There were a number of serious incidents involving the preventative forces and smugglers, most prominently during the era of the Coast Blockade. These incidents are well documented in the Hastings Museum Archive Collection.

Galley Hill, inc. Martello Towers 39 and 44 (c.1870) Charles A. Graves
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The Sidley Green Incident 1828

On Thursday 3rd Jan 1828 upwards of 200 smugglers armed with bludgeons and firearms assembled at Galley Hill beach near Bexhill to receive 300 gal of brandy and 300 gal of foreign Geneva. Charles Collins, a Blockade man and Quartermaster of the HMS Hyperion attempted to intervene and was killed; others were wounded, including a Jeremiah Higgins and a Peter Welch who was found by a surgeon of the Blockade to be critically wounded. One smuggler was killed.

HASMG: 939.46.3

Letter from Charles Jones to Ltn. Green re. Holding the trial of the Bexhill smugglers at the Old Bailey (15th February 1828)
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In this instance the smugglers were betrayed by a fellow tubman, Charles Longhurst, who in a deposition held in the Hastings Museum Archive Collection, argued that he was approached at the Bell Public House, to procure labourers to carry the tubs, but apparently went home when he saw the crowd gathered on the beach. He named the chief offenders and the trial was eventually taken to the Old Bailey. The Hastings Museum Archive Collection holds various documents relating to the examinations, depositions and statements made at the pre trial hearing made on the Adder lying in Rye harbour, as well as commitments to the gaol at Horsham. Following the hearing eight men, some of whom were just 20 years old, were sentenced to death at the Old Bailey (all of whom pleaded guilty) however the charge was reduced to transportation.

HASMG: 2004.46.42

Martello Towers (1817) W. B. Cooke after J. M. Turner
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The Eastbourne Incident 1828

A similar incident occurred later that month, when, in the early hours of the morning, an armed party came down to the steps of the Eastbourne Watch House, guarded by Ltn. George Hawkins, and beat back his Quartermaster, William Cavanagh. Cavanagh retreated, but a fellow Blockade man, Thomas Reynolds, was badly wounded by a musket ball in the groin when he tried to assist. Stephen Dibbens, a seaman of the Blockade, was seized by the smugglers and repeatedly struck with muskets. Ltn. Pretyman went inshore with a party, but couldn’t find the smugglers, who had run over 240 tubs of contraband spirits.

HASMG: 896.7

Subpoena - Witnesses to testify at Old Bailey (23rd May 1828)
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Again Charles Longhurst testified against his accomplices and describes the activities of that night in a number of depositions held in the Hastings Museum Archive Collection. Once again the trial was heard at the Old Bailey and seven men were convicted, five of whom had been previously convicted for their involvement at Sidley Green.

HASMG: 2004.46.133

Miniature Print of Bulverhythe (c.1820) S. G. Prout
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The Smugglers Retaliate

Smugglers were not always foiled by the Blockade, in fact, more often than not; the smugglers foiled the Blockade men! In fact, The Blockade men were so disliked that when Divisional Lieutenant Green faced charges of false imprisonment he requested that the trial be held in Middlesex on the grounds that ‘a fair and impartial trial cannot be held in Sussex because of the general feeling of dislike towards the Blockade system’. The Hastings Museum Archive Collection holds records of various trials in which the smugglers used the violent inefficiency of the Blockade men to their advantage with the help of the ‘smugglers lawyer’, Langham.

HASMG: 980.109.6

Notice to Ltn. Green to produce the commitment of Wm Harmer (4th June 1828)
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For instance, when William Harmer found himself detained in custody by Ltn. Green (June 1828) as a witness to a smuggling incident at Saltdean, he avoided prosecution by claiming that he was imprisoned against his own will, rather than voluntarily, as was customary in such cases. Langham argued with the solicitors of the Admiralty that as Harmer had informed previously imprisonment was unnecessary and as such Harmer was released.

HASMG: 2004.46.10

Fishing Boats off the East Cliff (c.1847) engraving after C. F. Stanfield
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The Flying Devil 1829

In a similar case (February 1829) John Gilham and consorts, with the aid of Mr Langham, sued Blockade men Hastings Div Ltn. John Green and District Ltn. Westbrook (stationed at Tower 59, Pevensey) for false imprisonment. Considering the Flying Devil to have been stolen Green and Westbrook detained John Gilham and two other known smugglers on a charge of felony. They were arrested and confined, with no bed or bedding and insufficient food supplies. However, upon discovering the ship was in fact owned by Gilham they failed to release him and instead held him on a charge of having the King’s Stores in his possession.

HASMG: 941.4.28

Bill of costs, Shorter and Phillips to Ltn. Green (1829)
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Gilham then filed action against Westbrook and Green and although he was offered cash to settle he refused. A trial at Lewes sessions ensued; following which Ltn. Green was forced to bear not only his own costs, but the costs and damages of his co-defendant. The events leading up to the trial are documented through a series of letters between the litigants held in the Hastings Museum archive collection.

HASMG: 2004.46.231

Hastings Fishing Boat (1833), George Shepheard
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The Lugger Hope 1829

It is clear that the magistrates, who probably profited from the activities smuggling themselves, were invariably on the side of the smugglers. When John Page accused Ltn. Westbrook and Blockade man Morgan Shea of assault, on the evidence of a ‘sympathetic’ local surgeon, the Admiralty, despite producing very strong evidence to the contrary, lost the case.

HASMG: 945.85.19

Letter regarding the case of the Lugger Hope (20 October 1829)
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Both Westbrook and Shea received summons when a surgeon from Bexhill, Mr Britton, claimed that Page received injuries from a severe beating by Shea. However, when Page saw the naval surgeon, he was seen to be perfectly well! Still declaring he was ill, and that Shea stamped on his stomach, he insured that Shea was confined in gaol despite the fact that the naval surgeons considered Mr Britton’s claims to be ‘monstrously absurd’ and eventually had to pay damages, including surgeons fees!

HASMG: 2004.46.163

Smuggler, Leslie Badham, 19th century
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Smugglers Remembered

As this rather romantic painting by Badham suggests, despite the many violent incidences they were involved in, smugglers are still remembered in the collective imagination as modern day Robin Hoods, greatly revered for their bravery and courage in the face of adversity.

HASMG: 956.46.6

Further Reading

The entire collection can be viewed via Access to Archives. From the search page: under Location of Archives select 'Hastings Museum and Art Gallery' and click Search.