Crimes and criminals - the 18th century
Organised crime had been a problem for centuries and it continued in the early modern period. By the 18th century, two new forms had emerged and were causing particular concern: smuggling and highway robbery.
Smuggling
During the 17th century, governments had increased the amount of tax (known as The amount of tax that people or businesses had to pay if they imported goods into the country.) that people and businesses had to pay if they imported goods into the country. This was to try to encourage people to buy from British producers by deliberately making it more costly to import from abroad.
Smuggling was the crime of bringing goods into the country secretly, thereby avoiding paying the import duty. By the early 18th century, smuggling had become a big problem around the coastal areas of the country. In the 17th century it had mainly been tobacco from Virginia, in America, that was smuggled. After the 1720s, there was an increase in the smuggling of tea,brandy and silk after the government placed high duties on these goods.
Many people were involved, from labourers to tradesmen, farmers and richer people. Smuggling was widespread for the following reasons:
- There was a large market for smuggled goods because import duties made goods more expensive to buy.
- It was relatively easy as Britain had several thousand miles of unguarded coastline.
- Many people didn’t really see smuggling as a crime.
- It was a quick way to make good money for a night’s work.
Smuggling gangs
There were usually between 40 and 50 people involved in the operation:
- venturer - put up the money to buy goods, usually in France or Holland
- ship’s captain and crew - brought the goods across the English Channel
- landers - carried the goods to shore in smaller boats
- local people - employed as lookouts and to hide the stock in a barn or cave
- carters - transported the goods to towns and sold them
Highway robbery
Highway robbery, where robbers on horseback ambushed and attacked people travelling in A large enclosed vehicle, pulled by horses, used to carry passengers along a regular route between two places. along the roads, was not a new crime. However, there were more opportunities to commit the crime in this period, because of increased travel and wealth.
Highway robbers
Highwaymen were usually armed with pistols and wore masks. Later stories often depict them in a rather romantic way, as daring adventurers who stole without using violence. However, in reality they could be very violent, often leaving victims with significant injuries. They were greatly feared, especially on the main routes into London, which were the most frequently targeted.
The rise of highway robbery
Highway robbery became more frequent during the 18th century for the following reasons:
- More roads had been built in the 17th and 18th centuries, meaning that travel by stagecoach was more common.
- Roads were poorly lit.
- There were more wealthy people.
- There were few banks so people tended to carry money and jewellery with them.
- Horses became cheaper to buy and handguns were easier to obtain.
The decline of highway robbery
In general, highwaymen had disappeared by 1800. This can be explained by a number of factors:
- Someone responsible for maintaining law and order in a county. Often abbreviated to JP. refused to renew the licences of taverns that were known to protect highwaymen.
- London expanded into the previously open, quiet areas where many highwaymen had operated.
- The banking system developed and expanded, and fewer people carried valuables around with them.
- Patrols on horseback were set up around London, which deterred the criminals.
