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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
116 | 1729 | Joseph Ames | in Yarmouth Roads | Hampshire | Imported and run without payment of Duty | were Prosecuted for this Fraud and other goods - Ames Compounded - The Witness run away and never came to Support his Information against Walter & Robt Douglas & Cobb. |
116 | 1729 | Thomas Cobb | in Yarmouth Roads | Hampshire | Imported and run without payment of Duty | were Prosecuted for this Fraud and other goods - Ames Compounded - The Witness run away and never came to Support his Information against Walter & Robt Douglas & Cobb. |
116 | 1729 | Walter Douglas | in Yarmouth Roads | Hampshire | Imported and run without payment of Duty | were Prosecuted for this Fraud and other goods - Ames Compounded - The Witness run away and never came to Support his Information against Walter & Robt Douglas & Cobb. |
117 | 1729 | William Jarvis | in Yarmouth Roads | Hampshire | Imported and run without payment of Duty | were Prosecuted severely for part of these goods. Bishop became an Evidence, Jarvis has Compounded |
117 | 1729 | Joseph Bishop | in Yarmouth Roads | Hampshire | Imported and run without payment of Duty | were Prosecuted severely for part of these goods. Bishop became an Evidence, Jarvis has Compounded |
118 | 1729 | and others | in Yarmouth Roads | Hampshire | Imported and Run without payment of Duty | were Prosecuted for this Fraud they can't be taken - Richard Baker has since Compounded |
119 | 1729 | John Betts | Yarmouth | Hampshire | Imported and run without payment of Duty | was Prosecuted for this Fraud - he has been arrested & has given Bail - he has since Compounded. |
120 | 1729 | Anthony Eaton | at Yarmouth Roads | Hampshire | Imported and run without payment of Duty | was Prosecuted for these & other Frauds - he was admitted an Evidence. |
121 | 1729 | Paul Taylor | on the Norfolk Coast | Norfolk | Imported and Run without payment of Duty | was Prosecuted for this Fraud & other goods - he is Dead. |
122 | 1729 | Augustine Rolfe | On the Norfolk Coast | Norfolk | Imported and run without payment of Duty | was Prosecuted for this Fraud he is admitted an Evidence |
123 | 1729 | John Miller | Yarmouth Roads | Hampshire | Imported and run without payment of Duty | were Prosecuted for this Fraud But the Witness against them run away & never came to Support his Information Hollman has since Compounded. |
124 | 1729 | Henry Cleathing | Scarbrough | Yorkshire | Imported and run without payment of Duty | was Prosecuted for this Fraud & Compounded |