Smuggling and wrecking

Smuggling and wrecking around Cornwall

6 July 2021

1792 – A raid on the cove

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, […]
6 July 2021

The Fairy 1785

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) […]
6 July 2021

The Fairy 1786

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 […]
29 November 2019

The Dunkin brothers

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 […]
26 November 2019

Harry Carter – the highlights

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 […]
12 November 2019

Smuggling in W Cornwall in the late C18

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, […]
29 October 2019

Guernsey for North Bergen

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 […]
22 October 2019

Free trader or fair trader?

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 […]
15 October 2019

The Lord Hood 1787-1798

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 […]
23 September 2019

The George 1787-1790

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 […]