Smuggling has a long, rich history in England - and one that can seem more like folklore than reality. Let's take a look at...
- Cruel Coppinger
- Lovey Warne
- The Jamaica Inn
- The Moonrakers of Wiltshire
- The Phantoms of Hadleigh Castle
- William "Hard Apple" Blythe of Paglesham
- The Ghost of Finnygook Beach
- The King of Prussia Cove
- The Smugglers of Romney Marsh
- The Tunnels of Robin Hood's Bay
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| Cornwall's coast lends itself to covert landings... (Marc Markstein) |
1. Cruel Coppinger
The coast of England's Cornwall was once a perfect haven for those involved in the smuggling trade. Rugged rocky coves and a surfeit of caves made it a great place to land and unload cargo that entrepreneurs wished to keep out of sight.
It was on to this cost that Cruel Coppinger (or Copinger) washed up. The biography "The Vicar of Morwenstow" by Sabine Baring-Gould tells the story of Coppinger's arrival, shipwrecked on the Cornish coast by a terrible storm that came up the English Channel from the south-west. The only survivor from the broken up vessel was the skipper, who (the story goes) rushed from the waves and leapt onto the horse of Dinah Hamlyn, a young lady who'd come to look at the wreck. The horse took both Hamlyn and the strange to her home, where the stranger announced that he was a Dane by the name of Coppinger.
Coppinger must have had a magnetic personality - not only did the Hamlyn home open its doors to him, before long he had secured the hand of Dinah... and when her father died, he took over the running of the Hamlyn estate. Before long he'd turned the place into a refuge for smugglers, cutthroats and never-do-wells of all stripes.
He didn't face much opposition - there wasn't any other local nobility or gentlemen, while the local customs officials lacked the manpower to interfere... especially after an overconfident officer had his head lopped off by one of Coppinger's cronies!
At some point Coppinger managed to secure a new ship for himself, a vessel called "The Black Prince." Coppinger used his own unique take on witness protection to help man his ship, abducting anyone he thought would prove troublesome or inform against him and forcing them to enroll as crew alongside hardened smugglers and pirates.
His domination of the area around Steeple Brink was almost absolute. He put a curfew on the use of certain paths (Coppinger's Tracks) and used an isolated cave (Coppinger's Cave) accessible only by rope ladder to store his booty.
Eventually Coppinger became worried by the increasing number of official armed cutters seen sailing in the area - a wrecker described seeing him sail off into the sunset on a mysterious ship, into the teeth of a storm like the one that heralded his arrival in the first place.
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| Smugglers often passed through the New Forest... (Annie Spratt) |
2. Lovey Warne
Though many smugglers could be downright nasty, smuggling (or "free trading") itself was sometimes (arguably often) viewed favorably by the common folk of England. In many places people would turn a blind eye when smugglers were going about their activities... or sometimes actively warn the criminals about the presence of lawmen.The Warne family of the New Forest were elbow deep in the smuggling business - and while her brothers helped move contraband through the woods, Lovey took a less direct route. She'd go for harmless, innocent walks through the countryside, often ending up on places like Verely Hill. Coincidentally, the hill offered a fantastic vantage point and Lovey would turn her cloak inside out (revealing a scarlet lining) if she saw the revenue officers on patrol - a warning signal her brothers could see from afar.
She eventually took a direct role. She'd find an excuse to board a vessel carrying contraband, go below decks and strip-off. She'd then have silks and other valuable contraband wrapped around her body, before donning her dress once more and returning to shore - after all, who would demand a young lady strip off on suspicion that she was a parcel of smuggled fabrics?
One story actually claims that she was nearly uncovered by a rather forwards customs officer who offered to buy her a drink and then started getting handsy, getting dangerously close to discovering the fabric hidden beneath her garb. The feisty Warne responded with a swift elbow to the eye, then made herself scarce while the innkeeper kept the officer distracted by "tending" to the injured eye!
It's thought that Lovey Warne may have frequented a particular pub (once a 17th century blacksmith, then the Booth's Arms and finally the Queen's Head) rumored to be a haven for smugglers... and builders uncovered a hidden cellar, filled with contraband, pistols and coins while carrying out renovations!
3. The Jamaica Inn
The Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor has a long history with smuggling. Those moving contraband found its isolated location a fine place to rest on the long Journey from the Cornish coast to Bristol or London, where the goods could be stored in hidden rooms, compartments and even tap-room barrels.The inn also has a fair haul of paranormal lore, mostly stemming from the shady dealings that it witnessed. Reports of the noises from a horse and cart at night, unexplained footsteps, voices and the sound of barrels being rolled and a figure in a tricorn hat with a penchant for walking through walls are only some of the folklore.
