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Page 8 of 8  The Smuggling Museum at Jamaica Inn, Bodmin Moor; a documentation of Cornwall's smuggling past. Photograph by Kelly Hancock. The under resourced and overstretched Revenue men could never hope to compete. They were so poorly paid that they either joined the smugglers or took bribes. Until the end of the 18th century smuggling in Cornwall was booming. More than half a million gallons of brandy a year were being smuggled through Cornwall. Ships returning from India and China hovered off shore, selling untaxed goods such as china, silks and cottons. From 1800 onwards, there was increased pressure on the free traders from the revenue men that resulted in a change in smuggling practice. This led to smugglers ‘dropping’ cargoes at sea or in sheltered coves to be picked up later when the coast was clear. Tunnels were dug out of cliffs from which contraband was transferred to south coast such as Looe, Polperro, Mevagissey and Coverack. No account of smuggling in Cornwall would be complete without reference to some of the characters involved. Perhaps most famous is the Carter family of Prussia Cove. John Carter’s activities were notorious; he set up a small battery of cannons on the cliffs and used them on one occasion to fire upon the revenue cutter Faery when it got too close. In 1801, he intercepted the revenue cutter Brilliant as she made for Penzance with contraband previously recovered from his operations. Fearing the displeasure of his customers, he boarded the boat and recovered his property. Yet for all of the legends and stories, most smugglers were said to have been more concerned with feeding their families than making fortunes. The risks were high; smuggling activities led to a minimum penalty of transportation. Often the penalties were much more severe. Robert Lang, a smuggler from Veryan, is recorded as being hung at the crossroads of Ruanlanihorne and St Mawes as an example to others. |
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