The Sussex Smuggler

The Landguard:Smuggling in the 18th Century. When it comes down to the subject of 18th century Smuggling, not much is mentioned about the unsung heroes of the Landguard. There are not to many public houses or taverns called 'The Riding Officer' ,but plenty called or referring to smuggling.  The Riding Officers and the Landguard had it tough, it was a thankless task and with the odds stacked against the Riding Officers. Those brave enough executing the job were open to corruption and danger. One such example of how dangerous being a Riding Officer was in 1740 Thomas Carswell found a stash of tea in a barn at Etchingham, East Sussex after shadowing its landing by none other than the Hawkhurst gang at Bulverhythe, Hastings. Carswell with assistance of some Dragoons recovered the tea from a barn and started to convey the tea to Hastings Customs house. However, 'Trip' Stanford, who was leading this particular landing received word about Carswell taking the tea. The  intoxica...

 The story of the Wreck of the VOC ship The Amsterdam, Bulverhythe, Hastings, East Sussex. The VOC Ship The Amsterdam (Replica). The story of the VOC ship the Amsterdam is one of movie proportions, However, I do hope Hollywood never get the rights to make it ! But it is still surprising a film has never been made ! The story takes on a three month maiden voyage of the VOC mirror ship (East Indiaman)  the Amsterdam. There are some technical pronunciations and titles I need to explain to the reader of this blog. Lets start with the abbreviation VOC. The abbreviation VOC stands for  Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC)  or in English, United East India Company. A mirror ship in short term is a ship owned and sailed by the VOC that took currency such as gold, silver, raw materials and soldiers to Batavia and other parts of the Dutch empire. Then returned with the purchased goods to the Netherlands. The VOC ship The Amsterdam (Replica). The Amsterdam was completed in 17...

  Stand and Deliver. Money or your life ! Mail Coach Robbed outside of East Grinstead ! So the newspaper headline read in July 1801. Residents of East Grinstead will be familiar today with the road called Wall Hill Road, outside Ashurstwood village long before the current A22 road was built. There must have been absolute shock and horror of the incident through Sussex at the time. The singleton driver left with his cart from Lewes with the overnight mail on the 20th of July 1801 for East Grinstead. The route would take the cart up through Ashdown Forest through Forest Row and then up the steep incline to East Grinstead via Wall Hill road where the coach was stopped by two men "Stand and deliver. Money or your life." One cried out. The singleton driver pulled back on the reins and put the cart break on as pistols from two silhouettes were directed at him. No mail was worth  taking a shot. With the crime now committed We now learn the two silhouettes were in fact John Beatson, ...

The Hawkhurst Gang Season 1 Episode 5  The trio of Murders ! Following the Crown's humiliation of the raid on the Poole customs house, the authorities issued a reward of five hundred pounds (Approx ninety thousand pounds in today's money according to the Bank of England inflation calculator) for information leading to the conviction of those involved.  Daniel Chater saw his chance following his casual and unexpected meet with Diamond at Fordingbridge. Upon splitting up after the Poole raid some of the gang namely John 'Smoker' Mills and Jeremiah 'Butler' Curtis chose a different route via Slindon Common and stashed tea at a barn. On 13th of January 1748 they returned for their stash of tea and found the innocent Richard Hawkins working out of the barn thrashing corn. Mills and Curtis accused Hawkins of stealing their tea. Hawkins denied it. The Hawkhurst pair produced their pistols and forced Richard Hawkins to go with them to the Dog and Partridge pub at Slindo...