Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received
The Editor
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© F.Coakley , 2022
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Brief Description
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| AP_40(B)_1 |
24.5.1764
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Customs, London to Treasury re, the arrival at Liverpool of Swedish ships which had discharged their cargo of teas at the I.O.M. but been allowed to leave Liverpool without molestation. |
| AP_40(B)_2 |
24.5.1764
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Customs, Liverpool to Commissioners of Treasury with a list of the goods imported into the I.O.M. and the duty payable on them there This is said to average about £6,000 per annum, in addition to which the Proprietor is said to receive about £1,800 in rents(List missing. N.M.) |
| AP_40(B)_3 | Riding Surveyor Liverpool to Commissioners of Treasury with a list of articles and duties as above (see No.4 below) and a book of rates of duty (missing. N.M.) | |
| AP_40(B)_4 | List as above. (This shows the various things landed,much of it for transhipment,and the duty charged, But the main object seems to be to discover the total revenue which the Duke obtained from the Island, N.M.) | |
| AP_40(B)_5 |
31.5.1764
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Customs, Lancaster to Commissioners of Treasury They cannot give the information asked for about the I.O.M. as there is little or no trade carried on between Lancaster and the Island, except boats bound for the coast of Africa which call there to pick up goods brought from Holland. |
| AP_40(B)_6 |
7.6.1764
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Customs, Edinburgh to Treasury The trade is carried on in the West of Scotland by boats of all sizes and wherries of seventy or eighty tons,well manned and fast. In the S.West and the Solway Firth the boats generally belong to the Island,and are open ones of four or five tons having eight or nine men in their crew. The farmers and the lower classes generally are abettors of the smugglers,and when a boat lands they assemble with horses in great numbers, As fast as they are landed the goods are put on the horses and a man mounts on top of them. Then,escorted by a number of the smugglers they go through Scotland to the North of England through moors and unfrequented roads. On arrival the goods are disposed of to shop-keepers,carriers and others who circulate them by various secret methods. In the Island are large warehouses,well stocked with such articles as are used for trade on the coast of Africa, These are taken by ships from England which call specially for that purpose, The main imports to the Island are Wines and spirits,spices,silks,tea, coffee,china,cambricks, soap oil etc. Tobacco is also imported. This is cargo from England on which a 'drawback' has already been given. A statement of duties paid follows with an account of an incident to show the lawless manner in which the smugglers act. On such occasions they and their assistants are generally intoxicated so that they may be the more ready for desperate and lawless acts. Mr. Colin Campbell,commander of a Revenue Wherry, hearing that a Large quantity of spirits had seen landed at Old Kirk on the Clyde,four miles below Greenock)went to Greenock where he got together a party of soldiers and sailors - in all about forty armed men - and going to Old Kirk started a search. He found about seventy ankers of spirits,but on the church bell being rung a great mob armed with flails, pitchforks etc. assembled, This mob attacked the Customs men and injured some of them in an attempt to regain the smuggled goods. Campbell and his party were forced to open fire on the mob, wounding several. By this means he managed to get his men and the seized goods on to his Cutter and away. Attempts made to intercept other parties of smugglers,when on the march,by officers from Annan,have failed because the foot soldiers used could not overtake the smugglers,who were well mounted, if some Light Horse could be detailed for this duty it would be a help. |
| AP_40(B)_7 |
1.7.1764
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Mr.Lutwidge to Treasury (?) A long report on the smuggling trade in the
Island. Covers imports from France,Spain,Sweeden(East India Goods), Holland,Hamburg
and the Netherlands The principal items are tea from Sweeden and tobacco,re-exported
after payment of drawback,from Gt. Britain, From the West Indies come great
quantities of rum and coffee. From Britain come silks etc. forbidden in
England. These are bought at the India sales and sent to the I.O.M. to be
smuggled back to England. One trader is said to do a business of not less
then £10,000 annually in this line alone. He estimates the Duke's revenue
from all sources in the Island,after payment of all charges, is £ 7,500
