From the late 1600s, Cornwall’s long and rugged coastline facilitated smuggling as a way to bypass regulations and tax on imported goods. Piracy and smuggling are part of the legend of Cornwall, but it is far from being folklore.
In the Heart of Cornwall Gallery, there are a number of objects and artefacts on display that help to tell the story of some of Cornwall’s most famous smugglers.
Harry Carter’s Teapot
The Carters were smugglers of Prussia Cove and were probably the most famous and well known. The teapot in the collection belonged to Harry Carter and it is significant because it demonstrates just how much money the family were making from their illegal activities. The Carters – the brothers and their wives – were mainly smuggling brandy from France, and it is thought that they were enabled thanks to a relationship with the local customs office.
Copper Smuggler’s Lamp
Light was a common tool for smugglers, most probably used to signal ships at night, letting sailors know whether or not it was safe to dock. It there were custom officers around, the lamp would have been used to warn the ship away until the coast was clear.
The lamp on display in the Heart of Cornwall Gallery was found at Trevalgan, St Ives. Made of copper, it would have been adapted so that smugglers were less likely to get caught. The might have added a flap instead of a glass front that would like the light through, or poked holes in the copper.
Custom Officers’ Cane
It was not just the smugglers that were required to sneak around under cover. Custom officers were equipped with canes that appear to be a walking stick, but hidden inside is a sword, earning this secret weapon its name, “swordstick”.
Smuggling first became an economic necessity because of the high duty on salt imported from Brittany. By the late eighteenth century, other items, including brandy, were also illegally imported.
The cane in Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery’s collections is from the 1700s. If you look closely at the handle, you might notice there are two notches carved into it. This is thought to be the number of people apprehended by the officer it belonged to.
