254 



THE BRIGHTON ROAD 



5) 



at Patcham Gate, and yielded their " tuppences 

 with what grace they might. 



On the less hallowed north side of the churchyard 

 of Patcham may still with difficulty be spelled the 

 inscription : 



Sacred to the memory of DANIEL SCALES, 



who was unfortunately shot on Thursday evening, 



November 7th, 1796. 



Alas ! swift flew the fatal lead, 



Which pierced through the young man's head. 



He instant fell, resigned his breath, 



And closed his languid eyes in death. 



All you who do this stone draw near, 



Oh ! pray let fall the pitying tear. 



From this sad instance may we all, 



Prepare to meet Jehovah's call. 



It is a relic of those lawless old days of smuggling 

 that are so dear to youthful minds. 'Youth, like the 

 Irish peasant, is always anarchist and " agin the 

 Government " ; and certainly the deeds of derring-do 

 that were wrought by smuggler and Revenue officer 

 alike sometimes stir even middle-aged blood. 



Smuggling was rife here. Where, indeed, was it 

 not in those times ? and Daniel Scales was the most 

 desperate of a 

 daring gang. The 

 night when he was 

 "unfortunately 

 shot," he, with 

 many others of 

 the gang, was 

 coming from 

 Brighton laden 

 h e a v i 1 y with 

 smuggled goods, 

 and on the way 

 they fell in with 

 a number of 

 soldiers and excise 

 officers, near this 



place. The smugglers fled, leaving their casks of 

 liquor to take care of themselves, careful onlv to 





~t 



OLD DOVECOT, PATCHAM. 



