PREVENTIVE ORGANISATION
We have already frequently referred to the Riding officers who were
attached to practically all the chief ports of England. For the
reasons already given the south-east coast had especially to be well
provided in this respect. And, because of the proximity to the Isle of
Man, the Solway Firth had also to be protected efficiently by these
officers, additional, of course, to the aid rendered by the cruisers.
Wales, however, seems to have been left practically unprotected. In
the year 1809 there was inaugurated what was known as the Preventive
Waterguard in order to supplement the endeavours of the cruisers and
Riding officers. Under this arrangement the coast of England and Wales
was divided into three districts, each of which was under an
Inspecting Commander, the Revenue cruisers being now included in the
Preventive Waterguard.
The three districts with the three Inspecting Commanders were as
follows:--
District 1.--Land's End to the Port of Carlisle inclusive. Inspecting
Commander, Captain John Hopkins.
District 2.--North Foreland to Land's End. Inspecting Commander,
Captain William Blake.
District 3.--North Foreland to the Port of Berwick inclusive.
Inspecting Commander, Captain John Sayers, "whose duty it is
constantly to watch, inspect, and report to us [the Customs Board]
upon the conduct of the Commanders of Cruisers and the Sitters of
Preventive Boats along the district."
For it was because they required a more effectual control and
inspection of the officers employed in preventing and detecting
smuggling that this fresh organisation was made. Certain stations were
also allotted to the commanders of the cruisers, within each
district--two to each station--and the stations and limits were also
appointed for Preventive boats. The "sitters" of the Preventive boats
were those who sat in the stern of these open, rowed craft and acted
in command of them. The Collector and Controller were also addressed
in the following terms, which showed that the Board were still doing
their utmost to rid the service of the inefficiency and negligence to
which we have had occasion to draw attention. "You are to observe,"
wrote the Commissioners, "that one material object of the duty imposed
upon the Inspecting Commanders is to see that the cruisers are
constantly and regularly on their stations, unless prevented by some
necessary and unavoidable cause, and with their proper complements of
men and boats, and if they are off their station or in port personally
to examine into the occasion of their being so, and that they are
absent from their station no longer than is essentially requisite."
At the end of every year the Inspecting Commanders were to lay before
the Board of Customs the conduct of the several officers within their
district and the state in which smuggling then was, and "whether on
the progress or decline, in what articles, and at what places carried
on." For the Board was determined "to probe the conduct of the
Preventive officers and punish them" for any laxity and negligence,
for which faults alone they would be dismissed. And in order that the
vigilance and faithful duty in the commanders and officers on board
the cruisers "may not be deprived of fair and due reward" their rate
of pay was now increased, together with some addition made to the
allowance for victualling, "and also to provide for the certainty of
an annual emolument to a fixed amount in respect to the commanders and
mates, by the following regulations":--
INSPECTING CRUISERS
Commander, each per annum, £200 to be made up to £500 net.
1st Mates, each per annum, £75 to be made up to £150 net.
2nd Mates, each per annum, £50 to be made up to £75 net.
But these increases were conditional on their salaries, shares of
seizures and penalties, and all other emoluments of that description
not having amounted to the salaries now offered. The deputed mariners
were to have £5 or £3 each, per lunar month. Mariners who had no
deputation were to have £3 a month, boys on the cruisers £10 per
annum. As to victualling, the commanders and mates were to have 3s.
each per diem, mariners 1s. 6d. each per diem. Fire and candle for
each person were to be allowed for at the rate of 1s. 6d. per lunar
month.
Under each Inspecting Commander were to be two tenders in each
district, and the mates who were acting as commanders of these were to
have their existing £75 a year raised to £150 net in case their
salaries, shares of seizures, and other emoluments of that description
should not amount to these sums. Deputed mariners, mariners, boys,
victualling, fire, and candle were all to be paid for just as in the
case of the inspecting cruisers above mentioned. This was to date from
October 10, 1809. A few months later a like improvement was made in
the salaries of cruisers in general, for from the 5th of January 1810,
commanders of these were to have their £100 per annum raised to £250
net--the above conditions "in case their salaries, shares of seizures,
&c." did not make up this amount being also here prevalent--whilst
first mates were to be raised from £60 to £100 net. If second mates
were carried they were to have £50 per annum, deputed mariners £5 per
annum and £2, 10s. per lunar month. Mariners were to have £2, 10s. per
lunar month each, boys £10 per annum. Victualling, fire, and candle to
be as already stated.
