More smuggling fatalities - A reform dinner at the Swan
The year 1831 was but three days old, when a smuggling affair happened which was attended by terribly fatal results. Three uncles of the present writer were concerned therein, and the account of the conflict is here produced from the biography of "The Last of a Family of Smugglers".
A boat came ashore at Fairlight, not far from the Dripping Well, with a cargo of tubs, twenty of which, in the bow of the boat, were, by the drawing of lots or some other arrangement to be the property of Ranger and his brothers (an elder and a younger), who were also present. At that time, a party of Rifles were quartered in Post-office passage, and as their duty was to assist the blockade, they, on this particular night were called out to prevent what was believed to be a contemplated run of contraband. The Government detectives were assisted in their object by the light of a full moon, and were thus enabled to pounce upon the boat as soon as it struck the beach. A young man named Richard Cobb was one of the boatmen, and seeing that the venture was likely to be of a sanguinary nature, he threw himself into the sea with a pair of tubs, the buoyancy of which assisted him to swim towards Hastings, landing ultimately at a convenient spot and getting off unscathed. One of his companions ("Dolly" Mann) was less fortunate, he having been wounded in one arm, after the bullet had passed through the two heads of a tub of spirits. This first shot was quickly followed by others, the blockademen firing almost indiscriminantly at any smuggler who was within range, while the rifles (or as some say, the marines) discharged their weapons in the air. As, however, one of the smugglers (George Harrod), besides being mortally shot, was found with a bayonet thrust, the soldiers were, perhaps, hardly so considerate as rumour gave them credit for. There were two other fatalities, the one occuring during the night to "Trucks" (William) Cruttenden, and the other, after several weeks suffering to William Nash. Cruttenden's body was found next morning in the New-barn field where the tops of a crop of turnips were pulled or kicked to pieces over a considerable area, thus indicating that the unfortunate man had had a terrible struggle either with his assailants or with death. His age was 25 years, and the interment of his remains took place in the All Saint's burial-ground on the 10th of January. The other sufferer (William Nash) was seriously wounded, and was conveyed by some of his comrades to a house near the Fish-ponds.
A clue to this removal was obtained by the blockade officers, and some of the rifles (or marines) were placed there on guard. The unfortunate occurrence was quickly communicated to Mr. Nash's family at 106 All Saints' street, and two surgeons, Mr. William Ross Chapman, of 49 High Street (brother-in-law of the wounded man) and Robert Ranking, of 79 High Street, were despatched to the house at the Fish Ponds, where the sufferer was lying in a precarious condition. The doors had been made secure on the inside against intruders, so that the sentinels, acting on their suspicion, objected to the surgeons entering the house unless one or more of their number accompanied them. This was sternly refused by the medical practitioners, and one of them (Mr. Ranking), being thus suddenly put on his mettle, was equal to the occasion, and told the sentinels that they had been sent for to attend a woman in labour, and that as it was a very serious case those who made demands impossible to be granted, would be held responsible for any fatality that might result. The guard at first demurred, but ultimately withdrew, thinking, perhaps, that discretion was the better part of valour. As soon as the way was clear and the object could be effected without exciting renewed suspicion, Mr. Nash was secretly removed to his own home, where he remained with but little expectation of recovery for a considerable period.
I used to be sent almost daily to ascertain the poor man's condition, and, as far as my memory serves me, it was about ten weeks after the melancholy conflict that Mr. Nash's death took place. The extracted bullet is, I believe, in the possession of a living member of the family, while the pistol which inflicted the fatal wound on Cruttenden, and was afterwards knocked out of the hand of his assailant was for many years in the possession of Mr. Carly, of St. Leonards.
Contrary to reasonable expectations, Thomas Range, and those of his associates who survived the sanguinary conflict at Fairlight, continued their contraband ventures, and with, upon the whole, a less amount of success. On the 23rd of February, a boat-load of smuggled goods was attempted to be landed at 48 Tower, in the vicinity of Bexhill, but the blockade men, more alert than on a previous occasion seized the boat, with 98 casks of spirits and one bag of tea. A month later, as an additional means of detection, twelve horses arrived at Hastings, to be mounted by as many Preventive patrols, appointed to go forth every night, in twos, along the highways and bye-ways. The work of the "fairtraders" was thus made more difficult and more hazardous, although means were still occasionally found to elude even the keenest look-out and the swiftest pursuit.
Among the misadventures, howerver was that of July 14th, when Soloman Bevill and his crew seized at Ecclesbourne a boat named the Albion, together with three men and 70 tubs. Again, on the 3rd of October, the Government officers seized two cart-loads of contraband spirits; and, three nights later, a body of preventivemen of the Priory station (then situated at what is now the centre of Carlisle Parade) attempted another seizure, when a serious skirmish ensued in which the smugglers were more than a match for their opponents, and came best out of the conflict. In this affair £500 was offered by the Government for the apprehension of the smugglers. A few not very important successes and failures intervened the last-named date and the 28th of December, when Ranger had the mortification of being out-Rangered by the Ranger revenue cutter, which made a seizure of five men, 205 tubs and a boat. The goods were deposited in the Custom-house while the men were lodged in 39 Tower at Bopeep from which they afterwards effected their escape. When the captured goods were conveyed through the streets, many of the people were so incensed that they assaulted the men in charge with stones. Two days later (Dec. 31st) another seizure was effected consisting of a fishing-boat and a number of tubs. But a more serious affair occurred on the morning of New-year's Day, which is described under the heading of that year. Some of the Hastings Smugglers were also losers on the 16th of May by a venture at Rye, when 140 tubs and four men were taken. On Sunday, Nov 27th two smugglers, both of Ore named respectively, Head and Cobby, were shot at Bopeep. One's body was carried by his comrades to near the Iron-latch gate, Hollington, and there privately burned. The other unfortunate man, who survived for a few days was probably buried at Ore.
As connected with smuggling affairs, it may be stated that on the 5th of January, a six-pounder ball was fired from a Revenue cutter ¾ of a mile from land, which struck the beach, just westward of White Rock and scattered the stones near to a man who was walking there. The ball lodged in the embankment, was extracted and exhibited.
On the 31st of January, the bells of St. Clements Church pealed forth, whilst 130 persons sat down at the "Independent Reform Dinner", provided by Mr. Emary at the Swan Hotel and presided over by Sir Godfrey Webster, supported by Col. de Lacy Evans, M. P. for Rye. Those who attended the dinner were animated by the prospect of another Dissolution and on the 17th of March, the Hastings Rector wrote:The dissolution of Parliament seems inevitable and will put all in a bustle. I had a letter today from Mrs. Camac, Mr C. meaning, I suppose to offer himself for election. Milward has, months ago, retired to Boulogne, and is thought to be a candidate for another world.
During the months of March and April Messrs. Ottway Cave, John Ashley Warre, Frederick North and William Camac were actively canvassing in anticipation of the passing of the Reform Bill. The proposed measure it was said provided that no place with fewer than 200 voters was to be represented in Parliament; that all residents in boroughs rated at £10 were to be entitled to vote; that the qualification of Members was to be increased; that the election in boroughs was to be completed in one day and that for a county in two days.
An address to his Majesty in favour of Parliamentary Reform was prepared at Hastings, and in one day, whilst lying at the Swan Hotel, it received over 600 signatures.
