Smuggling and wrecking

Among the many smuggling myths and yarns of West Cornwall is an enduring one about an incident supposedly involving a Revenue Cutter called Faery off Prussia’s […]

Once again all then went quiet, and it was seven or eight months later before another incident brought Carter’s battery to the fore. The Lord Hood, […]

Early in 1785, Fairy was again in serious risk in Mounts Bay. Between 22nd February and 1st March (virtually the same dates as the previous year) […]

If December 1785 had proved an unsuccessful month, then the auspices for 1786 were not much brighter. On 2nd January the Sprightly, now under the command of […]

The Dunkin brothers, John (born about 1750) and James (born about 1753) were contemporaries of Harry Carter of Prussia’s Cove and familiar names in accounts of […]

Harry (Henry) was the fourth of the seven of the Carter brothers of Prussia’s Cove. Born in Pengersick (Praa Sands) in 1749, we know much about […]

The late C18 was a turbulent and confusing time with several competing pressures for those operating at sea in West Cornwall. Hostilities with the American Colonies, […]

As a lad growing up in Newlyn, tales of the exploits of the Carters of Prussia’s Cove, fascinated me. So much so that ever since I […]

All British and foreign merchant vessels, whether Fair traders or Free traders, however big or small, had to have ‘legitimate’ Bills of Lading, for any and […]

A number of vessels appear regularly in accounts of smuggling and suspected smuggling, in and around Mount’s Bay in the late C18. Some were no doubt […]

The Lord Hood of Penzance & St. Ives: Fair Trader or Free Trader? 126 ton Brigantine – 1787-1798. The Lord Hood was a small merchant vessel of […]

During the first period of British Ship registration, from 1786 to 1824, the 202 ton ship George was the largest vessel registered in the Port of […]