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Making History
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 Tuesday 3.00-3.30 p.m |
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Sue Cook presents the series that examines listeners' historical queries, exploring avenues of research and uncovering mysteries. |
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William Blyth - the Paglesham smuggler
Listener's query
"We have a family story that back in the eighteenth century there was a well-known smuggler ancestor by the name of Blyth who lived in the village of Paglesham in Essex. Paglesham was said to be rife with the shifting of contraband. I'd like to know if there was such a man. Why, if it is true, did that village become such a focus for smuggling?"
Brief summary
William Blyth (1753-1830) was both smuggler and prominent citizen. He was an oysterman, shopkeeper, member of the Parish Council, constable and possibly even a magistrate. He was part of a huge family of fishermen smugglers who would cross to Dunkirk and bring back tea, gin and tobacco - but especially tea that would make the smuggler a handsome profit. With Revenue officers few and far between, the Essex coast between Southend-in-Sea and Rochford was ideal smuggling country, honeycombed as it was with creeks and rivulets which returned to mud when the tide was out. When the tide was in, boats came in as close to the treacherous offshore sands as they could and unloaded their cargo onto flat-bottomed boats which would quietly float up the creeks and then go inland.
A local magistrate, John Harriott, tells many tales of Blyth - Hard Apple as he was known - in his memoirs. On one occasion he grabbed an angry bull by the tail and hung on as it fled over hedge and ditch until the exhausted animal collapsed and died. Harriott reports having hitched a ride back with the smugglers from Dunkirk right to his own front door.
The Blyth family is buried in Paglesham churchyard. One of William's sons worked for the Thames River Police - which would not have stopped his smuggling activities.
Expert consulted
Frank Martin, local historian
Further reading
Frank Martin, Rogues' River (Ian Henry Publications, 1983)
Hervey Benham, The Smugglers' Century: The Story of Smuggling on the Essex Coast, 1730-1830 (Essex Record Office Publications, 1986)
Website
Smugglers' Britain
See the section on the East Coast - the Crouch.
Please note: the 大象传媒 accepts no responsibility for the content of external websites.
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See AlsoThe 大象传媒 is not responsible for the content of external sites |
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Vanessa has presented听science and current affairs programmes for 大象传媒, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Discovery and has presented for 大象传媒 Radio 4 & Five Live and a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday, Scotsman and Sunday Herald.听