Author Description

In the late 18th Century, Smuggling was at its height in Southern England. The smugglers of Aldfriston, in the Cuckmere valley worked hard to keep their contraband away from the Customs men, but a large consignment was captured by the local Customs 'Riding Officer' and taken to the Customs House in Newhaven. The capture of such a large consignment was due, as much to luck, as to good work by the Riding Officer, Graham Johnson. Finding out that a consignment was due to be landed that night was just good investigative work but finding that he had 2 troops of Dragoons in the area that he could inlist to help was luck. For Graham Johnson's apprentice Riding Officer, Mark Downer, this adventure was denied him but that same day, the ferryman's daughter cornered him, in her father's barn and before he had left the barn, he had, for the first time, discovered the joys a woman had to offer. Mark's real problems started the day that the smugglers raided the Customs House, to retrieve their goods. In the process they killed Jack Clarke, the Guard of the Customs House. Mark should have been on duty, alongside Jack, guarding these goods but he had been tured to the bed chamber of the Comptroller of Customs wife, whilst he was in London, crowing over capturing the contraband. Being a young gentleman, he couldn't disclose why he wasn't on duty that night. The more he lied, the deeper into trouble he went. Before he could be arrested, for his lies, he ran away. George Styles luck ran out a few nights later when he was arrested by a Dragoon Patrol. He was spirited away to Newgate Prison, in London and stood trial, at the Old Bailey for kiling one of King George's Customs Officers.