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Captain James Bollinger

The Sussex Smuggler by Captain James Bollinger with Miss Meadow.

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Captain James Bollinger: America Ground, Hastings, East Sussex, United Kingdom; I would like to share my local historic findings and research.

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The Hawkhurst Gang Season 1 Episode 2

By Captain James Bollinger. Captain James Bollinger March 11, 2023

The Hawkhurst Gang Season 1 Episode 2 As the gang entered the 1740s, expansion west to the more accessible and flat beaches of West Sussex was an obvious business move. Gray and by now the notorious bunch of men who followed, were expanding by amalgamating with other gangs through alliances and hostile take overs. This could be described in contemporary terms as a 'turf war'. Arguably, the struggle for Gray was not necessarily the Revenue and Dragoons as they were thinly spread, it would have been the other gangs. Smuggling was a battle of survival, hearts, minds and only the fittest or maybe in this case the cruelest would survive. The lawlessness continued..... Mermaid Street, Rye. On right pub sign for the Mermaid Inn. A regular haunt for the gangs as well as other villains was Rye, East Sussex. The Transport gang led by Jeremiah Curtis (aka Alexander Pollard) worked with John Grayling in the Hastings area. Hastings would have been rich pickings in the 1740s with its beac...

Jack Upperton Highwayman and Pensioner.

By Captain James Bollinger. Captain James Bollinger March 28, 2023

Jack Upperton Highwayman and Pensioner. The local story of Jack (John) Upperton of Lyminster, West Sussex is known well to the Downland people . Thought to be aged over sixty and too old for heavy farm work, Jack (John) decided to draw down his pension in his own way. In 1770 Jack (John) concocted a plan to rob the mail coach on the old road between Arundel and Findon, likely to be today's A27. . It was thought there was another accomplice, possibly Jack's brother, Richard Upperton but this was never proven. According to East Grinstead Assizes court papers ( Worthing Occult & Paranormal Investigations (Facebook) written at the trial of Upperton on the 18th of March 1771, deep into Clapham woods where Upperton still haunts today (see bibliography for you tube video) laid in wait for the mail coach to make its way down through the wooded highway to Steyning. It was there at around 8pm on the 26th of August 1770 (26th of September 1770) our reluctant hi...

The story of the Wreck of the VOC Ship The Amsterdam, Bulverhythe, Hastings, East Sussex.

By Captain James Bollinger. Captain James Bollinger July 24, 2023

The story of the Wreck of the VOC ship The Amsterdam, Bulverhythe, Hastings, East Sussex. The VOC Ship The Amsterdam (Replica). The story of the VOC ship the Amsterdam is one of movie proportions, However, I do hope Hollywood never get the rights to make it ! But it is still surprising a film has never been made ! The story takes on a three month maiden voyage of the VOC mirror ship (East Indiaman) the Amsterdam. There are some technical pronunciations and titles I need to explain to the reader of this blog. Lets start with the abbreviation VOC. The abbreviation VOC stands for Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) or in English, United East India Company. A mirror ship in short term is a ship owned and sailed by the VOC that took currency such as gold, silver, raw materials and soldiers to Batavia and other parts of the Dutch empire. Then returned with the purchased goods to the Netherlands. The VOC ship The Amsterdam (Replica). The Amsterdam was completed in 17...

Susan Swift Female Enforcer of the Hawkhurst Gang.

By Captain James Bollinger. Captain James Bollinger March 01, 2026

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...

The Hawkhurst Gang Season 1 Episode 5 The Trio of Murders !

By Captain James Bollinger. Captain James Bollinger April 10, 2023

The Hawkhurst Gang Season 1 Episode 5 The trio of Murders ! Following the Crown's humiliation of the raid on the Poole customs house, the authorities issued a reward of five hundred pounds (Approx ninety thousand pounds in today's money according to the Bank of England inflation calculator) for information leading to the conviction of those involved. Daniel Chater saw his chance following his casual and unexpected meet with Diamond at Fordingbridge. Upon splitting up after the Poole raid some of the gang namely John 'Smoker' Mills and Jeremiah 'Butler' Curtis chose a different route via Slindon Common and stashed tea at a barn. On 13th of January 1748 they returned for their stash of tea and found the innocent Richard Hawkins working out of the barn thrashing corn. Mills and Curtis accused Hawkins of stealing their tea. Hawkins denied it. The Hawkhurst pair produced their pistols and forced Richard Hawkins to go with them to the Dog and Partridge pub at Slindo...

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