Customs Officer during golden age of smuggling in Scarborough

PORT OF SCARBOROUGH : An account of the ages, capacities of several Customs Officers - this list is really quite revealing. The average age of these Customs Officers was 58 years old! Back in 1778 that was very old - life expectancy back then was much less than it is now. The smugglers on the East coast were on average young and capable of a good fight. The Officers chasing them were probably not capable of a good scrap! No wonder the Customs were so inneffective. The youngest Officer was 36!

William Porrett:
- aged 64
- a steady man and a good Officer
- Stationed and resident in Scarborough

William Betson:
- aged 60
- a sober man and a good Officer
- Stationed and resident in Scarborough

William Dicken:
- aged 50
- A pretty good Officer
- Stationed and resident in Scarborough

Thomas Duesbery :
- aged 40
- a very active Officer
- Stationed and resident in Scarborough

Thomas Gardiner:
- aged 36
- a very trusty Officer
- Stationed and resident in Scarborough

Robert Bell:
- aged 72
- A good Officer considering his age
- Stationed and resident in Scarborough

Mathew J Gill:
- aged 52
- an active diligent Officer
- Stationed and resident in Scarborough

Paul Batty:
- aged 53
- An active diligent Officer
- Stationed and resident in Scarborough

Thomas Harrison Junior:
- aged 64
- a good Officer considering his age
- Stationed and resident in Scarborough

Thomas Harrison Senior:
- aged 67
- a good Officer considering his age
- Stationed and resident in Scarborough

R Bottrell:
- aged 52
- a very active Officer
- Stationed and resident in Scarborough

I Cattine:
- aged 61
- a sober Officer
- Stationed and resident in Scarborough

J Morwan:
- aged 51
- An able active Officer
- Stationed in Reighton resident in Scarborough

William Hazlewood:
- aged 82
- Died 21 November 1778
- Stationed in Reighton resident in Scarborough

John Beswick:
- aged 67
- A very active Officer considering his age
- Stationed in Haybromaby (Hunmanby?) and resident in Reighton

Robert Grainge:
- aged 57
- Inactive through infirmities
- Stationed in Cayton and Osgodby - resident in Flambro

I Woodill :
- aged 60
- a sober diligent Officer
- Stationed and resident in Cloughton





OTHER ARTICLES
• The Yorkshire smuggler - the smuggling of contraband
• Thomas Crimlisk - First of the Crimlisks
• The Smuggling of contraband and the coastguard in Flamborough
• The life of a Riding Officer or preventative in the golden age of smuggling
• Smuggling of contraband along the Scarborough coast
• Scarboroughs Heyday of Inns,smuggling and illicit stills
• Primitive Methodism amongst the Scarborough Filey and Flamborough fishing communities
• The national RNLI and the Scarborough lifeboat of 1861.
• Harwood Brierleys description of Scarborough harbour at the opening of the 20th century
• French merchants and smugglers on the Yorkshire coast
• Radio 270 - pirate radio station off Scarborough
• A sea shanty about a storm on the Scarborough coast
• The port of Scarborough in the late 15th Century
• The smuggling along the Yorkshire coast - Cloughton Wyke
• Trawling During WW2 around scarborough and the North - East coast
• The early years of the Scarborough Lifeboat
• Strange customs amongst the Scarborough shipbuilders
• Stories of human interest from the sea port of Scarborough
• Shipbuilding at Scarborough - the wooden barques and schooners

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