The Carters of Prussia Cove were a family of Cornish smugglers active in the late 18th century operating out of Prussia Cove, Cornwall, where they had a hideout/home in a remote cliff next to the ocean.
Much of what is known about the Carters came from Harry Carter's autobiography, The Autobiography of a Cornish Smuggler, and folklore passed down through the generations.[1]
Several Carter families are known in Cornwall from at least the middle of the 16th century. The Carter family later associated with Prussia Cove had roots in Breage and Germoe. Francis Carter married Annice (also recorded as Agnes) Williams in 1736, and the couple were recorded as having ten children:[2] [3]
Through their long-running and successful smuggling, the Carters became an important part of the economy in West Cornwall, providing a source of employment and illicit goods for local people. Customs officers were "violently obstructed", and in order to successfully seize smuggled goods needed to be protected by military force.[7]
The Carters were initially involved in privateering during Britain's wars against America, France, Spain or the Netherlands, obtaining letters of marque for several of their ships.[8] One of the Carters' privateer ships, captained by Harry, was lost when it was seized by French authorities upon docking in St Malo for repairs.[9]
On 31 January 1788[10] Harry Carter took a cargo to Cawsand in the Revenge to be landed to a waiting team which included his brother Charles. The ship's hatches were opened to two boats which were assumed to be part of the landing party; the boats were actually from HMS Druid. The Revenge fired on HMS Druid, killing one of her crew and injuring seven more, before being boarded. Harry was badly injured in the fight on board Revenge and only survived being captured by throwing himself overboard and pulling himself to shore using the ship's ropes. Ten of the smugglers were captured and impressed into the Navy,[11] and six were killed.
A reward of £300 was offered for Harry Carter's capture, but he evaded discovery, at one point hiding in Acton Castle.[12] He later went into exile in America with the help of the Dunkins, a Penzance smuggling family, on board their ship, the George.
In February 1793, Charles was put on trial by the Attorney General (then Sir John Scott) in the Court of Exchequer.[13] He was advised by Christopher Wallis, a lawyer from Helston who was closely aligned with many Cornish smugglers,[14] [15] and was represented by two other lawyers. The actual charges against Charles are unknown, but the Attorney General sought to recover treble the value of smuggled alcohol which was seized in a cellar belonging to him. His defence argument was that he did not own the cellars in which the smuggled goods had been found, but this was thrown out. The jury found Charles guilty and he was ordered to pay £1469 12s.
As he could not pay, he was probably imprisoned. During the French Revolutionary Wars, smugglers were able to be pardoned if they served in the Royal Navy;[16] [17] Charles tried negotiate for twenty men to serve in his place, but this was strongly opposed by the Excise Commissioners who described him as "one of the most notorious Smugglers" and so not deserving of leniency. The outcome of his petition is unknown, but he is recorded as still being in a debtors' prison in May 1795 and having returned to Cornwall by September 1799.
After Harry Carter's exile and later retirement, customs officers tried to fully destroy the Carter smuggling ring. Towards the end of his life, John Carter handed over to his son-in-law Will Richards. In 1801, a smuggling vessel was spotted from St Michael's Mount by customs officers and forced to flee, leaving 100 ankers of spirits to be seized at the cove. John Carter died in 1803 and the lease on Prussia Cove was put up for sale the same year. In 1825, a row of Coastguard cottages were built to look down onto the cove, so ending the possibility of any more large scale smuggling operations.[18]
The Carters have been described as "among the most famous of all the Cornish smugglers" by the BBC and as "Cornwall's most famous 'free traders'" by The Guardian.[19] Smuggling similar to that of the Carters was featured in the 1975 Poldark, with scenes being filmed in Prussia Cove.[20]