King's Cutters and Smugglers 1700-1855

A vivid portrait of Britain’s coastal struggle unfolds as the book traces the rise of smuggling from the early eighteenth century and the birth of the King’s Cutters tasked with crushing it. Drawing on customs records, court documents and contemporary sketches, the author shows how ordinary fishermen, merchants and desperate families turned the sea into a trade route for tea, brandy and contraband, while the navy’s sleek, armed cutters raced to intercept them under the glow of lantern‑lit pennants.

The narrative moves beyond daring chases to explain the tactics smugglers employed—hidden compartments, false decks and clever night landings—alongside the evolving design of the revenue vessels, their armament and crew composition. Detailed charts, period illustrations and a rich set of appendices give listeners a tactile sense of the ships’ dimensions and the legal battles that shaped coastal life. By the close of the first act, the stage is set for a relentless cat‑and‑mouse game that defined a unique chapter of maritime history.