Acknowledgements
Documents/Publications |
Author |
Reference |
Location |
|||
| Photos: Prince of Wales Inn, Kenfig | Steve Parker | www.tonkenfig.co.uk | Ton Kenfig, Bridgend | |||
Smuggling around Kenfig
Overview
The Bristol channel is reputed to be one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the World -
In the Kenfig area the Scarweather and Nash sands, the tidal reef at Tuskar rock and the deadly fangs of
Sker point have all, over the centuries claimed their toll of victims.
Wrecks have probably occurred at these sites ever since man's first tentative steps to navigate
such dangerous waters, although the earliest written references to wrecks on the South Wales coast
don't appear until the 12th century.
The names of these early casualties are seldom recorded and whether their ends involved any
loss of life is likewise rarely ever mentioned.
It is as though such matters were of little or no concern and indeed, this was probably the case,
for these early records are concerned only with the legal wrangles arising over the ownership of the
wreck and its contents.
Where the vessel had stranded on shore, local landowners could often claim "Right of wreck"
and with the cargoes often worth more than the ships themselves, some fierce battles were often
fought through the courts.
Partly due to the existence of better records, it would appear that a substantial amount of
wrecks occurred during the 18th century, however, the channel at this time was an important and busy
highway for trade, with Bristol being the premier port in the kingdom.
Great merchant vessels bound to and from the Far East and the Americas cruised sedately past
the shores of South Wales carrying rich and exotic cargoes worth a king's randsom.
Amongst these great ships passed the lesser fry, smaller vessels trading with France and Ireland.
They also flitted between the Bristol channel ports trading in the agricultural and mineral wealth
of the area - it was with these smaller vessels that tales of smuggling and shipwrecking along the
South Wales coastline was to become commonplace.
Wrecking and Looting Vessels
By 1732, so widespread had smuggling become in the Bristol channel, that the collector of
customs at Cardiff was moved to write to London pleading that a sloop be sent to patrol those waters.
It seems that the smugglers and indeed, many of the local people and gentry as well, didn't consider
these activities to be illegal.
To them it was a necessity brought about by the extortionate customs duties levied on most of the
luxuries of life - ironically the worst penalty a convicted smuggler could normally expect was to be
conscripted into the Royal Navy itself.
Wrecking around Kenfig
Allegations are also sometimes made that the inhabitants of South Wales also engaged in the
sinister practice of wrecking - the deliberate luring of ships to their doom. Traditionally this
is said to have been done at night by tying lanterns to the horns of cattle, leading them
back and forth along the shore or tying lanterns to grazing sheep.
Seen from the sea, these would appear as the lights of vessels riding safely at anchor,
misleading the crew into believing that they were approaching a safe anchorage.
In the case of local wrecks around the Kenfig area, it has to be said that in no single
instance was an allegation made into a vessel having been wrecked in this way other than by misfortune.
Tales of Looting around KenfigThe looting of wrecks once they were ashore, was, however, another matter and like that of smuggling
was considered by the common folk to be a legitimate enterprise and they gave short shift to any who
sought to baulk them.
Customs officers were heartily despised, poorly paid and frequently subjected to threats and abuse
which sometimes turned to violence - Not until 1753 was the looting of wrecked vessels and their
cargoes made a capital offence.
Bibliography:
(1) Kenfig Society
(2) Kenfig.org LCG
(3) Tom Bennett - Shipwrecks around Wales (Happy Fish Publishers, Dyfed)
|
Local Shipwrecks - Indepth
Smuggling around Kenfig
Famous People Associated with the Area
|
|
|
|
Related Website Links
Local Website Links
|
[ kenfig.org is not responsible for the content on any external website]
|
