Smuggling and wrecking

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, […]

As a lad growing up in Newlyn, tales of the exploits of the Carters of Prussia’s Cove, fascinated me. So much so that ever since I […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Little is known about the 25 ton sloop Liberty prior to the first official Registration of British Shipping in August/September 1786. Built at Topsham in Devon […]

While Charles was languishing in prison, during the first week in February, 1794, a wreck occurred in Prussia’s Cove, that demanded the attention of the Penzance […]

On February 21st 1793, the Attorney General opened a trial in the Court of Exchequer against Charles Carter. In the preceding months Charles, together with John […]