The early years of the nineteenth century showed that the evil of the
previous hundred years was far from dead. The Collector at Plymouth,
writing to the Board three days before Christmas of 1804, reported
that there was a good deal of smuggling done, but that the worst
places in his neighbourhood were two. Firstly, there was that district
which is embraced by Bigbury, the Yealm, and Cawsand. In that locality
the smuggling was done in vessels of from 25 to 70 tons. But in summer
time the trade was also carried on by open spritsail boats of from
eight to ten tons. These craft used to run across from Guernsey loaded
with spirits in small casks. Up the river Yealm (just to the east of
Plymouth Sound) and at Cawsand Bay the goods were wont to be run by
being rafted together at some distance from the shore and afterwards
"crept" up (_i.e._ by means of metal creepers or grapnels). The local
smugglers would go out in their boats at low water during the night
when the weather and the absence of the cruisers permitted and bring
to land their booty. It appeared that 17,000 small casks of spirits
were annually smuggled into Cawsand and the Yealm.
Secondly, the district to the west of Plymouth embracing Polperro and
Mevagissey. The smuggling craft which brought goods to this locality
were fast sailers of from 80 to 100 tons. But the goods which came
into the general district of Plymouth were not carried far inland.
Those whose work it was to carry the goods after being landed were
known as "porters," and were so accustomed to this heavy work that
they could carry a cask of spirits six miles across the country at a
good rate. When it is remembered that these casks were made
necessarily strong of stout wood, that they contained each from 5 to
7-3/4 gallons, making a total weight of from 70 to 100 lbs. at least,
we can realise something of the rude physical strength possessed by
these men.
During this same year the Collector at Dartmouth also reported that
smuggling had increased a good deal recently in the counties of Devon
and Cornwall. The cutters and luggers from Guernsey carried their
cargoes consisting of from 400 to 800 ankers of spirits each, with a
few casks of port and sherry for the wealthier classes, who winked at
the illicit trade, and some small bales of tobacco. During the summer
the goods were landed on the north side of Cornwall, between Land's
End and Hartland Point, and thence distributed by coasters to Wales
and the ports of the Bristol Channel, or carried inland on the backs
of twenty or thirty horses, protected by a strong guard. But in the
winter the goods were landed on the shores of the Bristol Channel, the
farmers coming down with horses and carts to fetch the goods, which
were subsequently lodged in barns and caves. Clovelly, Bideford, Combe
Martin, and Porlock were especially notorious in this connection.
These goods were also regularly conveyed across Exmoor into
Somersetshire, and other goods found a way into Barnstable. Coasters
on a voyage from one part of England to another frequently broke their
voyages and ran over to Guernsey to get contraband. The Island of
Lundy was a favourite smuggling depôt in the eighteenth century. From
Ireland a good deal of salt was smuggled into Devonshire and Cornwall,
the high duties making the venture a very profitable one--specially
large cargoes of this commodity being landed near to Hartland Point.
And this Dartmouth Collector made the usual complaint that the Revenue
cruisers of that period were easily outsailed by the smugglers.
The reader will recollect those regrettable incidents on the North Sea
belonging to the eighteenth century, when we had to chronicle the
names of Captains Mitchell and Whitehead in that connection. Unhappily
there were occasional repetitions of these in the early part of the
nineteenth century on the south coast. It happened that on the 19th
of March in the year 1807 the _Swan_ Revenue cutter, a vessel of
considerable size (for she had a burthen of 154 tons, a crew of
twenty-three men, and was armed with twelve 4-pounders, two
9-pounders, and a chest of small arms) was cruising in the English
Channel and found herself off Swanage. It should be added that at that
time there was a kind of volunteer Preventive Guard at various places
along the coast, which was known as the "Sea Fencibles." The Swanage
"Fencibles" informed Mr. Comben, the cruiser's commander, that there
were three luggers hovering off the coast, and these volunteers
offered a number of their men to reinforce the _Swan's_ crew so that
the luggers might be captured. To this Comben replied with a damper to
the volunteers' enthusiasm: "If I was to take them on board and fall
in with the enemy we could not do anything with them."
