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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
103 | 1728 | John Page | Hemsby in Norfolk | Norfolk | Imported and run without payment of Duty | is prosecuted for part of these goods - he has given Bail |
104 | 1728 | Thomas Philips | Hemsby in Norfolk | Norfolk | Imported and run without payment of Duty | were Prosecuted for this and other Frauds Newham can't be taken - Philips is an Evidence. |
104 | 1728 | John Newham | Hemsby in Norfolk | Norfolk | Imported and run without payment of Duty | were Prosecuted for this and other Frauds Newham can't be taken - Philips is an Evidence. |
105 | 1728 | Thomas Snowden | Yarmouth | Hampshire | Imported and run without payment of Duty | was Prosecuted for this Fraud & Compounded. |
106 | 1728 | Thomas Wyatt | Yarmouth | Hampshire | Imported and run without payment of Duty | was Prosecuted for this Fraud but the Witness against him run away & never came to Support his Information. |
107 | 1728 | Isaac Miers | at Gayesly Yorkshire | Yorkshire | Imported and run without payment of Duty | is under Prosecution for this & other frauds & can't be taken. |
109 | 1729 | George Pilboron | Great Holland Essex | Essex | Imported and run without payment of Duty | was Prosecuted for this and other frauds and was sent to Goal for want of Bail. |
111 | 1729 | Thomas Blackburne and others | Methop | Lancashire | Imported and run without payment of Duty | were Prosecuted for this Fraud, and Process Issued against them but they could not be taken. |
112 | 1729 | George Muckelt | at Humphry Head Lancashire | Lancashire | Imported and run without payment of Duty | were Prosecuted for this Fraud & Process Issued against them but they could not be taken. |
112 | 1729 | Thomas Johnson | at Humphry Head Lancashire | Lancashire | Imported and run without payment of Duty | were Prosecuted for this Fraud & Process Issued against them but they could not be taken. |
114 | 1729 | Henry Harper | On the Coast of Norfolk | Norfolk | Imported and run without payment of Duty | is under Prosecution for receiving part of these goods - he can't be taken. |
115 | 1729 | Richard Daniel and others | at Hemsby in Norfolk | Norfolk | Imported and run without payment of Duty | were Prosecuted for this Fraud and other goods - they are all poor Men & can't be found. |