There's also been reports of a strange, unresponsive man sitting outside the inn. Some connect this to a murder over a century ago, when a man was summoned outside and left his half-drunk ale on the counter. He never returned, and was found dead on the moor the next morning.
I've actually been to the Jamaica Inn myself, but I didn't see anything that I'd deem otherworldly!
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| Wiltshire smugglers pretended to be fishing for the Moon's reflection rather than contraband... (Marius Niveri) |
4. The Moonrakers of WiltshireThe people of Wiltshire are sometimes nicknamed "Moonrakers" - and the reason goes back to smuggling.
Wiltshire was famed for its wool between the 15th and 18th centuries, with merchants traveling across Europe to broker deals. Many of these would-be buyers were of Dutch or Flemish origin, and the story goes that they favored Holland-style gin as a drink.
Unfortunately for the publicans of England, there was a heavy import duty on the spirit - so naturally, people took to smuggling gin to supply the merchants. Barrels would be brought to the Hampshire coast, then smuggled inland as the opportunity arose. Sometimes they'd need to be hidden for a while - the smugglers used both church crypts (I guess the clergy liked a bit of gin as well) and overgrown ponds as storage places.
The story goes that one night a group of smugglers were in the process of fishing barrels back out of a pond when they were surprised by a group of customs officers. Thinking quickly, they put on their best "hapless rustic" act and claimed that they'd seen a piece of the Moon fall into the pond, and were trying to hook it out. Other versions had the smugglers tell the officers that they were attempting to rake the Moon's reflection to get some cheese.
The bluff seems to have bene successful - convinced they were dealing with a bunch of rural buffoons rather than smugglers, the customs men left them be!
5. The Phantoms of Hadleigh Castle
Hadleigh Castle holds an odd distinction in that it was used as a base of operations both by smugglers and customs officials.Local tales claim that multiple tunnels led from the castle (some over a mile in length) allowing smugglers to take contraband a fair distance in and out of town with the risks of prying eyes. The towers were later used by revenue officers, who hoped to spot smugglers crossing the countryside form their elevated position!
There's also a legend about a pair of phantoms known as the White Lady and the Black Man. These entities always seemed to make an appearance around the time that a shipment of contraband was being moved.... which seems awfully convenient, given that the smugglers would have benefited from a scary distraction. There's also the fact that the White Lady is said to have struck a milkmaid that got too close over the head with a bucket - which seems like a decidedly earthly approach from an otherworldly creature!
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| William Blythe supposedly left a customs inspection carrying more contraband than he started with! (v2osk) |
6. William "Hard Apple" Blythe of Paglesham
William Blythe (or Blyth) was an oysterman, a shopkeeper, a constable, a member of the parish council, possibly a magistrate and a smuggler who would sail across to Dunkirk and bring back contraband.
The story goes that Blythe's boat was cornered by customs men, and Blyth seemingly surrendered. He allowed them to board and, as a gesture of good will, sat with the officers and plied them with drink while his men moved their contraband onto the customs launch. Satisfied with the outcome, the officials let Blythe sail on his merry way - failing to notice that his ship was low in the water.
When the intoxicated officials eventually got round to checking their hold, they found it to be rather barren. Blythe's crew had carried their contraband aboard, collected the cargo from the customs boat and brought it all back onto Blythe's ship!
Finny was a prolific purveyor of contraband who avoided official notice for some time. He did this by dressing as a woman - clad in a dress and face-concealing bonnet, he'd stroll around with an accomplice called Joan Finn (who may have been his wife) while running his illicit business empire.
Eventually Finny was caught red-handed by revenue officers... and rather than face the gallows, he cut a deal with the officers to lure his fellow smugglers to their doom. His former compatriots came ashore when Finny signaled that the coast was clear, only to be captured by the waiting revenue officers.
Legend has it that Finny haunts the beach named after him, tormented by the memory of his betrayal!
The family were well liked. Not only were they adept sailors, John and his brothers were religious and preached - one even held services on the quay for fellow smugglers. Despite their criminal habits, they also seemed to have a warped sense of honor - on one occasion, a customs raid on Prussia Cove resulted in a haul of contraband being confiscated. Carter subsequently raided the customs house and took every bit of contraband they had lost, but left everything he didn't consider his!
