Kings Cutters and Smugglers 1700-1855

King's Cutters and Smugglers
1700-1855

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1700-1855, by E. Keble Chatterton
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Title: King's Cutters and Smugglers 1700-1855
Author: E. Keble Chatterton

Release Date: January 21, 2006 [eBook #17563]
Language: English
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KING'S CUTTERS AND SMUGGLERS 1700-1855
by
E. KEBLE CHATTERTON Author of "Sailing Ships and Their Story,"
"The Romance of the Ship" "The Story of the British Navy," "Fore and
Aft," Etc.
With 33 Illustrations and Frontispiece in Colours

[Illustration: REVENUE CRUISER CHASING SMUGGLING
LUGGER. Before firing on a smuggler the cruiser was bound to hoist
his Revenue colours--both pennant and ensign--no matter whether day
or night. (from the original painting by Charles Dixon, R.I.)]

London George Allen & Company, Ltd. 44 & 45 Rathbone Place 1912
[All rights reserved] Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co. At the
Ballantyne Press, Edinburgh

PREFACE
I have in the following pages endeavoured to resist the temptation to
weave a web of pleasant but unreliable fiction round actual occurrences.
That which is here set forth has been derived from facts, and in almost

every case from manuscript records. It aims at telling the story of an
eventful and exciting period according to historical and not imaginative
occurrence. There are extant many novels and short stories which have
for their heroes the old-time smugglers. But the present volume
represents an effort to look at these exploits as they were and not as a
novelist likes to think they might have occurred.
Perhaps there is hardly an Englishman who was not thrilled in his
boyhood days by Marryat and others when they wrote of the King's
Cutters and their foes. It is hoped that the following pages will not
merely revive pleasant recollections but arouse a new interest in the
adventures of a species of sailing craft that is now, like the brig and the
fine old clipper-ship, past and done with.
The reader will note that in the Appendices a considerable amount of
interesting data has been collected. This has been rendered possible
only with great difficulty, but it is believed that in future years the
dimensions and details of a Revenue Cutter's construction, the sizes of
her spars, her tonnage, guns, &c., the number of her crew carried, the
names and dates of the fleets of cutters employed will have an
historical value which cannot easily be assessed in the present age that
is still familiar with sailing craft.
In making researches for the preparation of this volume I have to
express my deep sense of gratitude to the Honourable Commissioners
of the Board of Customs for granting me permission to make use of
their valuable records; to Mr. F.S. Parry C.B., Deputy Chairman of the
Board for his courtesy in placing a vast amount of data in my hands,
and for having elucidated a good many points of difficulty; and, finally,
to Mr. Henry Atton, Librarian of the Custom House, for his great
assistance in research.
E. KEBLE CHATTERTON.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE I. INTRODUCTION 1
II. THE EARLIEST SMUGGLERS 14
III. THE GROWTH OF SMUGGLING 40
IV. THE SMUGGLERS' METHODS 56
V. THE HAWKHURST GANG 82
VI. THE REVENUE CRUISERS 94
VII. CUTTERS AND SLOOPS 121
VIII. PREVENTIVE ORGANISATION 138
IX. CUTTERS' EQUIPMENT 157
X. THE INCREASE IN SMUGGLING 182
XI. THE SMUGGLERS AT SEA 199
XII. THE WORK OF THE CUTTERS 215
XIII. THE PERIOD OF INGENUITY 239
XIV. SOME INTERESTING ENCOUNTERS 257
XV. A TRAGIC INCIDENT 276
XVI. ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS 295
XVII. SMUGGLING BY CONCEALMENTS 320
XVIII. BY SEA AND LAND 339
XIX. ACTION AND COUNTER-ACTION 361
XX. FORCE AND CUNNING 379

APPENDICES 403

ILLUSTRATIONS
PLATES
REVENUE CRUISER CHASING SMUGGLING LUGGER Colour
frontispiece
FACING PAGE
A REPRESENTATION OF YE SMUGGLERS BREAKING OPEN
YE KING'S CUSTOM HOUSE AT POOLE 86
MR. GALLEY AND MR. CHATER PUT BY YE SMUGGLERS ON
ONE HORSE NEAR ROWLAND CASTLE 88
GALLEY AND CHATER FALLING OFF THEIR HORSE AT
WOODASH 88A
CHATER CHAINED IN YE TURFF HOUSE AT OLD MILLS'S 89
CHATER HANGING AT THE WELL IN LADY HOLT PARK, THE )
BLOODY