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Dark Markets Observatory
Smuggling Prosecutions in England and Wales c. 1722-1732
This is a raw version of the data that was transcribed and compiled from reports ordered by the British House of Commons in 1733. In that year and following debate over the Excise Bill, the House ordered a summary of all prosecutions for smuggling throughout England, Wales, and Scotland for the preceding 10 years.
While the Scottish report has not yet been located, the reports for England and Wales were found
at the National Archive, Kew, England (references T64/146-149).
Corrected data will be provided in early March, 2026
If you think this data might be useful, please feel free to email me with ideas about formatting, visualizations or connections with other sources. If you detect errors, please also let me know. dasmith@wlu.ca
Thanks to Jessica Duncan and Nicholas Morrison for their excellent assistance putting together this database. Jessica used TransKribus to create the transcription and Nicholas proofed the copy.
This research is supported in part by funding from Canada's Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Index | Year | Persons | Place | County | Circumstances | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
65 | 1726 | Edward Long | Walton on the Naze | Essex | Imported & Run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted for these & other frauds - Sandall & Batney became Evidences Process Issued against Frost, Hullock & Richard Bruce but they absconded & could not be taken. We never knew where Samuel Golding was to be met with - a verdict was obtained agt Joseph Bruce upon another Information & he run away - a verdict was obtain'd agt Edward Langrum & he is Charg'd in Execution in the Fleet prison - Edward Long was arrested & Judgmt was obtained upon his Bail Bond & he paid the money Recoverd. Prosecution Stopt agt Eady on Account of his poverty. |
65 | 1726 | Joseph Bruce | Walton on the Naze | Essex | Imported & run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted for these & other frauds - Sandall & Batney became Evidences Process Issued against Frost, Hullock & Richard Bruce but they absconded & could not be taken. We never knew where Samuel Golding was to be met with - a verdict was obtained agt Joseph Bruce upon another Information & he run away - a verdict was obtain'd agt Edward Langrum & he is Charg'd in Execution in the Fleet prison - Edward Long was arrested & Judgmt was obtained upon his Bail Bond & he paid the money Recoverd. Prosecution Stopt agt Eady on Account of his poverty. |
65 | 1726 | Abraham Hullock | Walton on the Naze | Essex | Imported & run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted for these & other frauds - Sandall & Batney became Evidences Process Issued against Frost, Hullock & Richard Bruce but they absconded & could not be taken. We never knew where Samuel Golding was to be met with - a verdict was obtained agt Joseph Bruce upon another Information & he run away - a verdict was obtain'd agt Edward Langrum & he is Charg'd in Execution in the Fleet prison - Edward Long was arrested & Judgmt was obtained upon his Bail Bond & he paid the money Recoverd. Prosecution Stopt agt Eady on Account of his poverty. |
65 | 1726 | John Sandall | Walton on the Naze | Essex | Imported & run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted for these & other frauds - Sandall & Batney became Evidences Process Issued against Frost, Hullock & Richard Bruce but they absconded & could not be taken. We never knew where Samuel Golding was to be met with - a verdict was obtained agt Joseph Bruce upon another Information & he run away - a verdict was obtain'd agt Edward Langrum & he is Charg'd in Execution in the Fleet prison - Edward Long was arrested & Judgmt was obtained upon his Bail Bond & he paid the money Recoverd. Prosecution Stopt agt Eady on Account of his poverty. |
65 | 1726 | John Frost | Walton on the Naze | Essex | Imported & run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted for these & other frauds - Sandall & Batney became Evidences Process Issued against Frost, Hullock & Richard Bruce but they absconded & could not be taken. We never knew where Samuel Golding was to be met with - a verdict was obtained agt Joseph Bruce upon another Information & he run away - a verdict was obtain'd agt Edward Langrum & he is Charg'd in Execution in the Fleet prison - Edward Long was arrested & Judgmt was obtained upon his Bail Bond & he paid the money Recoverd. Prosecution Stopt agt Eady on Account of his poverty. |
65 | 1726 | John Batney | Walton on the Naze | Essex | Imported & Run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted for these & other frauds - Sandall & Batney became Evidences Process Issued against Frost, Hullock & Richard Bruce but they absconded & could not be taken. We never knew where Samuel Golding was to be met with - a verdict was obtained agt Joseph Bruce upon another Information & he run away - a verdict was obtain'd agt Edward Langrum & he is Charg'd in Execution in the Fleet prison - Edward Long was arrested & Judgmt was obtained upon his Bail Bond & he paid the money Recoverd. Prosecution Stopt agt Eady on Account of his poverty. |
66 | 1726 | Samuel Stanton | Near Berwick upon Tweed | Northumberland | Imported & Run without payment of Duty | was prosecuted for this Fraud & Compounded. |
67 | 1726 | Robert Cornthwaite | at Arnside in Westmoreland | Westmorland | Imported & Run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted for this fraud & Evins & Thos Cornthwaite were Serv'd with process & ye other two could not be taken But all these persons being very poor Seafaring men no further proceedings were had |
67 | 1726 | Thomas Cornthwaite | at Arnside in Westmoreland | Westmorland | Imported & Run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted for this fraud & Evins & Thos Cornthwaite were Serv'd with process & ye other two could not be taken But all these persons being very poor Seafaring men no further proceedings were had |
67 | 1726 | Thomas Evins | at Arnside in Westmoreland | Westmorland | Imported & Run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted for this fraud & Evins & Thos Cornthwaite were Serv'd with process & ye other two could not be taken But all these persons being very poor Seafaring men no further proceedings were had |
68 | 1726 | John Dorman | Warnfield in Suffolk near Harwich
Ravenstone in Essex
Beardsey Cliffe in Suffolk
Hayfleet Waters Essex | Suffolk | Imported & Run without payment of Duty | These persons were Severally prosecuted on Account of these & other frauds - for Several different parcels of the Goods - John Frost absconded & could not be taken - John Dorman became a Witness - Haylaid was arrested & Isaac Cobb Compounded - Thomas Eve, John Copsey became Witnesses - John Sayers could not be taken John Cooper was arrested & Sent to Gaol. A Verdict was Obtain'd against Man Gretham & he was Charg'd in Execution thereon in the Fleet prison as herein before mentioned |
68 | 1726 | John Copsey | Warnfield in Suffolk near Harwich
Ravenstone in Essex
Beardsey Cliffe in Suffolk
Hayfleet Waters Essex | Suffolk | Imported & Run without payment of Duty | These persons were Severally prosecuted on Account of these & other frauds - for Several different parcels of the Goods - John Frost absconded & could not be taken - John Dorman became a Witness - Haylaid was arrested & Isaac Cobb Compounded - Thomas Eve, John Copsey became Witnesses - John Sayers could not be taken John Cooper was arrested & Sent to Gaol. A Verdict was Obtain'd against Man Gretham & he was Charg'd in Execution thereon in the Fleet prison as herein before mentioned |
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