BattlefieldsCustoms House raid Poole Harbour 1747
modern

Customs House raid Poole Harbour 1747

1747
England
Era
modern
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Poole Customs officers
Forces
Poole Customs officers overwhelmed; government subsequently deploying military
VS
Victor
Hawkhurst Gang
Forces
Hawkhurst Gang smugglers
Outcome
Tea recovered by gang; government appalled by the impunity of the raid; major military and legal operation launched against Sussex and Kent smuggling gangs
The Battle

History & Significance

The Hawkhurst Gang raided Poole Customs House to recover thirty hundredweight of seized tea; the gang rode through the town in daylight and no one dared stop them; the raid led directly to the government crackdown that destroyed the Hawkhurst Gang

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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