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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
95 | 1728 | Christopher Stamp | In Scate Road near Holy Island Durham | Durham | Imported and run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted on Accot of this fraud - Otter for Running the whole Goods & the other persons for Several Different parcels thereof - Otter, Brown & Stamp were arrested & sent to Goal Hayne absconded & could not be taken Watson, Younghusband, Lewen & Hogg Compounded. |
95 | 1728 | James Brown | In Scate Road near Holy Island Durham | Durham | Imported and run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted on Accot of this fraud - Otter for Running the whole Goods & the other persons for Several Different parcels thereof - Otter, Brown & Stamp were arrested & sent to Goal Hayne absconded & could not be taken Watson, Younghusband, Lewen & Hogg Compounded. |
95 | 1728 | William Watson | In Scate Road near Holy Island Durham | Durham | Imported and run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted on Accot of this fraud - Otter for Running the whole Goods & the other persons for Several Different parcels thereof - Otter, Brown & Stamp were arrested & sent to Goal Hayne absconded & could not be taken Watson, Younghusband, Lewen & Hogg Compounded. |
95 | 1728 | John Lewin | In Scate Road near Holy Island Durham | Durham | Imported and run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted on Accot of this fraud - Otter for Running the whole Goods & the other persons for Several Different parcels thereof - Otter, Brown & Stamp were arrested & sent to Goal Hayne absconded & could not be taken Watson, Younghusband, Lewen & Hogg Compounded. |
95 | 1728 | Mathew Hayne | In Scate Road near Holy Island Durham | Durham | Imported and run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted on Accot of this fraud - Otter for Running the whole Goods & the other persons for Several Different parcels thereof - Otter, Brown & Stamp were arrested & sent to Goal Hayne absconded & could not be taken Watson, Younghusband, Lewen & Hogg Compounded. |
96 | 1728 | Thomas Mason | On the Coast of Suffolk | Suffolk | Imported and run without payment of Duty | were prosecuted for this fraud but they absconded & could not be taken |
96 | 1728 | Thomas Franklyn | On the Coast of Suffolk | Suffolk | Imported and run without payment of Duty | were prosecuted for this fraud but they absconded & could not be taken |
97 | 1728 | George Bennett | On the Coast of Suffolk | Yorkshire | Imported and run without payment of Duty | was prosecuted for this Fraud but he absconded & could not be taken. |
98 | 1728 | Owen Edwards | near the Barr at Carnarvon | Carnarvonshire | Imported & run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted for this fraud & process Issued against them, but they all absconded & could not be taken |
98 | 1728 | Thomas Prydderth | near the Barr at Carnarvon | Carnarvonshire | Imported & run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted for this fraud & process Issued against them, but they all absconded & could not be taken |
98 | 1728 | Richard Williams | near the Barr at Carnarvon | Carnarvonshire | Imported & run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted for this fraud & process Issued against them, but they all absconded & could not be taken |
98 | 1728 | Peter Godfrey | near the Barr at Carnarvon | Carnarvonshire | Imported & run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted for this fraud & process Issued against them, but they all absconded & could not be taken |