smuggling ring.

It may seem ironic to us today, but John Carter was regarded as an “honest man” by all who knew him, including the customs officials in Penzance. Once, when John was at sea, the customs officers came into the bay in their boats and seized a large cargo of goods that had just arrived from France. When John found out what had happened, he was very upset, not because of the loss of the contraband, but because he did not want to disappoint his customers and feared losing his good name. A plan was hatched. With some armed comrades, John broke into the customs house shops in the middle of the night and took the goods, taking care to take only what was actually his. When the burglary was discovered, the officers noted what was missing and reported that only his goods were gone, but no others.

John smuggled until he was 70 years old and was very successful up until then, but in 1807 he got into a run-in with HMS Fairy, which presumably caught him. After that, he never appeared again, but his son-in-law picked up where his father-in-law had left off. And even his son continued until the late 19th century when he finally gave it up because it was no longer worthwhile.

The real cause of the present high price of provisions, or, a view on the sea coast of England, with French agents, smuggling away supplies for France, by James Gillray 1795 

The Hawkhurst Gang was a notorious criminal organization that ran smuggling operations throughout the southeast of England from 1735 to 1749. One of the most notorious gangs of the early 18th century, they extended their influence from Hawkhurst, their base in Kent, along the south coast to Dorset, where they successfully raided the custom house at Poole. After being defeated in a battle with the Goudhurst militia in 1747, two of their leaders, Arthur Gray and Thomas Kingsmill, were executed in 1748 and 1749.

The End of Systemic Smuggling

The smuggling business flourished until about 1860 when the high taxation of tea was abolished and a gradual preference for Scotch whisky over French brandy became a social feature. The adventurous days associated with risky seafaring were thus over. With better wages, better education, a higher moral code, and more opportunities for honest leisure, there is no longer the same incentive to cheat His Majesty’s tax revenues.