So the _Swan_ sailed away from Swanage Bay to the eastward and at
midnight made the Needles. It now fell calm, but the luggers hove in
sight and approached by means of their sweeps. As they came on, the
cutter, instead of preparing to receive them in the only way they
deserved, did nothing. But one of the _Swan's_ crew, whose name,
Edward Bartlett, deserves to be remembered for doing his duty, asked
Comben if he should fetch the grape and canister from below. Comben
merely replied: "There is more in the cabin than we shall want: it
will be of no use; it is all over with us." Such was the attitude of
one who had signed into a service for the prevention of smuggling
craft. Instead of taking any definite action he waited despairingly
for the enemy to come on. He then issued no orders to his crew to
prepare to engage; he just did nothing and remained inactive under the
white cliffs. But if their commander was a coward, at any rate his
crew were determined to make a contest of it. They had actually to
urge him to fight, but the luggers were right close on to the cutter
before Comben had given the word. After that for three-quarters of an
hour the crew fought the ship, and were at their respective quarters
when Comben actually turned to the luggers and shouted to them: "Leave
off firing; I have struck." During the engagement he had shown great
signs of fear and never encouraged his crew to fight.
Seeing that they were led by a coward, the _Swan's_ crew also took
fright and thought it best to flee. They therefore jumped into the
cutter's boats and rowed ashore, leaving their valiant commander to
look after the _Swan_ as best he might. She was of course immediately
captured by the luggers, and as for Comben, he was taken prisoner,
carried to France, detained there, and did not return to England till
after seven years, when an investigation was made into his conduct by
the Surveyors-General of the Customs, his defence being that "his men
had deserted him." As for the latter, they reached the shore safely
and were again employed in the Preventive Service.
It is quite clear that the Customs Board sometimes lent their cutters
to the Admiralty; and there is a letter dated October 10, 1809, from
the Admiralty, in which permission is given for the cutters in the
service of that Revenue to be released from their station at Flushing
under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Strachan, and there is
also a Customs House minute of July 7, 1806, to the effect that the
_Swan_ and _Hound_ Revenue cutters might be placed under the orders of
Lord Keith in the room of the _Stag_ and _Swallow_, for use at Cowes
and Shoreham, where these cruisers were to be stationed. And it was in
this same year that the Board again emphasized the importance of the
Revenue Service being supported by the Navy and Army, and that to this
end the most effectual encouragement should be held out to both
branches, so that they might co-operate vigorously in the suppression
of smuggling. They further expressed themselves as of the opinion that
"nothing will more effectually tend to encourage them to exert
themselves than the certainty of receiving a speedy reward." And yet,
again, were the Revenue officers enjoined "to be particularly careful
to secure the men employed in smuggling vessels whenever it may be
possible to effect it, as their lordships have the strongest reasons
for believing that the apprehension of being detained and impressed
into his Majesty's service will have a great effect in deterring the
persons engaged in these illegal pursuits from continuing their
pernicious habits."
It was also part of the duty of the Customs officers to attend to the
Quarantine, and the Customs Board resolved "that it is fit to direct a
distinguishing flag to be used on board all boats employed in the
Quarantine service." At Sandgate Creek, Portsmouth, Falmouth, Bristol,
Milford, Hull, Liverpool and Plymouth, by the advice of the Surveyor
for Sloops, a flag was deposited in the Custom House at every port of
the kingdom, and it was resolved that in the above ports there should
be two, except Plymouth, which should have three. Cruisers were also
employed in the Quarantine Service.
We have already seen something of the conditions of service and the
pay of the cruisers' crews. He who was responsible for the upkeep and
supervision of these cruisers was known as the Surveyor for Sloops.
