Whilst researching his families history, Mike Nancollas put together the following from his research. I am grateful to him for allowing me to place it on the site.
IN THE REIGNS OF GEORGE I AND II
By Mike
Nancollas
Smuggling was such an accepted feature of Cornish life up the eighteenth
century that If must figure in many a family history. Yet It Is surprisingly
difficult to find full records. There are two main reasons for this. One is the
lack of records of quarter sessions and assizes for the County Court during this
period. The other is that many smuggling cases were tried in the. Court of
Exchequer for penalties rather than as criminal cases, and by a legal fiction
were put down as having occurred at Ratcliffe in Middlesex so that the Cornish
location cannot easily be discovered.
So when one does make a lucky find, it is all the more valuable. For
instance, among the Treasury records at the Public Record Office, Kew, is a book
(T.64/148) listing all prosecutions for penalties and duties commenced in ‘the
Western Part of England and Wales, Kent & Sussex’ between Trinity Term
l725, and the first day of Easter Term, 1730.
The book lists the names of the alleged Smugglers, with places and in
many cases occupations, together with the’ goods they are said to have
smuggled, and the penalty Imposed (normally a multiple of the unpaid duty) or
whether the case was dropped for some reasons
As a personal footnote, I was consulting this book to find any smugglers
from Polperro. There were none, which may or may not suggest that members of
this notorious smuggling community were simply• not being caught.
I list below (with the usual kind permission of the Controller of HM
Stationery Office) the Cornish names which I noted:
Arnold, Richd (Bodmyn, ~inn
keeper)
Avery, John (Betreaux
Castle, mariner, of the ‘Sarah a Betty)
Avery, Robt (Botreeux
Castle, maltster)
Avery, Tho., sen. (Betreaux
Castle, miller)
Avery, Thos. iun. (Betreux
Castle)
Baker, Henry (St Austle,
yeomen)
Beauford, Jos. (Parish of
Maker)
Bond, John (St Austle,
yeoman)
Common, John, junior (St
Austle)
Congden, Jons. (St Austle,
marIner)
Couch, John (Tywardreath,
yeoman)
Couch, Nathl (Fowey,
Shopkeeper)
Couch, Thos. (Tywardreath,
yeoman)
Dawny, John (Truro,
shopkeeper)
Dickenson, John (Falmouth)
French, Christopher (near
Parr, master of a vessel)
Fox Geo. (Parr, merchant)
George, Henry (Flushing, nr
Falmouth, Mariner)
Harris, Geo. (psh Grade)
Higgman, William (Pentuan,
yeoman)
Higman, Michl (Pentuan,
mariner)
Hoskins, Henry (Polpean)
James, John (St Kevern,
yeoman)
James, William (Gorran
Haven, minter of the ‘William & Sarah)
Jones, Walter (Truro,
haberdasher)
Jose, Arthur (Bodmyn,
innkeeper)
Jose, Arthur (near Fowey)
Keilgle, John (Mevigezzy,
gent.)
Lerrebee, Mary (Budock, sp.)
Lucy, William (Pentuan,
mariner)
Melllsh, Benja. (Fowey)
Merryfield, John (Bodmyn,
mercer)
Morcomb, John, jun.
(Falmouth)
Morecomb, John, sen. (Felmouth)
Nancollas, Oliver (St Austle, clothier)
Opey Fras jun.( Pentuan,
mariner
Parkynson, in. (LostwIthiel,
apothecary)
Pennlngton, Robert (Bodmyn,
mercer)
Reed, Edward (Gwenap)
Reed, Edward (Gwenap)
Roberts, John (Truro)
Rower, Philip (Falmouth)
Scantlebury, Edward (psh of
St Austle, labr)
Stevens, John (Falmouth)
Stevens, Thos. (Falmouth)
Teague, Martin (Famouth)
Thomas, Edward (Falmouth)
Tingcomb, Arthur (Landsellas)
Tredwyn Wm (Bodmyn)
Trevillian, George (master
of the Restoracion sloop of Falmouth)
Tucker, Wm (St Blazey,
InnKeeper)
Webber, John (Parr)
Whitter, Gideon (PoIle
Carris near Fowey)
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