The Exeter Flyring Post for January 16th 1822 reported:
"The twelve men taken with contraband spirits off Otterton-head....were on Friday brought up, at the Castle of Exeter, before E. P. Lyon, Esq. one of the Magistrates for the County.
"Richard Driver was first put upon his trial,....: the witnesses against him were Daniel Weld, Esq. Commander of the Scourge, Mr Richard Morgan, one of his officers, and Robert Holway, a mariner, who deposed that on the 2d of January about three or four miles off Otterton-head, at quarter past six p.m. observing a large boat deeply-laden making for land, with a smaller boat in tow, they gave chase; the smuggling boats divided; the larger was chased by the Scourge, and the smaller by one of her boats, under the orders of Mr Holway, the crew of the larger boat threw her cargo overboard, which consisted of kegs of spirits; her crew consisted of six men, three of whom had gone aboard the small boat and were taken by Holway.
"The prisoner was convicted; and his two shipmates, Ellis Bartlett and Daniel French, being called in, agreed to abide by the same evidence. - Richard Seaward, John Seaward, and Thos. Bartlett, the crew of the small boat, were also convicted. - The remaining six underwent an examination at the Castle yesterday , when the whole of them were convicted.-
"The punishment in this case, is impressment into the Navy, to serve on a foreign station for five years."
I'm assuming 'Otterton -head' is the same as Brandy Head where, since 1940, the historic RAF Observation Post stands. If so the new name would seem to be very suitable.
And so the Royal Navy gained a dozen able, if unwilling, seamen from the Exeter magistrate's sentencing. Five years' unlooked-for service in a foreign station seems a hefty punishment for trying to run a few kegs of brandy ashore.
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