Tea, booze and tobacco: we may take them for granted today, but 300 years ago they suddenly became very expensive. That’s because the government started levying extremely high taxes on a number of everyday items in order to pay for Britain’s involvement in numerous wars during the Restoration period, leading to substantial increases in the cost of these goods. . This in turn led to a rise in smuggling, as people realised they could make a profit through “free trading”. Loosely, smuggling refers to sneaking anything into or out of a country illegally, but the practice boomed in the UK in the 1700s, a time that’s now known as its “golden age”. Want to feel smug about smuggling? Check out these surprising facts.
Like all the best words, ‘smuggling’ has Germanic roots
For many of us, “smuggle” has always just been a part of our vocabulary. While the word is now tied to Britain’s colourful smuggling history, it may surprise you to learn that it isn’t actually entirely British in origin. The verb comes from either Low German “smuggeln” or the Dutch word “smokkelen” (no one is exactly sure). In either case, it means “to transport goods illegally” and “to sneak” – meanings that have stood the test of time.
Ordinary people were often smugglers
Smuggling tends to conjure up images of wild characters on the outskirts of society (thanks, Pirates of the Caribbean). But that was often not the case. Taking part in smuggling was risky, but the money involved made it attractive to many working people; labourers could earn more in a night lugging rum than they could in a month. Despite being illegal, smuggling wasn’t a social taboo for lots of poorer communities. In fact, communities were formed of two types of people: those who helped smugglers, and those who helped catch them.
Many smugglers were ‘let off’ for their crimes
Taking money away from the country and rerouting it into their own pockets was obviously a crime, but, while some were imprisoned or sent away, not all known smugglers ended up being punished. Many were released, even though the constables and magistrates knew they’d end up smuggling again. Why? Well, naturally they were benefiting from cut-price contraband themselves, and they didn’t want to lose out by sending their treasured suppliers to prison.
Pubs and churches played a key part in smuggling
It makes sense that pubs would cultivate connections with smugglers to get their cheap rum and wine, and the evidence is still there today – many pubs are still home to smuggling tunnels and secret hideaways. More surprising, maybe, is the key role churches played in smuggling – less law-abiding sextons would remove the contents from vaults and leave them open for smugglers to store tea, brandy, and other contraband items. Allegedly, in one church in Romney Marsh, the hidden tobacco smelt so strongly that the vicar was able to locate it by scent alone.
It wasn’t all rum and smokes
How far would you go for a cup of tea? We associate smuggling with more illicit items, such as tobacco, rum or brandy, but it was actually more prosaic products that made up the majority. Lace, wool, tin, salt, leather and spices were all contraband, but tea was especially profitable. In 1784 the prime minister estimated that of the 13m pounds weight of tea consumed in Britain, only 5.5m had been brought in legally! When the tax was dropped from 119% to 12.5% the same year, tea smuggling went off the boil overnight.
Lugger boats were used for smuggling
Legend has it that in the 18th century, a lovable rogue and adventurer named Jack Rattenbury became infamous for his smuggling efforts in Beer, Devon. Rattenbury, who later wrote memoirs about his exploits, made a name for himself smuggling contraband into Lyme Bay, and he partly owed his success to “Beer luggers” (named after the place, not the drink). Lugger boats were small, fast, agile fishing boats that were often painted black, the better to sneak items in under the cover of darkness. It’s these legendary boats that give Lugger Rum, Devon’s first spiced rum from Lyme Bay Winery, its name – and its black label.
Smuggling was never just a one-man operation
While some smugglers, such as Jack Rattenbury and Isaac Gulliver, made a name for themselves, smuggling was almost always a collective effort – even though they’d love to have you believe otherwise. Teams of smugglers might be made up of 50 to 100 men, all of whom would have their own part to play. A spotsman would direct the ship to shore, a lander would arrange the unloading of the cargo, the tubsman carried the goods, and a batsman protected the tubsman. Smuggling gangs also relied on normal people on shore to circulate their goods. There might be multiple people in each role, but they all needed to be able to keep a sharp lookout.
The saying ‘the coast is clear’ may have come from smugglers
Smugglers had a lot of people to avoid and look out for on the coast as they brought their wares into the country: riding officers, customs house officers and excise officers, to name but a few. Those on land would signal that the coast was clear to those at sea with little signals such as a small boat upturned on the beach, a lamp glowing in the window, or laundry spread on bushes. If the coast wasn’t clear, the goods were tossed into the sea to be collected later.
Smuggling history is all over the UK coast
While Lugger Rum takes its name from Devon’s smuggling history, you can find evidence of Britain’s relationship with smuggling all over the coastline. We often associate it with Devon and Cornwall, due to their extensive coves, caves and shipwrecks, but the south-east of England made a name for itself too, thanks to its proximity to Europe. Ramsgate and Margate are perhaps the best-known hotspots here, but you’re likely to unearth a few tunnels, hideaways and tall tales in just about any coastal town.
We can thank smugglers for the HM Coastguard
Today, the coastguard provides a lifesaving maritime search and rescue service, but in the early 19th century, it was established to prevent smuggling. While the practice was by this time already waning, the coastguard was set up to give assistance to shipwrecks and prevent the smuggling that regularly took place at shipwreck sites along the coast. In 1831, the coastguard took over duties from the Coast Blockade for the Suppression of Smuggling and had authority over the whole UK coastline. Combined with the reduction in taxes, the smuggling scene was never the same again.
Lugger Rum is a Caribbean rum aged in Devon, featuring sophisticated notes of orange peel, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla. Pick up a bottle at Waitrose today
