Table of Contents
What crime did the Hawkhurst Gang commit?
In the late 1740s a group of smugglers known as the Hawkhurst gang committed a number of violent crimes that included several brutal murders. At least 75 of the gang were subsequently hung or transported for smuggling, robbery and murder.
When was Hawkhurst Gang active?
Many smugglers regularly assembled at Folkestone, though their chief place of resort was the village of Hawkhurst in Kent. The ‘Hawkhurst Gang’ was noted as early as 1735, but was especially active in the 1740s. The smugglers ‘go armed; and although they are well known, people dare not venture to molest any of them’.
Who was the leader of the Hawkhurst Gang?
Thomas Kingsmill (c1720–26 April 1749) was one of the leaders of the notorious Hawkhurst Gang of smugglers that operated, from its base in Kent, along the South Coast of England from 1735 until 1749.
What was the punishment for smuggling in the 18th century?
The Statute of 1745 is considered the leading statute for smuggling law in 18th-century England as it makes the greatest effort to convict offenders and to sentence those convicted to death.
How did smuggling end?
Smuggled goods were a lot cheaper than goods which had paid the duty. When Prime Minister William Pitt lowered duties in the 1780s, smuggling became less profitable. Further removal of duties in the 19th century put an end to the kind of smuggling which went on so openly in the 18th century.
How did people smuggle in the 18th century?
The 18th century was known as the golden age of smuggling. It was usually organised by gangs who were funded by investors or venturers. They chose secluded parts of the coastline to land cargos from ships.
Why was the Bloody Code used?
The Waltham Black Act in 1723 established the system known as the Bloody Code which imposed the death penalty for over two hundred, often petty, offences. Its aim was deterrence. Those in court faced with this system were expected to defend themselves with only the assistance of the judge.
What was the most common crime in the 1800s?
Most offenders were young males, but most offences were petty thefts. The most common offences committed by women were linked to prostitution and were, essentially, ‘victimless’ crimes – soliciting, drunkenness, drunk and disorderly, vagrancy.
Where did the Hawkhurst Gang get their name?
Named after the village of Hawkhurst in Kent, the gang reportedly used the Oak and Ivy Inn in Hawkhurst and in the Mermaid Inn in Rye, West Sussex as their main bases. Allegedly the gang could call upon several hundred members when needed and virtually ruled large parts of Kent and Sussex.
Who are the smuggling gangs of the 18th century?
Of all the smuggling gangs of the 18th century, the Hawkhurst Gang was by far the most formidable. Between 1735 and 1749, the gang established a smuggling network that stretched from the Thames estuary to Dorset, and protected its interests through intimidation, violence and, on occasion, murder.
Where did Thomas Kingsmill and the Hawkhurst Gang rest?
Thirty armed men, including Thomas Kingsmill and about seven other Hawkhurst men, rode to Poole, stopping to rest in the New Forest. Arriving in Poole, at about 11 pm, they found that the customs house was under the guns of a naval sloop.
Who was executed by the Hawkhurst Gang in Rye?
One of the smugglers, George Chapman, was later executed and gibbeted in his home village of Hurst Green. On one occasion when the gang was drinking at the Mermaid Inn in Rye, some twenty of them visited the nearby Red Lion, firing their guns in the air.