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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
27 | 1724 | John Skingsley | On the Coast of Essex | Essex | Imported & run without payment of Duty | was prosecuted for this fraud & became an Evidence. |
28 | 1724 | Richard Busk als Bush | near Iken in Suffolk | Suffolk | Imported & run without payment of Duty | was prosecuted for this fraud and was Arrested & Put in Bail. |
29 | 1725 | John Holmes | Near Hull in Yorkshire | Yorkshire | Taken out of a Vessell at Sea & afterwards run without payment of Duty | was prosecuted for this fraud & other goods & he compounded by License with John Scott ye officer who comenced ye prosecution |
30 | 1725 | Thomas Metcalfe | Stockton | Durham | Imported & run without payment of Duty | were prosecuted for this fraud & were serv'd with subpoenas but the officer who commenced the prosecution would not proceed further therein |
30 | 1725 | Mary Metcalfe | Stockton | Durham | Imported & run without payment of Duty | were prosecuted for this fraud & were serv'd with subpoenas but the officer who commenced the prosecution would not proceed further therein |
31 | 1725 | John Gill | Whitby | Yorkshire | Imported & run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted for these Frauds but the officer who commenced the prosecutions would not proceed therein |
31 | 1725 | Thomas Smallwood | Whitby | Yorkshire | Imported & run without payment of Duty | These persons were prosecuted for these Frauds but the officer who commenced the prosecutions would not proceed therein |
32 | 1725 | William Woodmas | Whitby | Yorkshire | Imported & run without payment of Duty | was prosecuted for this Fraud & Compounded |
33 | 1725 | William Wilson | Whitby | Yorkshire | Imported & run without payment of Duty | was prosecuted for this fraud & for Breaking Bulk - he compounded |
35 | 1725 | Mathew Jaggs | Lynn Regis | Dorset | Imported & run without payment of Duty | These persons were jointly prosecuted on Account of this fraud (& other goods) & process Issued against them but the officer who commenced the prosecution would not proceed therein |
35 | 1725 | John Osgolby | Lynn Regis | Dorset | Imported & run without payment of Duty | These persons were jointly prosecuted on Account of this fraud (& other goods) & process Issued against them but the officer who commenced the prosecution would not proceed therein |
35 | 1725 | William Walker | Lynn Regis | Dorset | Imported & run without payment of Duty | These persons were jointly prosecuted on Account of this fraud (& other goods) & process Issued against them but the officer who commenced the prosecution would not proceed therein |