Smuggling- Change and continuity

When was import duties introduced

17th century

What were some of the goods taxed

* Some alcohol and tea which was newly popular
* By the 18th century some others including cloth wine and spirits

Who were the Hawkhurst gang

* Named after the town Hawkhurst in Kent
* Controlled large areas of the south coast much larger scale than previous gangs
* began operating in 1735
* leaders Arthur Grey and Thomas Kingsmill

Why and when did the Hawkhurst gangs operations come to an end

In 1749, as their leaders were hung in 1748 and 1749

Why was smuggling so hard to stop

* It was a social crime
* Many benefitted from the cheaper group
* some smugglers even became heroes and were helped out by local coastal communities
* Even the upper classes helped conceal smugglers as they bought a lot of goods

Were the coasts well policed

No there was miles of unpoliced coastline and the smugglers often worked at night so would be even harder to stop

Why was smuggling reducing in occurrence

In the 1780s William Pitt reduces import duties which were then reduced again in the 19th century meaning smuggling became less profitable meaning fewer cases of smuggling would occur