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“The generality of the people on the coasts are better friends to the smugglers than they are to the Custom House Officers.” Source A, Samuel Wilson, a.

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Presentation on theme: "“The generality of the people on the coasts are better friends to the smugglers than they are to the Custom House Officers.” Source A, Samuel Wilson, a."— Presentation transcript:

1 “The generality of the people on the coasts are better friends to the smugglers than they are to the Custom House Officers.” Source A, Samuel Wilson, a Sussex grocer who had received smuggled tea, speaking to a committee of Parliament in the 1740s. “it is extremely dangerous for a Custom House Officers to attempt to seize [smuggled] goods in the coast counties because smugglers are very numerous and can assemble a great number whenever they need. Nine persons in ten in the area would give them assistance and do lend the smugglers their horses and teams to convey their goods.” Source G, Abraham Walter, a tea dealer who had been a smuggler, speaking to a committee of Parliament in the 1740s.

2 Source C, John Taylor, the keeper of Newgate prison, 1747
“The common people of England in general fancy there is nothing in the crime of smuggling... The poor feel they have a right to shun paying any duty [tax] on their goods.” Source C, John Taylor, the keeper of Newgate prison, 1747 “I have often heard you say and with great truth, that the common people of this country have no notion that smuggling is a crime. What then can the government do to show them their error but to punish the guilty? Accessories are to be punished as well as [the smugglers themselves] for you know very well that the common notion in the country is that a man may stand by and see crimes committed and even assist in them and be unpunished if he does not commit the crime with his own hands.” Source D, from a letter from the Duke of Richmond to Sir Cecil Bishop, 1749

3 Source E, The Gentleman’s Magazine, 1747
“About 24 smugglers well-armed and laden with smuggled goods rode through Rye, Sussex and stopping at the Red Lion to refresh, fired several times to intimidate the inhabitants and observing one, James Marshall, a young man too curious of their behaviour, carried him off.” Source E, The Gentleman’s Magazine, 1747 “as to the charge of smuggling, he owned that he had been concerned in smuggling, he owned that he had been concerned in smuggling for a great many years and did not think there was any harm in it.” Source F, a churchman reporting the words of Richard Mills who was hanged for smuggling and murder.

4 Source A, from a GCSE history textbook
During the seventeenth century, governments increased taxes on imported goods to make extra money. These import duties were unpopular because they raised the price of many desirable goods. They were also very hard to enforce. With several thousand miles of coastline around Britain it was fairly easy to smuggle in goods. Source A, from a GCSE history textbook

5 What can it tell us about attitudes towards smuggling?
Source What can it tell us about attitudes towards smuggling? How useful is this source to a historian investigating attitudes towards smuggling? Source A Source B Source C Source D Source E Source F Source G


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