For some time the Customs Board had been deliberating as to the
adoption of some regulations for ascertaining the qualifications of
those who desired to be commanders and mates of the cruisers. That
some improvement was essential must already have been made clear to
the reader from the type of men who sometimes were placed in such
positions of responsibility. The following regulations were therefore
adopted in the year 1807, "which appear to the Commissioners highly
necessary for the safe conduct of the Service, as also for the safety
of the vessels and crews committed to their charge." They resolved
accordingly:--
"That all persons who shall be hereafter nominated to the situation of
Commander or Mate of a Cruiser in the service of this Revenue, do
attend the Surveyor of Sloops, &c. in London for the purpose of being
examined on the several points submitted in the report of the said
Surveyor, as essential for the qualification of officers of that
description, namely, whether he understand navigation, is competent to
lay off and ascertain courses and distances on the charts, can work a
day's work and find the time of high and low water in any port of
great Britain, and understand the use of a quadrant."
It was also further resolved:--
"That no person be admitted to either of those situations who shall
not be certified by the said Surveyors to be fully qualified in the
particulars above referred to, which certificate is to be laid before
the Board for their consideration, whether in case such person does
not possess a competent knowledge of the coast on which he is to be
stationed, or is not sufficiently acquainted with the sailing and
management of cutters and luggers tho' generally qualified, it may not
be fit to direct him to repair on board some cruiser, whose station
is contiguous to that to which he is nominated, and cruise in such
vessel for the space of one month, or until the commander thereof
shall certify that he is thoroughly acquainted with that part of the
coast, and also be fully competent to take charge of a cutter, or
lugger, as the case may be, such a certificate to be referred to the
Surveyor for Sloops, &c. for his report previous to such commander's
or mate's commission being ordered to be made out." And the commanders
of the cutters who shall be ordered to instruct such persons are to be
acquainted that they are at liberty to crave the extra expense they
shall incur for victualling such persons for the Board's
consideration.
"And the Surveyor for Sloops, &c. is to report more particularly the
nature and objects of enquiry as to the qualification of persons
nominated Sitters of Boats and by what officers in the outports those
enquiries are made and the qualification of such persons certified:
for the Commissioners' further consideration, as to any additional
regulations in respect of persons so nominated."
It was, no doubt, because of such incidents as those which we have
seen occurring in the Channel and North Sea that the Commissioners
tightened up the regulations in the above manner. That these incidents
were not confined to any particular locality let us show by the two
following examples. The first had reference to William Horn, the
Deputed Mariner and Acting Mate of the Revenue cutter _Greyhound_,
whose station was at Weymouth. On the 5th of March 1806 he was in
charge of the cutter whilst on a cruise to the westward. Off Portland
the cutter fell in with a French lugger, which was a privateer. Horn
gave chase, gradually overhauled her, and even came up with her. For a
time he also engaged her, but because he subsequently gave up the
fight, bore up and quitted her, allowing the privateer to escape, he
was deemed guilty by the Customs Board of not having used his utmost
endeavours to effect a capture, and was ordered to be superseded.
The second incident was of a slightly more complicated nature, and
occurred on October 20, 1805, about midnight. The two men implicated
were a Captain Riches, who was in command of the Revenue cutter
_Hunter_, and his mate Oliver.
This vessel, whose station was Great Yarmouth, was on the night
mentioned cruising in the North Sea. Presently the cutter sighted what
turned out to be the Danish merchant ship, _The Three Sisters_,
Fredric Carlssens master, from Copenhagen bound for St. Thomas's and
St. Croix. Oliver got into the cutter's boat and boarded the Dane. He
also demanded from the latter and took from him four cases of foreign
Geneva, which was part of _The Three Sisters'_ cargo. In spite of
Carlssen's opposition, Oliver put these into his boat and rowed off
with them to the _Hunter_. Riches was obviously party to this
transaction, and was accused "that contrary to the solemn oath taken
at his admission into office, he did not only neglect to report to the
Collector and Controller of Yarmouth or to the Board the misconduct of
his Mate, in unlawfully taking from the said ship the four cases of
Geneva in question, but did take out of them for his own use, and by
so doing did connive at and sanction the aforesaid unproper conduct of
his Mate." It was also brought against Riches that he had not entered
any account of this incident into his ship's journal, or made any
record of the mate boarding the Dane.
