Cornwall Smugglers
 Excise / Revenue Men and Coast Guard
From the 17th & 18th Centuries  

Whilst researching his families history, Mike Nancollas put together the following from his research. I am grateful to him for allowing me to place it on the site.

CORNISH SMUGGLERS

IN THE REIGNS OF GEORGE I AND II

By Mike Nancollas

Smuggling was such an accepted feature of Cornish life up the eighteenth century that If must figure in many a family history. Yet It Is surprisingly difficult to find full records. There are two main reasons for this. One is the lack of records of quarter sessions and assizes for the County Court during this period. The other is that many smuggling cases were tried in the. Court of Exchequer for penalties rather than as criminal cases, and by a legal fiction were put down as having occurred at Ratcliffe in Middlesex so that the Cornish location cannot easily be discovered.

So when one does make a lucky find, it is all the more valuable. For instance, among the Treasury records at the Public Record Office, Kew, is a book (T.64/148) listing all prosecutions for penalties and duties commenced in ‘the Western Part of England and Wales, Kent & Sussex’ between Trinity Term l725, and the first day of Easter Term, 1730.

The book lists the names of the alleged Smugglers, with places and in many cases occupations, together with the’ goods they are said to have smuggled, and the penalty Imposed (normally a multiple of the unpaid duty) or whether the case was dropped for some reasons

As a personal footnote, I was consulting this book to find any smugglers from Polperro. There were none, which may or may not suggest that members of this notorious smuggling community were simply• not being caught.

I list below (with the usual kind permission of the Controller of HM Stationery Office) the Cornish names which I noted:

Arnold, Richd (Bodmyn, ~inn keeper)

Avery, John (Betreaux Castle, mariner, of the ‘Sarah a Betty)

Avery, Robt (Botreeux Castle, maltster)

Avery, Tho., sen. (Betreaux Castle, miller)

Avery, Thos. iun. (Betreux Castle)

Baker, Henry (St Austle, yeomen)

Beauford, Jos. (Parish of Maker)

Bond, John (St Austle, yeoman)

Common, John, junior (St Austle)

Congden, Jons. (St Austle, marIner)

Couch, John (Tywardreath, yeoman)

Couch, Nathl (Fowey, Shopkeeper)

Couch, Thos. (Tywardreath, yeoman)

Dawny, John (Truro, shopkeeper)

Dickenson, John (Falmouth)

French, Christopher (near Parr, master of a vessel)

Fox Geo. (Parr, merchant)

George, Henry (Flushing, nr Falmouth, Mariner)

Harris, Geo. (psh Grade)

Higgman, William (Pentuan, yeoman)

Higman, Michl (Pentuan, mariner)

Hoskins, Henry (Polpean)

James, John (St Kevern, yeoman)

James, William (Gorran Haven, minter of the ‘William & Sarah)

Jones, Walter (Truro, haberdasher)

Jose, Arthur (Bodmyn, innkeeper)

Jose, Arthur (near Fowey)

Keilgle, John (Mevigezzy, gent.)

Lerrebee, Mary (Budock, sp.)

Lucy, William (Pentuan, mariner)

Melllsh, Benja. (Fowey)

Merryfield, John (Bodmyn, mercer)

Morcomb, John, jun. (Falmouth)

Morecomb, John, sen. (Falmouth)

Nancollas, Oliver (St Austle, clothier)

Opey Fras jun.( Pentuan, mariner

Parkynson, in. (Lostwithiel, apothecary)

Pennlngton, Robert (Bodmyn, mercer)

Reed, Edward (Gwenap)

Reed, Edward (Gwenap)

Roberts, John (Truro)

Rower, Philip (Falmouth)

Scantlebury, Edward (psh of St Austle, labr)

Stevens, John (Falmouth)

Stevens, Thos. (Falmouth)

Teague, Martin (Famouth)

Thomas, Edward (Falmouth)

Tingcomb, Arthur (Landsellas)

Tredwyn Wm (Bodmyn)

Trevillian, George (master of the Restoracion sloop of Falmouth)

Tucker, Wm (St Blazey, InnKeeper)

Webber, John (Parr)

Whitter, Gideon (PoIle Carris near Fowey)