The History of Smuggling and Smugglers on the Kent Coast

[@berylandrews6399]

My maiden name was Snelling my family and relatives all grew up in Folkestone Kent ,so Maybe Josh was a distant relative, I am 86 🇬🇧🙋‍♀

[@carolwoodhouse4311]

Visiting Kent soon and found this extremely interesting. Thank you.

[@brucelee-wo5ge]

Pertaining to this history, in a wonderful non-fiction book titled "Life and Adventures" by seafaring cooper John Nicol, is the following extract. The year is circa 1791. The book itself is definitely worth a read. The extract describes his vessel being stranded in the mouth of the Thames ....."In two months after my leaving the Lady Juliana I was again at sea in hopes of reaching Port Jackson by some means or other. In our first offset we were stranded upon the Red Sand near the Nore. While we lay in distress, the Deal men came out and wished to make a wreck of us by cutting away our masts. I, with alacrity, aided the captain and stood guard with a brace of pistols, and threatened to blow out the brains of the first man of them that offered to set his foot upon our deck. The weather fortunately was moderate. We, having no long-boat, carried out our anchor between two boats into deep water, and as the tide flowed we got her off. To my great disappointment we were forced to put back into dock to have her examined by removing the copper sheathing. All the crew left her except myself, as the engagement was broken by our return to dock, and the men would not continue in her as they thought no good would come of the voyage. Her stranding was an omen of her bad luck".

[@thomasabrahams7984]

I love local history and I absolutely loved this!

[@colinwalker1678]

That is as brilliant, any chance you are still presenting this and is there any chance of doing a presentation to our group in Dymchurch

[@AlecLudlow1]

Thank you George. Good episode.

[@mickbott9041]

Thank you so much. Really interesting history. I've been interested in the subject for over fifty years and I'm pleased to say, I couldn't fault you - and I learned quite a bit too. Thanks again.

[@tellingthetruth3726]

George..... please could you turn up the volume? Thanks......

[@MisterRarsclartPest]

Very well researched!

[@sallypascall565]

Really enjoyed this

[@twopintkarl]

Brilliant work

[@benshirley45]

Exellent, much better quality camera this week?

[@stuartthegrant]

Most interesting film. I have subscribed.

[@frankleppard1965]

Enjoyed thanks, should have stood out side a few of there caves which i know of !

[@natacus1234]

I am a decendant of smugglers and the fact that they were robin hood like is genuinely true. They all came from poor families struggling to make a living so when a large source of income was found of course they would share it with local villagers. Although i am not denying that there was a huge amount of violence to keep ontop of this monopoly.

[@johnmay23]

i am a descendent / family member of one of the Kingsmill brother.leaders of the Hawhurst gang. My father's sister was married to Harry Kingsmill of Maidstone ..a direct descendent j may vancouver canada

[@natacus1234]

@@johnmay23 Thats super interesting! Funnily enough I am a descendant of the Aldington gang a.ka the blues. Its nice to know our ancestors lived in relative proximity to each other!

[@johnmay23]

@@natacus1234 I was born in Tovil..(near Maidstone) in 1936 Patenal family - from Folkestone ........fishermern ,sail makers,net makesrs Maternal family - from West Hartlepool.....boat/ship builders, Hugeuenots ancestrry on both side j may

[@natacus1234]

@@johnmay23 That's funny my ancestors were also from Folkestone one of which died in a boating accident. Most of them were fisherman as well! I've never heard of tovil maybe worth a visit one day

[@johnmay23]

@@natacus1234 I was born there but sent to Folkestone to live with my Maternal Grand Parents I have never been to Tovil since I was born !!! The May family (Paternal)were quite large in Folkesone. The Pay family (Maternal) were a mix of Folkestone (Webb) and West Hartlepool (Pay) "residents" The two families built & owned "collier brigs" that brought coal from the Tyne (Newcastle) to Folkestone for the local town gas company- and returned with limestone ( as ballast ) The Pay family were "upright citizens " and regular chirch goers The May's ( three brothers )on the other hand fell victim to the "demon drink" (One family owned the " LIFEBOAT " PUB' the others " supported the pubs located on the fish market) WW1 put an end the the ship owning and number of fishing boats owned declined as the alchohol consumpotion increased ...End of story regards jm