In the end Riches was adjudged by the Board guilty of not giving
information regarding his mate's conduct and of receiving one case of
Geneva for his own use, but he was acquitted of connivance for want of
evidence. He was found guilty also of not having entered the incident
in his journal. Oliver was acquitted of having boarded the Danish ship
for want of proof, but found guilty of having failed to keep a
complete journal of his proceedings. But a further charge was made
that Riches caused a case of foreign spirits, which had been taken out
of the Danish ship, to be brought ashore from the cutter and taken to
his home at Yarmouth without paying the duty thereon. Oliver was also
accused of a similar crime with regard to two cases. Riches was
acquitted for want of proof of having caused the gin to be taken to
his house, but found guilty of having received it, knowing the duty
had not been paid. Oliver was also found guilty, and both were
accordingly dismissed.
And there was the case of a man named Thomas Rouse, who was accused of
having been privy to the landing of a number of large casks of spirits
and other goods from a brig then lying off the Watch-house at
Folkestone. This was on the night of May 20 and the early hours of May
21, 1806. He was further accused of being either in collusion with the
smugglers in that transaction or criminally negligent in not
preventing the same. It was still further brought against him that he
had not stopped and detained the master of the brig after going on
board, although the master was actually pointed out to him by a boat's
crew belonging to the _Nimble_ Revenue cutter. Rouse was found guilty
of the criminal negligence and ordered to be dismissed. And, in
addition, the chief boatmen, five boatmen, and two riding-officers of
the Preventive Service at that port were also dismissed for failing to
do their utmost to prevent this smuggling, which had, in fact, been
done collusively. Those were certainly anxious times for the Customs
Commissioners, and we cannot but feel for them in their difficulties.
On the one hand, they had to wrestle with an evil that was national in
its importance, while on the other they had a service that was
anything but incorruptible, and required the utmost vigilance to cause
it to be instant in its elementary duties.
One of the reforms recommended towards the end of 1809 had reference
to the supply of stores and the building and repairing of Custom House
boats in London. The object aimed at was to obtain a more complete
check on the quantities and quality of the stores required for
cruisers and Preventive boats. And the example of the outports was
accordingly adopted that, when articles were required for these craft
that were of any value, the Collector and Controller of the particular
port first sent estimates to the Board, and permission was not allowed
until the Surveyor of Sloops had certified that the estimates were
reasonable. Nor were the bills paid until both the commander and mate
of the cruiser, or else the Tide Surveyor or the Sitter of the Boat,
as the case might be, had certified that the work was properly carried
out. And the same rule applied to the supply of cordage and to the
carrying out of repairs.
As one looks through the old records of the Custom House one finds
that a Revenue officer who was incapable of yielding to bribery, who
was incorruptible and vigilant in his duty, possessed both courage and
initiative, and was favoured with even moderate luck, could certainly
rely on a fair income from his activities. In the year we are
speaking of, for instance, Thomas Story, one of the Revenue officers
petitioned to be paid his share of the penalty recovered from William
Lambert and William Taylor for smuggling, and he was accordingly
awarded the sum of £162, 2s. It was at this time also that the
salaries of the Collectors, Controllers, and Landing Surveyors of the
outports were increased so that the Collectors were to receive not
less than £150 per annum, the Controller not less than £120, and the
Landing Surveyor not less than £100. And in addition to this, of
course, there were their shares in any seizures that might be made.
Sometimes, however, the Revenue officers suffered not from negligence
but from excess of zeal, as, for instance, on that occasion when they
espied a rowing-boat containing a couple of seafaring men approach and
land on the beach at Eastbourne. The Revenue officials made quite
certain that these were a couple of smugglers and seized their boat.
But it was subsequently discovered that they were just two Portuguese
sailors who had escaped from Dieppe and rowed all the way across the
Channel. The Admiralty interfered in the matter and requested the
release of the boat, which was presently made. But two other Revenue
officers, named respectively Tahourdin and Savery, in August of 1809
had much better luck when they were able to make a seizure that was
highly profitable. We have already referred to the considerable
exportation which went on from this country in specie and the national
danger which this represented. In the present instance these two
officials were able to seize a large quantity of coin consisting of
guineas, half guineas, and seven shilling pieces, which were being
illegally transported out of the kingdom. When this amount came to be
reckoned up it totalled the sum of £10,812, 14s. 6d., so that their
share must have run into very high figures.