per year. Of this total £500 is for duty on goods for consumption in
the Island,£6,500 for duty on goods intended to be smuggled away.It
is noted that the latter item does not really disclose the quantity brought
in for it is noterious that much of the goods imported,particularly tea,has
no duty paid on them. One fraud occurs in the payment of duty on tea,based
on a percentage of its value,and which all qualities are declared at the
value of the cheapest. The writer extimates the loss to the British revenue
to be,for a certainty, not less than £200,000 per annum. Seizures are
made difficult because boats taking smuggled goods for Gt. Britain, cover
themselves by clearing for another port in the Island as that, when overhauled, the papers are in order, and they say they have been blown away from the Manx coast by stress of weather When returning from England they take wool to the Island. This is then sent to France in the ships which have brought brandy etc. |
| AP_40(B)_8 |
8.7.1764
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Customs(London) to Treasury. inclosing copies of the foregoing reports. |
| AP_40(B)_9 |
22.8.1764
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Customs(London) to Treasury. asking whether ships from foreign ports, which had unloaded tea at Douglas and then proceeded to Liverpool to discharge the remainder of their cargo, might be seized at Liverpool, |
| AP_40(B)_10 |
22.8.1764
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Customs (Liverpool) to Customs (London) ? Men have been sent to the Island to obtain evidence of the landing of dutiable goods, between 21st. Dec. 1762 and 20th Aug.1763 seven vessels arrived with tea etc, Of these three went on to Liverpool,where they were seized. It has not been possible to seize some which have arrived since owing to the lack of witnesses to swear to the evidence, It is now proposed to send more men across so that they may do so. |
| AP_40(B)_11 |
23.8.1764
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Customs (Liverpool) to Customs (London) Enclosing the above. (which was from the Surveyor of the Riding Officers) |
| AP_40(B)_12 |
28.8.1764
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Customs(London) to Treasury. Enclosing copies of the above two letters. |
| AP_40(B)_13 |
20.9.1764
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Customs (Whitehaven) to Customs (London) Enclosing extracts from the journal of Mr.Wilson,who was sent to the I.O.M. to make enquiries into the conduct of the Commanders of the Revenue cutters.. Also of a letter from a resident in the Island. But he does not think that any reliance can be put in what was told to Wilson (apparently allegations against the commanders,that they were themselves smuggling. N.M.) |
| AP_40(B)_14 |
26.9.1764
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Customs (London) to Treasury. Forwarding the enclosures mentioned in AP_40(B)_13. |
| AP_40(B)_15 |
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Extracts from letter and journal,as per AP_40(B)_14. The letter alleges smuggling by some officers of the cutter "Ranger" The journal alleges the loading on board the revenue cutter "Lurcher" of a quantity of dutiable goods by the servants of Mr.Black,merchant,at whose house the Commander (G.Mathews) dined and stayed until two o'clock a.m. Also similar practices by other revenue cutters. |
| AP_40(B)_16 |
20.10.1764
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Customs (Dublin) to Treasury. Report on smuggling in the I.O.M. The trade
is carried on almost entirely by Wherries built at Rush (near Dublin) which
are prime sailors and, though quite open,sail round the North of Ireland
and land their cargoes in the most western parts of it, Despite all efforts,
and the most severe penalties, the smuggling thougn somewhat diminished
still continues, the loss to the Revenue is very considerable. It cannot
be ascertained exactly, but the value of goods from the I.O.M. seized off
the Irish coast amounts to about £10,000 per annum. Colliers from Lancashire
and Cumberland which call at the I.O.M. on their way across also smuggle
goods into Ireland, but they are easier to watch and the loss is thought
not to be considerable (The remainder of this report agrees with what is stated in the earlier ones, N.M.) |
| AP_40(B)_17 |
20.10.1764
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Customs (Dublin) to Treasury. This is practically the same as the previous one,but differs slightly in some respects. |
| AP_40(B)_18 |
8.11.1764
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Customs (London) to Treasury. Enclosing copy of an examination of Mr.Wilson (see No.13 above N.M. ) |
