How big a problem was smuggling? LOs: To be able to explain what people smuggled and assess the reasons for its decline
Introduction “Five and twenty ponies Trotting through the dark – Brandy for the Parson ‘Baccy for the Clerk; Laces for a lady, letters for a spy, And watch the wall, my darling, while The Gentlemen go by!” Note down what this poem can tell us about smuggling. What are the problems in finding out about smugglers? Background research Read the background information and note down answers to these questions:
What is smuggling? Give some examples of goods smuggled in the 18 th century. Where did smuggling take place? Why did people smuggle?
Smuggling in Kent Smoking was especially prolific along coastal areas such as Kent. Visit a website dedicated to the history of smuggling and answer the following: What evidence is there that Dover was one of the main centres at the height of the trade? Paste your evidence below – clue it could be visual evidence. According to this web page, How can we tell that villagers in Kent were involved in the smuggling trade? Why was smuggling so successful at this time? Click on Who were they and make a list, with a brief explanation of the different types of smugglers Click on Concealment and note down how smugglers in Sandwich and Folkestone hid their smuggled goods? What was meant by ‘sowing a crop’ and ‘stinky booze’? Click on Expansion & defeat and record how Martello Towers helped to bring an end to smuggling in South-East England?