THE GOLDEN AGE OF SMUGGLING

Discover the age when the coasts of Britain were awash with illegal goods

- Callum McKelvie

From the picturesque cliffs of rural Cornwall, to the quaint harbour town of Poole – the shores of 18th and early 19th century Britain were dangerous places to be. Due to import taxes, smuggling was rife across the country.

Largely the work of a series of highly organised criminal gangs, they would stop at nothing, even murder, in the distribution of their illicit cargo. These smugglers used ingenious methods and their cruelty even earned some a place in popular folklore, notorious still to this day.

As a result this period has become known as the ‘golden age of smuggling’. A time in which all manner of items, from alcoholic spirits and tobacco to ordinary tea, were brought illicitly into the country. A vast and rich topic, we’ve selected some of the most blood curdling facts and chilling tales surrounding these vicious criminals. So come with us as we dip our toes into the murky waters of the smugglers.

WHY SMUGGLING? 

In 1651 and 1660, the Navigation Acts were introduced. These strict laws limited trade to exclusively British ships and meant only they could bring items in and out of the country. This was problematic enough, but the issue was compounded by the tendency of Georgian governments to use high taxes as a means to raise funds. These taxes could be placed on all sorts of goods, perhaps best demonstrated by the notorious tea tax, an astronomical 119%.