e left open for
decent people was to band together in mutual protection. The
inhabitants of one locality joined together under the title of the
"Goudhurst Band of Militia," their leader being a man named Sturt, a
native of Goudhurst, who had recently obtained his discharge from the
Army. But this union became known to the smugglers, who waylaid one
of the militia, and by means of torture the whole of the defenders'
plans were revealed. After a while he was released and sent back to
inform the militia that the smugglers on a certain day would attack
the town, murder all its inhabitants, and then burn the place to the
ground.

The day arrived and both forces were prepared. Sturt had gathered his
band, collected fire-arms, cast balls, made cartridges, and arranged
entrenchments, when, headed by one Thomas Kingsmill, the Hawkhurst
gang appeared in order to make the attack. But after a smart
engagement in which three were killed and many wounded, the smugglers
were driven off, whilst others were captured and subsequently
executed.

Kingsmill escaped for a time, and became the leader of the famous
attack on the Poole Custom House in October 1747. Another of the gang
was named Perin and belonged to Chichester. Perin was really a
carpenter by trade, but after being afflicted with a stroke of the
palsy, he became attached to the smugglers, and used to sail with them
to France to purchase goods that were to be smuggled, such as brandy,
tea, and rum. Now in September of 1747 Perin went across the Channel
in a cutter called _The Three Brothers_, loaded up with the above
commodities, and was approaching the English coast when he was met
with a rebuff. For Captain William Johnson, who held a deputation
from the Customs to seize prohibited goods, got to know of Perin's
exploit, and on the 22nd of this month, whilst cruising in the Poole
Revenue cutter, sighted _The Three Brothers_ to the eastward of Poole.
Whereupon the smuggler began to flee, and, running before the wind,
fled to the N.N.W. From five in the afternoon till eleven at night the
Revenue cutter, with every stitch of canvas set, chased her, and after
firing several shots caused her to heave-to. Johnson then boarded her,
and found that the tea was in canvas and oil-skin bags, but Perin and
the crew of six had escaped in _The Three Brothers_ boat. However,
Johnson captured the cutter with her cargo and took the same into
Poole. The two tons of tea, thirty-nine casks of br