The story goes that Blythe's boat was cornered by customs men, and Blyth seemingly surrendered. He allowed them to board and, as a gesture of good will, sat with the officers and plied them with drink while his men moved their contraband onto the customs launch. Satisfied with the outcome, the officials let Blythe sail on his merry way - failing to notice that his ship was low in the water.
When the intoxicated officials eventually got round to checking their hold, they found it to be rather barren. Blythe's crew had carried their contraband aboard, collected the cargo from the customs boat and brought it all back onto Blythe's ship!
7. The Ghost of Finnygook Beach
Adjacent to the coastal village of Portwrinkle in Cornwall lies Finnygook Beach. You might be wondering about the strange name - it's not made up, but instead is a legacy of the smuggler Silas Finn or "Finny."Finny was a prolific purveyor of contraband who avoided official notice for some time. He did this by dressing as a woman - clad in a dress and face-concealing bonnet, he'd stroll around with an accomplice called Joan Finn (who may have been his wife) while running his illicit business empire.
Eventually Finny was caught red-handed by revenue officers... and rather than face the gallows, he cut a deal with the officers to lure his fellow smugglers to their doom. His former compatriots came ashore when Finny signaled that the coast was clear, only to be captured by the waiting revenue officers.
Legend has it that Finny haunts the beach named after him, tormented by the memory of his betrayal!
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| Prussia Cove... (Graham Powell-Wood) |
8. The King of Prussia Cove
Cornwall's Prussia Cove (once known as Portleah) was once the haunt of the Carter family, with their leader John Carter becoming locally known as "The King of Prussia." The cove was an excellent place for cargo to come ashore without scrutiny - and could even be defended with a cliff-top gun battery if a revenue office cutter got a bit too nosy!The family were well liked. Not only were they adept sailors, John and his brothers were religious and preached - one even held services on the quay for fellow smugglers. Despite their criminal habits, they also seemed to have a warped sense of honor - on one occasion, a customs raid on Prussia Cove resulted in a haul of contraband being confiscated. Carter subsequently raided the customs house and took every bit of contraband they had lost, but left everything he didn't consider his!
9. The Smugglers of Romney Marsh
Romney Marsh lies on the south-east coast of England, touching the English Channel - which made it (and the adjacent town of Rye) a popular haunt of smugglers.That's not to say they had things easy. Authorities were well aware of the contraband trade and plenty of customs officers were stationed in the area and by 1822 there were twenty-eight officers present in Rye. Smuggling gangs kept operating regardless - the Mermaid Inn in Rye was known to be the base of the Hawkhurst Gang, and anyone looking into their activities ran a high risk of turning up dead.
It seems that almost everyone in the region (except the customs officers) was pro smuggling. Even the churches of the region would make their vaults available for contraband storage (presumably for a generous donation on the collection plate.)
There's actually a wall-painting of a ship inside the church of St. Dunstan at Snargate, which some claimed was an advertisement to smugglers. In reality the mural was probably a reference to the ship-building trade... but in 1743 customs found a haul of tobacco in the belfry and a cask of Holland-style gin hidden in the vestry!
One 19th century smuggling group in the area was the Aldington gang (otherwise known as the Blues.) They had several run-ins with the law, including at the Battle of Brookland (featuring around 250 smugglers against the customs men) along the betrayal and arrest of a later leader called George Ransley. Ransley and his compatriots plead guilty and were sentenced to hang... but evidence presented at the trial incriminated members of high society, so the gang were quietly shipped off to Tasmania instead!
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| St Thomas a Becket Church on Romney Marsh is thought to have been part of the smuggling trade... (Zoltan Tasi) |
10. The Tunnels of Robin Hood's Bay
Robin Hood's Bay sits on the coast of North Yorkshire. The name itself is a bit of an enigma - some local tales claim that the folk hero Robin Hood saved the locals from French pirates or Danish raiders, while others claim that Robin Hood was actually the name of a local forest spirit.What we do know is that the village was involved in smuggling. Sometime around the 18th century it was said that every local had some affiliation with the contraband trade, whether moving goods through underground tunnels from the harbor to the clifftops, fighting customs officers, transporting containers of alcohol beneath skirts or simply dumping scalding hot water out of high-windows onto officials patrolling the streets!
The idea of a town riddled with underground passages may seem far fetched, but it seems that there's archeological evidence to back it up. Surveys of the area have revealed a large number of what looks like bricked up passages. There's also the King's Beck Tunnel beneath the Bay Hotel - branching off from the main drain, this side tunnel is topped with what looks like wooden floorboards. It would have been the work of a moment to lift a board and pass through a package of contraband, and this is thought to have been one of the ways smugglers moved goods from house to house!