Treasury report on Thomas Benson and Lundy Island (1753)

Transcribed by David Carter 2022

National Archives ref: T 1/352/47
Transcribed by David Carter 2022

[Implied letters in brackets, paragraphs, and punctuation added by the transcriber. 
Spelling remains largely verbatim]

= = = = = = = = =

Catalogue entry:

Date:    1753 May 12
T 1 - Treasury: Treasury Board Papers and In-Letters
Papers from the Customs House: Report of the Commissioners for Customs on the memorial of Thomas Benson [missing] requesting that the Island of Lundy be established as a landing place for ships. 4 pages.
Reference:    T 1/352/47
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7604270

= = = = = = = = = =

Transcript:

[To] Custom House, London, 12th May 1753

May it please your Lordships,

In obedience to your Commands signified by Mr West on the memorial of Thomas Benson Esq, in behalf of himself and the other Proprietors of the Island of Lunday, and likewise in behalf of all the present Inhabitants of the said Island, praying the the Reasons therein contained, that it may be put under some Regulation in respect to Trade, your Lordships directing us to take the same into consideration, and report a State of the case therein set forth, with our opinion, what is fit to be done therein, And also to inform your Lordships what We apprehend are the particular Reasons for the memorialist's making this Application.

We humbly Report, that, since the receipt of your Lordships Commands, We have endeavoured to procude the best Information we could, on the several Matters contained in the said Memorial, so far as related to this Revenue, and having had recourse to the Books and Papers in our Secretary's Office, We find, that, in the year 1721, and for some suceeding years, when the Island of Lundy was in the hands of Mr Richard Score, who rented it of the Proprietors, seeral illegal Practices were carried on there, and considerable Quantities of Goods were seized by the Officers of the Customs, till a Stop was put thereto by the said Score's leaving the Island. Since which, We are informed, the said Island remained uninhabited, and entirely neglected by the Proprietors.

But We beg leave to inform your Lordships that, within three years last past, We have from time to time, received Informations that the Smugling Trade has been revived there, and that Goods have been frequently landed on the Island, and orders have as often been given to the Officers of the Customs at the Ports of Bideford and Barnstaple, to be very carefull in endeavouring to detect and prevent the same.

And, in Novem[be]r 1751, We received and Information that a cargo of Tobacco had been entered out at the Port of Barnstaple, for Morlaix in France, relanded at Lundy, and afterwards brought back, and thereby the Crown defrauded of the Duties, which being a matter of great Importance, We beg leave to pay the case before your Lordships. On the 11th of October 1751, the ship Wine [actually the ‘Vine’], John Clibbett master, sailed from the Port of Barnstaple with sixty hogsheads of Tobacco on board. The next Day, or the Day after, she arrived at Milford, where She stayed till the 3rd of November following, waiting, as the master pretended, for Orders. But, being then told by the Officers of the Customs that, if he did not proceed on his voyage, they would seize the vessel and cargo, he thought proper to sail from thence, and on the 7th Day of the same month arrived at Burry in Wales to load coals.

As it was almost incredible that a vessel should be able to perform a voyage from Milford to Morlaix, there discharge a cargo of Sixty Hogsheads of Tobacco, and come back to Burry in Wales, all this in the Space of five Days, it was suspected the Master of the vessel had landed the Cargo at Lundy, and therefore We thought it proper to send an Office thither with orders to seize all Tobacco he should find. And, although the said Officer was too late to seize the Tobacco, he was well convinced that a considerable Quantity had been landed there a short time before his arrival, by the Number of Hogshead Staves then remaining, the marks of which had been cut out, except of one, on which was T.B. No.12, and also by the Quantity of waste Tobacco, which lay scatted about, and the suspicion that the said Cargo of Tobacco, whipt and entered out for Morlaix. And after being landed at Lundy was brough back from thence, is strengthened by the Accounts We received afterwards.

That, on the 13th of November 1751, 1,127 pounds of Tobacco were seized at Appledore in the Ship Dolphin, belonging to the memorialist, and much about the same time, a Seizure was made at Ilfracomb of a large Fishery Boat, laded with cake Tobacco, which, by the damaged part having been cutt off, appeared to have been before imported, and to have passed through the Hands of the Officers of the Customs. And, about the same time, large Quantities of Tobacco were found in Houses, Barnes, Brakes, and Hedges, all which were suspected to belong to Clibbett's Cargo beforementioned, and to have been brought from Lundy.

And We beg leave to observe to Your Lordships, as a corroborating circumstance of this Fraud, we are informed that no Tobacco is sent to France from this Kingdom, but what is bought by the Company's Agents, and that this cargo, pretended to be sent thither by the Ship Wine, Captain Clibbet was not bought so. But from further Information just now received, we have reason to think the whole Tune of this Fraud will be fully detected, and that We shall be enabled effectually to prosecute the Persons concerned therein.

We further Report, the Island of Lundy, by its Situation, is very convenient for Smugling, as it lies near in the Midway between England and Wales, so that from thence Goods may be run on either Side of the Channell with all the Ease imaginable, and especially if a Pier was to be built, as proposed by the memorialist, for the Shelter of small vessels, which are usually employed on such occasions. And therefore, if this Island was to be established a Place for the Ordinary Shipping and landging of Goods, We apprehended it would soon become, like the Isle of Man, a Magazine of Goods for illicit Trade: nor is this our opinion only, but, as far as we can learn, it is the general Sence of the Merchants residing thereabouts, and even considering the present Situation of the Revenue with regard to the said Island, in order to suppress and put a stop to Smugling there, We think it might be proper, for the present, to appoint a Sloop or Cutter of about Forty Tons, to be commanded by an Officer on whose Resolution, Zeal, and Fidelity We could rely, from Experience already had, and who is well acquainted with the Coast and Trade carried on on those parts, to be properly stationed, and occasionally, as Wind and Weather will permit, to visit the Island of Lundy, to rummage for and seize all prohibited, and also customable Goods for which the Duties did not appear to have been paid.

Upon the whole, although We are not able to inform your Lordships what may be the true Motives of the memorialist for making this Application, we are of opinion, as We have before observed, the Revenue will be exposed to very great Frauds should the Island of Lundy be established a lawful Place for the ordinary Shipping and Landing of Goods.

Which is humbly Submitted.

[Signed]
W Truine[?]
J: Evelyn
R Meredith[?]
Edw[ar]d Hooper

= = = = = = = = = =

Definitions:

Memorialist: a person who writes a memorial or memoir.

= = = = = = = = = =