The old smuggling days

An old lady, whom we will call our aunt Peggy, told of a funny circumstance which happened about the year 1810, or to be more explicit, in the good old times of smuggling – for it is a notorious fact that many a valuable cargo of contraband spirits had been landed between Scarborough Castle and Robin Hood’s Bay – and the old lady, who was nearly eighty years of age, stated that she herself had run many a keg of gin to a place of safety which was not known to any of the coastguard at that time; and it is questionable whether the game would have been suppressed so soon had not the Government cunningly hit upon an effectual plan of turning those who were supposed to be the greatest smugglers into Preventive men. It was then that the secret order of bold smugglers were to some extent checked; indeed, it was by information tendered on the quiet that Mr Law of Stainton ~Dale, lost his life by being shot at Burniston, by William Mead, on the 14th of February, 1823. But to return to the old lady’s story. It appears that one night, a little after dark, her husband had either a market to make or an order to execute which was done in the following manner:-

Some kegs of gin which he had to convey were slung across a spirited mare something of the Tam O’Shanter type, and which never allowed herself to be caught, though on the occasion just referred to she had a narrow escape; for bear it in mind she had more than one bold rider to carry, and that at a dashing speed, as in those times it was the fashion for the dames to perch up behind their lords and masters. So it happened on this occasion, for there sat Peggy with a basket of butter, and on they went helter-skelter, gin tubs and all. It was likely to go ill with them, when just as they came in the vale of Peasholme, Peggy’s noble lord informed her that they must needs for once be parted or lose their game, as the enemy was in view; so off she flew into the bottom of the ditch, where it was requisite she should lay quite still until the palpitation had subsided, none the worse save a little bruising, while the race was fairly won once more and the kegs conveyed in safety to their place of destination.

OTHER ARTICLES
• The Yorkshire smuggler - the smuggling of contraband
• Smuggling of contraband along the Scarborough coast
• The Smuggling of contraband and the coastguard in Flamborough
• The life of a Riding Officer or preventative in the golden age of smuggling
• Coastal erosion in the 19th Century around the North Bay and Scarborough Castle area
• The fishermen and fisheries of Robin Hood's Bay in 1838
• The national RNLI and the Scarborough lifeboat of 1861.
• Thomas Crimlisk - First of the Crimlisks
• Scarboroughs Heyday of Inns,smuggling and illicit stills
• Customs Officer during golden age of smuggling in Scarborough
• Smuggling at Robin Hood's Bay
• The smuggling along the Yorkshire coast - Cloughton Wyke
• Primitive Methodism amongst the Scarborough Filey and Flamborough fishing communities
• French merchants and smugglers on the Yorkshire coast
• Robin Hood's Bay - The Storm family website
• The origin of Robin Hood's Bay - its name
• Harwood Brierleys description of Scarborough harbour at the opening of the 20th century
• Shipbuilding at Scarborough - the wooden barques and schooners
• The 200 year history of scarboroughs RNLI

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