The Smugglers: Picturesque Chapters in the Story of an Ancient Craft

oad-Church-Towers as Smugglers' Cellars-The Drummer of Herstmonceux-Epitaph

us incident, in 1768; and on this occas

a "Chop-back" will rouse him to fury. But when a modern visitor, primed with such romance as this, timidly approaches one of these broad-shouldered and amply-paunched fishe

o chine. But the true facts of the case are laid to the account of some of the notorious Ruxley Gang, who in 1768 boarded a Dutch hoy, the Three Sisters, in mid-channel, on pretence of trading, and chopped the master, Peter Bootes, down the back wit

ers. The soldiers had strict orders to keep their mission secret, but the day after their arrival they were called out to arrest rioters who had violently assaulted the Mayor, whom they suspected of laying information against t

nce as well; and persons in the higher walks of the smuggling business, namely, those who financed it, and those others who largely purchased th

George Phillips, Mark Chatfield, Robert Webb, Thomas and Samuel Ailsbury, James and Richard Hyde, William Geary, alias Justice, alias George Wood, Thomas Knight, and Wil

a bloody affray which occurred on

opened fire without warning or demanding their goods. Two Dragoons were killed on the spot, and two others dangerously wounded. The smugglers then loaded up the goods and disappeared. A reward of ￡100 was at once offered by the Commissioners of Excise, with a pardon, for informers; and Lieutenant-Colonel H

nd the records of bloodshed and hard-fought encounters are fullest along the coasts

nland church-towers and churchyards enjoy the same reputation. Asked to account for this almost universal choice of a hiding-place by the smugglers, a parish clerk of that age supposed, truly enough, that it w

hat the population was so small and so little disposed to increase that a mere patching up of the ruins was sufficient for local needs. Moreover, the spiritual needs of the place were considered to be so small that Hove a

then lonely shore found the half-ruined church of Hove pe

and found, greatly to his surprise, that no bell was ringing to call th

sir," returned th

replied

then, s

n conviction that he had taken Preston last Sunday, an

sexton, beaten back into his last ditc

responded the vicar; "wha

if you must know, the church is full

nt was reported from Hove on Sunday, Oc

intent on securing their prize, nine of the smugglers leapt into the Hound's galley and escaped. Landing at Hove, seven of them got away at once, two being taken prisoners by some officers who were waiting for them. Upon this a large company of smugglers assembled,

The cargo of the smugglers consisted of 225 tubs

y drummer" of Herstmonceux, who was often heard and seen by terrified rustics whose way led them past the ruined castle at night, was a confederate of the Hastings and Eastbourne smugglers, to whom those roofless walls and the hoary tombs of the adjoining churchyard were valuable storehouses. Rubbed with a little phosphorus, and parading those spots once in a way with his drum, they soo

ose who fell, breathing curses and Divine vengeance on the persons who brought them to an untimely end. Thus at Tandridge, Surrey, near Godstone, may be seen a tall tombstone beside the south porch of t

o Murder, nor S

mands Jehov

etch, Without

ndous Maker

trength my

ugh Bound

to

objector to the word "wretch" has

taph on the north side of the church to Daniel

e memory of

nately shot on

ber 7

t flew the

through the yo

ell, resigne

is languid e

do this ston

t fall the

ad instance

meet Jeho

gling gang, who had had many narrow escap

e found an old stone, rapidly going to decay, bearin

ed of life by a base man, on the 20th o

to moulder in t

is not no

, as a matter of course, searched by these officials; but the boat boarded by them on this occasion belonged to Swain, who denied having any contraband goods aboard and refused to permit the search. So strenuous a refusal as Swain offered would seem, in those times, of itself sufficien

of All Saints, Hastings, be

s S

to the

Swain,

ed at the

rs of the

y of H

ation of hi

ath and as

indignation

anguinary

s the unoff

t by Geo.

rs employ'd

rvice in op

821 and almo

the twenty n

aving a Wid

ren to lame

for wilful murder at Horsham, and was se

and a great quantity of the most excellent spirits

r at sea, but from the subsequent trial of the crew of the smuggler. The Four Brothers was a Folkestone boat, and her crew of twenty-six were chiefly Folkestone men. She was a considerable vessel, having once been a French privateer, and was, as a privatee

ge in bales of 60 lb., and carried also a small consignment of brandy and gin, contained in 50 half-ankers, and 13 chests of tea-all destined for the south of

ves almost upon what they at first took to be French fishing-boats, and held unsuspiciously on her course. Suddenly, however, one of them ran a f

ainmast, and under small sail only, and accordingly, in disobeying

ter William Cullum, seaman, was killed aboard the Badger, and Lieutenant Nazer, in command, received a shot from a musket in the left shoulder. One man of the Four Brothers was killed outright, and nine wounded, but the fight w

d have their boats and personal belongings and be allowed to go ashore; but it seems scarce likely the Lieutenant could have promised so much. The Four Brothers was then taken into Dover Harbour and her crew sent aboard the Severn man-o'-war and kept in irons in the cockpit. Three of her wounded died there. The others, after a short interval, were again put aboard the Ba

hers, and his crew, nearly all of whom bore Dutch names, being charged with wilfully and feloniously firing on the revenue cutter Badger, o

say, were almost all English. At least one witness for the prosecution was afraid to appear in consequence of threats made by prisoners' friends, and an affidavit was put in to that effect. It appeared, in the evidence given by the commander of the Badger and oth

ts. For if neither of these facts existed, His Majesty's ship had no right to fire at their vessel. But if the jury believed that any part of the vessel was British property, or that one half of her crew were British subjects, then His Majesty's ship Badger, under the circumstances that had been proved, being on her duty, and having her proper colours flying, was

operty, and that more than one half the crew were foreigners. They were, accordingly, at once liberated, and returned to Folkestone in midst of great popula

between those places and Dover, and, if possible, liberate them. When they arrived in Dover, and their intention became known, a crowd of fisherfolk and longshore people swarmed out of the Dover alley-ways and reinforced them. Prominent among them were the women, who, as ever in cases of popular tumult, proved themselves the most violent and destructive among the mob. Nothing less than the destruction of the gaol was decided upon, and the more active spirits, leaving others to batter in

here their irons were knocked off, and then driven off in post chaise

nd a small party of marines in command of which was one Lieutenant Peat. A magistrate was sent for, who, amid a shower of stones, read the Riot Act. The Lieutenant hesitated to resort to extreme for