Smuggling in East Anglia, 1700-1840 by S M Jarvis

Smuggling in East Anglia, 1700-1840 by S M Jarvis

The East Anglian coastline was always ideal for smuggling. Low-lying, bleak and lonely, it made a perfect landfall for a swift ship loaded with a cargo of contraband. The Revenue Service was poorly staffed and financed, and its cutters were easily eluded by local seamen who knew how to pick their way through the area’s maze of tidal creeks and channels. During its heyday, smuggling embraced a huge range of dutiable luxuries including lace, silks, coffee and playing cards, as well as less orthodox cargo such as golden guineas and spies. It was a big industry, employing more than 40,000 people and accounting for a quarter of all England’s overseas trade. Whole communities were involved in this black economy – young and old, rich and poor, labourers and landowners. At Sizewell Gap in Suffolk it was not uncommon to see 100 carts and up to 300 horses gathered on the beach to await a big landing, while Tiptree Heath in Essex was the site of a permanent contraband fair – a smugglers’ bring-and-buy sale from which goods were distributed to the rich markets of Colchester, Chelmsford and London. Stan Jarvis’ book describes the industry along each section of the East Anglian coast from Southend-on-Sea to King’s Lynn, explaining the methods used and introducing the characters involved. His book is a vivid portrait of a trade which even today is remembered with more than a little affection.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780905392868
ISBN 10	0905392868
Title	Smuggling in East Anglia, 1700-1840
Author	S M Jarvis
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Countryside Books
Year published	1987-10-15
Number of pages	176
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable