July 2023 Group Meeting Report
Who hasn’t been intrigued by tales of smugglers with their daring-do attitude and portrayal in books, films and TV series as loveable rogues just trying to feed their families in hard times. In his excellent well illustrated presentation to Swanley History Group at our July meeting Mark Lewis gave a very full picture of their activities in Kent during the 18th and 19th centuries – including their far from jolly behaviour and actions. Vicious barons, compared to characters like The Krays, ruled their gang members through fear. They spared no mercy to informers and customs officers were often under their control too.
Although occurring in earlier times, smuggling was especially rife during the 18th and up to the mid 19th century, due the excessively high taxes imposed on imported and exported goods to pay for wars in Europe. Paying less for highly taxed commodities like brandy, gin, wine, tea, beautiful fabrics, perfumes, tobacco, etc. interested every level of society but especially the poor living in rural communities who were often close to starvation.
Places on the coast of Kent which were known landing places were St. Margaret at Cliffe, Deal, Reculver, Herne Bay and Pegwell Bay, Ramsgate. The goods then had to be conveyed through the countryside, towns and villages to major cities in relays, by wagons, horses, hidden in special clothing by people like ‘the tub man’ or ladies suddenly very pregnant and in various places – such as caves, graves, church crypts, cellars and tunnels - Cobham Hall, not far from Gravesend, is said to have connecting tunnels. The Star & Eagle pub in Goudhurst was well known as a meeting place of the notorious Hawkhurst Gang. Nobody wanted to get on the wrong side of the smuggling gangs so looked the other way – a mother says to her child in a poem by Rudyard Kipling “Watch the wall my darling while the gentlemen go by”. Mark showed us photographs of hidden windows where warnings could be given if customs men were about. Other warning methods included brooms up chimneys, positions of sails on windmills and imitations of animal calls – such as used by The Owlers of Reculver.
The vessels used by smugglers were luggers, painted black and made of fir for lightness and speed and fitted with hidden compartments, sailed even in bad weather by skilful seamen. They could outrun the heavier cutters used by The Customs ‘revenue men’. Boats captured by Customs were sawn in half – possibly to be upturned and used as Peggotty’s dwelling as described in David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Flashes between the vessels and landing areas signalled that ‘the coast was clear’. The goods were often concealed underwater to be collected later. A painting by J. W. Turner is said to show contraband being recovered at Folkestone.
The death penalty, heavy fines, long prison sentences, deportation to The Colonies - or during an amnesty in 1782 - recruited to The Navy faced smugglers who were caught by Customs. The free trade policies in the mid 1800’s when import duties were slashed reduced smuggling activities, though not entirely.
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser
Next meeting will be Wednesday 2nd August
'Expecting the unexpected.'
Carol Harris tells us about Public Health during WW1 and WW2
Who hasn’t been intrigued by tales of smugglers with their daring-do attitude and portrayal in books, films and TV series as loveable rogues just trying to feed their families in hard times. In his excellent well illustrated presentation to Swanley History Group at our July meeting Mark Lewis gave a very full picture of their activities in Kent during the 18th and 19th centuries – including their far from jolly behaviour and actions. Vicious barons, compared to characters like The Krays, ruled their gang members through fear. They spared no mercy to informers and customs officers were often under their control too.
Although occurring in earlier times, smuggling was especially rife during the 18th and up to the mid 19th century, due the excessively high taxes imposed on imported and exported goods to pay for wars in Europe. Paying less for highly taxed commodities like brandy, gin, wine, tea, beautiful fabrics, perfumes, tobacco, etc. interested every level of society but especially the poor living in rural communities who were often close to starvation.
Places on the coast of Kent which were known landing places were St. Margaret at Cliffe, Deal, Reculver, Herne Bay and Pegwell Bay, Ramsgate. The goods then had to be conveyed through the countryside, towns and villages to major cities in relays, by wagons, horses, hidden in special clothing by people like ‘the tub man’ or ladies suddenly very pregnant and in various places – such as caves, graves, church crypts, cellars and tunnels - Cobham Hall, not far from Gravesend, is said to have connecting tunnels. The Star & Eagle pub in Goudhurst was well known as a meeting place of the notorious Hawkhurst Gang. Nobody wanted to get on the wrong side of the smuggling gangs so looked the other way – a mother says to her child in a poem by Rudyard Kipling “Watch the wall my darling while the gentlemen go by”. Mark showed us photographs of hidden windows where warnings could be given if customs men were about. Other warning methods included brooms up chimneys, positions of sails on windmills and imitations of animal calls – such as used by The Owlers of Reculver.
The vessels used by smugglers were luggers, painted black and made of fir for lightness and speed and fitted with hidden compartments, sailed even in bad weather by skilful seamen. They could outrun the heavier cutters used by The Customs ‘revenue men’. Boats captured by Customs were sawn in half – possibly to be upturned and used as Peggotty’s dwelling as described in David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Flashes between the vessels and landing areas signalled that ‘the coast was clear’. The goods were often concealed underwater to be collected later. A painting by J. W. Turner is said to show contraband being recovered at Folkestone.
The death penalty, heavy fines, long prison sentences, deportation to The Colonies - or during an amnesty in 1782 - recruited to The Navy faced smugglers who were caught by Customs. The free trade policies in the mid 1800’s when import duties were slashed reduced smuggling activities, though not entirely.
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser
Next meeting will be Wednesday 2nd August
'Expecting the unexpected.'
Carol Harris tells us about Public Health during WW1 and WW2