Smuggling Villagers
Smuggling was an integral part of every day village life, providing much needed extra income to boost the meagre incomes from work on the land.
These extracts from The Corporation archives show some of the goods and activities for which Newchurch villagers were caught and punished.
Smuggled Goods
John Woodlands of Newchurch was fined ￡100, reduced by mitigation on confessing by ￡25 with ￡4.5s.0d expenses
For the forfeiture of 43 gallons and 1 quart of foreign brandy and 40 gallons of foreign geneva seized the same being Run Goods liable to the duties of Excise and the penalty of ￡100 incurred by knowingly harbouring keeping and concealing the same contrary to the form of the statute in Kent, case made and provided and confessed
Suspected
Suspect that contraband goods are fraudulently hid and concealed in some place or places in or about the said house of John Cole in parish of Newchurch with intent to defraud H.M. of the duties thereon. Hath received information to that effect R.Haynes Sworn 16/9/1825
Suspect that contraband goods are fraudulently hid and concealed in some place or places in or about the said house of Richard John in the parish of Newchurch with intent to defraud H.M. of the duties thereon. Hath received information to that effect. R.Haynes Sworn 16/9/1825
Suspect that contraband goods are fraudulently hid and concealed in some place or places in or about the said house of William Joules in the parish of Newchurch with intent to defraud H.M. of the duties thereon. Hath received information to that effect R . Haynes Sworn 16/9/1825
‘The Creepers’, Ogden’s ‘Smuggling’ Cigarette Card c.1920. Collection of Dover Museum.
Barrels of contraband were towed by a boat, weighted and dropped just offshore by smugglers. There they remained, anchored, to be collected later, when the revenue men were not looking. Here officers are seeking the hidden barrels.
Tub Men carried barrels of contraband overland from the boats to the smugglers stores.
Ogden’s ‘Smuggling’ Cigarette Card c.1920. Collection of Dover Museum.