To begin, it would be worth noting why so many people took part in smuggling. Throughout the 18^th century, there had been little efforts to stop smuggling outright. In 1698, the Customs and Revenue Service appointed 299 Riding Officers, Revenue Men that would ride along the coast on horseback, to try and catch smugglers red handed. The main goal of this was to try and stop ‘Owlers’ (and early word for smugglers) from smuggling wool out of England.

These Riding Officers were not looked upon fondly. The Customs Commission responsible for their employment suggested that the Riding Officers cost too much, didn’t provide results, and lied about the amount of work they did. Leaders of these groups of Riding Officers were appointed through nepotism, and most believed they were even smugglers themselves.

The early 1800s would become known as the ‘golden age’ of smuggling. This was primarily down to the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars between 1803 – 1815. During a time of war, taxes become higher and governments have less time to devote to other issues of state.

Smugglers took advantage of the high taxes, bringing in their cut priced goods, and with the attention of government drawn to the war with France, it was all too easy to avoid the ineffective Riding Officers. When the Napoleonic Wars ended in 1815, however, there was a sudden change to the efforts being made to capture smugglers, beginning the decline of the trade.

With the war with France now over, the Royal Navy was freed up to assist with the capture of smugglers. In 1816, the Royal Navy blockaded the British coastline. Royal Navy sailors were far more experienced than anyone on the customs force and would make quick work of less experiences smugglers crews in fishing boats.

The Navy would pounce on any ship even suspected of smuggling. The blockade had an efficient communication system which allowed letters to be passed between ships captains, informing them of suspected smugglers’ ships to keep an eye out for. Letters like these were compiled into a ‘Coast Guard Order Book’, which can still be accessed today at various archives around the country.

No war also meant no wartime taxes. Legal goods became cheaper which meant smuggled goods were no longer needed. The final straw came in 1848 and the passing of the Corn Laws. 450 items which had previously seen massive import duty were removed from the statue books, as Britain moved towards a new, Free Trade era.

Smuggling began to become much less profitable throughout this time. Staples such as tea and tobacco were now more readily available than ever before (legally!). Smuggling also began to carry a much higher risk, meaning the labourers and fishermen who had built this trade up, now no longer saw smuggling as a viable trade.

It is important to note, however, that whilst smuggling in the mid-19^th century fell into decline, it would be untrue to suggest that smuggling ‘stopped’. Even today, smuggling continues in various forms, all around the world. Legal goods such as alcohol and tobacco are still smuggled in, along with illegal items such as drugs or weapons.