Kent Past
The History of Kent
Copyright Kent Past 2010
The Aldington Gang
The Aldington Gang were a band of smugglers who used the Walnut Tree, an Inn at Aldington,
as their headquarters, and carried out their business throughout Romney Marsh and
the Kent coastline. The gang would often use the Inn for a drop off point of contraband
from the Marshes. They would shine a light through a small window high up in the
Inn that could be seen at Aldington Knoll, as a signal when the coast was clear.
The gang were nicknamed the Blues, because either that was the colour of their clothing
or they signalled with blue flares.
It is believed the gang started around 1817,
and was guilty of smuggling instances at Deal and St Margaret’s Bay, although there
is no record of them until November 1820. Their numbers were strengthened by men
returning from the Napoleonic wars who could not find any other work.
A total of
250 men took part in an incident at Sandgate, with the smuggling of tobacco, salt
and spirits, which had been loaded into a galley and rowed from Boulogne, and dragged
onto the beach.
The gang split into three groups one to transport and unload the
contraband, the other two, known as Batmen, who protected the first. The Batmen were
so named due to the clubs or bats carried, and would fight off anyone trying to intervene.
Often guns were used, although the authorities increased their efforts if a Revenue
officer were shot.
On this occasion, the proceedings were discovered by a small group
of blockade men. Although they were too few in number and could only watch.
A battle
took place at Brookland in 1821, between the gang and Revenue officers. The gang,
some 250 strong, was spotted on its way to an area between Camber and Dungeness by
the Camber Watch House. Having completed the unloading the gang was chased by the
Customs and Excise men across Romney Marsh. Upon reaching Brookland, the gang turned
on the Revenue Officers. In the perusing battle, five were killed and over twenty
wounded.
The gang’s leader, Cephas Quested, being intoxicated, gave a pistol to a
man close by and told him to ‘blow an Officer’s brains out’. In the heat of battle,
he had turned to a member of the blockade and was promptly arrested. Following sentencing,
Quested was hung at Newgate on 4 July 1821.
George Ransley was born at Ruckinge in
1792 and worked as a ploughman and later a Carter. It is said he discovered spirits
that had been buried by smugglers. He sold the find and used the money to buy the
Bourne Tap, a house where he would sell spirits.
Following the battle at Brookland,
Ransley became leader of the gang. He ensured loyalty by employing a doctor to tend
a gang member if he became ill and paid an allowance to his family. This also enabled
an injured man to elude capture by Excise men.
Over the following five years, the
gang grew from strength to strength with landings taking place along the Kent coastline
from Deal to Rye. However, their luck ran out on Dover beach in July 1826. They were
caught by Richard Morgan, a Midshipman and his colleague. Morgan was killed with
his associate being wounded.
Morgan had been liked in Dover, and several people came
forward following the death. In October 1826, two Bow Street Runners and a force
of blockade men surrounded the Bourne tap, resulting in the arrest of Ransley and
nineteen gang members. At Maidstone in January 1827, they were found guilty, although
their lawyer argued that as the events had happened in the dark the death sentences
should be commuted to deportation.
Ransley worked on a farm in Tasmania and benefited
from his understanding of farming. In 1828, his wife and ten children, although only
nine completed the journey, followed him. In 1833, Ransley was assigned to his wife
Elizabeth. Five years later, in 1838, he was pardoned. The family farmed 500 acres
in Hobart, until his death in 1856. Ransley and his wife were buried together on
the farm.
Leave your email address to receive Kent Past Times free every month