The Sussex Smuggler

  Susan Swift Female Enforcer of the Hawkhurst Gang. I have been researching smugglers and the Hawkhurst Gang for longer than I care to admit. During that time, I have found very little mention of women involved in the operational side of the organisation. However, while examining the 1736 correspondence of John Collier , I was surprised to discover the name Susan Swift of Rye . AI impression of Susan Swift.(AI image). Susan Swift was married to Joseph Swift and was associated with known gang members Thomas Moore, Richard Lesly, and Thomas Young. Her name appears in Collier’s letters dated 9 February 1736 (Collier to Thomas Brian, Prosecutor for Customs). At the time, Collier served as Surveyor-General of the Riding Officers for Rye and Kent. Collier’s officer, Gabriel Tonkins — a former leader of the Mayfield Gang who had since turned Customs Officer — had arrested the wanted smuggler Thomas Moore and taken bail money as security for Moore’s appearance in court. Moore’s associa...

How did Turret Court get its name. The Origins of Turret Court: An Investigation into Ancient Trackways How did Turret Court get its name? While the name is shared by the modern residential development and the Victorian house that preceded it, the true origin may lie much deeper in Britain's pre-Roman history. This paper explores the possibility that the name "Turret" serves as a linguistic marker for ancient trackways and ley lines that converge on this specific site.   The site’s documented history begins in the Victorian era with the construction of Turret House, which was later known as (or renovated into) Turret Lodge. In 1964, the lodge was demolished to make way for the current standing structure, Turret Court. Alfred Watkins and the "Old Straight Track" To understand the significance of the name, we look to Alfred Watkins (born 1855), the pioneer of ley line theory. In his seminal work, The Old Straight Track, Watkins argued that the UK is crisscrossed b...