| AP_40(B)_19 | Examination of Mr.Wilson. His evidence is mostly what he heard from other people,particularly Paul Brideson,Captain of Dougles. This was that three ships had recently discharged between them 188,290 galls of brandy: that it was common custom for the Revenue cutters to take brandy or other spirits aboard - perhaps a thousand galls. at a time;that it was the constant practice of the masters of the Revenue cutters to purchase dutiable goeds from Mr. Black; that Manx boats of ten or fifteen tons openly load dutiable goods daily to be shipped to England,Seotland or Ireland: that large wherrys of forty or fifty tons from Ireland like wise load geods to the value of £1,000 or £1200 at a time to be run to Ireland, | |
| AP_40(B)_20 |
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Opinion of G. Litchfield,Soliciter,on the above. The evidence is not good enough to found a charge upon. |
| AP_40(B)_21 |
8.12.1764
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Customs (Carlisle) to Treasury. Regret they cannot render a report on Manx smuggling,as ordered, because they have little contact with the Island. But it is notorious that boats from the Island still run large quantities of goods to the Scottish borders, which goods are brought inte England over the fords at low water escorted by large gangs of armed smugglers. These gangs are frequently seen by officers from Carlisle who have not sufficient forces to interfere with them. An attempt recently made to capture a gang armed with guns and pistols,who were escorting about forty horse-loads of brandy and tea, failed as the officers were driven off. |
| AP_40(B)_22 |
14.12.1764
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Customs (London) to Treasury. forwarding the above. |
| AP_40(B)_23 |
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Customs(London) to Treasury. saying that Commanders of vessels watching the illicit trade in the I.O.M. should be very cautious in making seizures and should,if possible,avoid bloodshed, |
| AP_40(B)_24 | Commissioners of Customs (Scotland) to Treasury. A lengthy report on smuggling from the Island, This,they estimate causes a loss of some £350,000 per annum to the British revenue. The boats are difficult to catch as they usually sail on the darkest and roughest nights and,if intercepted near the British coast they escape over the Flatts and sands where larger vessels of deeper draught are unable to follow, Friends on the coast,and particularly on both sides of the Solway Firth signal by means of fires where landings may be made with safety,and if any Preventive officers are about. Seizures are difficult owing to the speed with which the boats are unloaded and the formidable numbers which gather to receive them. The methods of the smugglers have recently altered. They used to bring goods at their own risk, hiding them in the sand or amongst rocks etc.until they could find buyers for them. Now Societies in England send representatives to the Island to purchase the geods there and bring them to landing places which have been arranged, Here they are received by large parties,who can unload a boat in a quarter of an hour,get it on horses and be away with it into difficult country where only mounted troops could overtake them, If the Revenue cutters are small the smuggling craft do not hesitate to fire upon them when pressed, On the West Coast of Britain farmers and the lower classes generally are given an interest in the trade and are consequently always ready to help the smugglers, British revenue alse loses by the large quantities of ale brewed in and exported from the Island. For this barley is imported from Britain and Ireland,but the brewing tax paid in England is not collected, Tobacco is also made and run into Scotland, It is suggested that penalties be increased,for the smugglers reckon that they make a profit even if only a third of their goods escapes capture Also that the Courts refuse to enforce the collection of debts due for goods which have been smuggled, And that it be made illegal to insure cargoes of dutiable goods shipped to the Island from foreign ports,which are sometimes covered for as much as twenty thousand pounds. That as Manxmen are known to be strongly attachned to the Island, and miserable when away from it, it is suggested that those caught obtructing officers etc, should be drafted into the navy. Vessels seized can only be condemned at Westminster or Dublin. This right should also be given to the Scottish courts. British ships loading beer in the I.O.M. should be liable to seizure with all their cargo. As it is not thought that wine is smuggled from the Island into Scotland to any great extent nothing is said about it. | |
| AP_40(B)_25 |
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Rough note of suggestions for the prevention of smuggling,as found in the various reports above. |
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Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received
The Editor |
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