History: Smuggling in Essex: The Romance & Reality

Each week we will look at how smuggling is represented in a range of different forms including novels, film and TV, songs, poetry and art and consider why smuggling and the fight against it has been a popular subject. We will explore the history of smuggling in Essex to find out about the goods being smuggled in the 18th century and why they were smuggled. We will find out who some of the smugglers were, including learning about local gangs, as well as the tricks of their trade. We will look at the local coastline, creeks and backwaters to find out what made Essex well suited to smuggling and compare what happened here to smuggling activity in other coastal areas. We will also think about the impact of smuggling activity on local communities and attempts to control the trade and the particular challenges of this in Essex. Expect slide presentations and suggested reading, listening and watch lists and group discussions.