10 BECOEDS AND REMINISCENCES OF GOODWOOD 



one for trial, did it at the risk of his life. The Duke 

 of Richmond, however, was most active in bringing 

 them to justice, and, assisted by the intrepid Major 

 Battine, a magistrate from East Harden, he succeeded 

 in breaking up the gang. 



To give my readers an idea of the extent to which 

 these fellows had carried on their nefarious pursuit, I 

 will relate w^iat I have read, and heard from those 

 who remember the facts as reported to them. 



On Tuesday, the 4th of October, 1747, the whole 

 body of smugglers, numbering over forty, all well 

 mounted, assembled in Charlton Forest to consult on 

 the possibility of recovering some goods which had 

 been seized and deposited in the Custom House at 

 Poole. 



It was proposed that they should go in a body 

 armed, and break open the Poole Custom House. 

 This was agreed to, and a bond was signed declaring 

 that they would support each other. The next day 

 they met at Rowland's Castle (about five miles from 

 Goodwood), armed with swords and muskets, and 

 concealed themselves in a wood till the evening of 

 the following day, when they proceeded to Poole, 

 reaching there about 11 p.m. Two or three of 

 them were sent to reconnoitre, and reported that 

 a sloop-of-war lay opposite the quay, so that her 

 guns could point against the door of the Custom 

 House, which caused some of the gang to falter. 



