Smuggling in Devon - Robert Hesketh

Smuggling In Devon - Robert Hesketh

Bovey Paradiso Arts is delighted to welcome Robert Hesketh to the gallery on Thursday 21st November as part of our Speaker Series. 

The Truth Behind the Fiction

Between 1700 and 1850 smuggling became a huge industry in Devon, with the majority of Devonians active in it, profiting from it, or at least colluding in it. All social classes were involved. Clergymen and aristocrats were among the backers. None thought cheating the government of exorbitant taxes was wrong and smugglers brought to trial were usually acquitted by sympathetic Devon juries and magistrates.

Smugglers were particularly active in Devon because there were so many sailors and fishermen who could assist. There was also easy access to France and the Channel Islands.

In reality, “Free Trade” was far from romantic. Smugglers could be violent and ruthless. This talk attempts a balanced view of an illegal trade which long flourished in Devon despite the government’s best efforts to stamp it out – and was eventually defeated by the simple expedient of cutting duties on imported goods.

Robert would be delighted to take questions from the audience and you are warmly encouraged to bring along your own stories, history or family connections to smuggling in Devon. Roberts website can be viewed here - https://roberthesketh.co.uk/

Tickets for this event are £10 each and are non-refundable. The doors will open at 19.15 and the event will begin at 19.30. There will be a licensed bar and an interval with an opportunuty to meet the author, buy his books and purchase refreshments.

Join us for what promises to be a fascinating evening.