John Dunn - smuggler
John was the brother of Mary Dunn (my 4ggm). He married Frances Matthews in August 1809, however she died childless in 1812 after which John remarried Frances Betts in 1813 and had six children. John and Frances lived in Stiffkey and later in Wells-next-the-Sea, where he is also buried. According to census records John was an agricultural labourer but he was better known as the leader of a local smuggling gang.
In 1938, an article was run in the East Anglian Magazine on smuggling along the north Norfolk coast (first brought to my attention by Richard Platt's excellent site www.smuggling.co.uk). The piece was based on the biography of Major Charles Loftus, who was a cavalry man living on his father's Stiffkey estate during the early 1800's - in 2009 I came across the two original 1877 volumes in Oxfam in Falmouth, "My Life: From 1815 to 1849", which I bought for £10.
In 1938, an article was run in the East Anglian Magazine on smuggling along the north Norfolk coast (first brought to my attention by Richard Platt's excellent site www.smuggling.co.uk). The piece was based on the biography of Major Charles Loftus, who was a cavalry man living on his father's Stiffkey estate during the early 1800's - in 2009 I came across the two original 1877 volumes in Oxfam in Falmouth, "My Life: From 1815 to 1849", which I bought for £10.
Waiting for a Run
The following account of John relates to the summer of 1817.
"There was little or no poaching carried out on our manors, although smuggling was to a greater extent at that period, and for many years after, carried on perseveringly all along the Norfolk coast. I believe there was several well-known smugglers in our village [Stiffkey]. John Dunn, a tall, athletic man, was the head of the gang."
"On one occasion we rode over to Wells races, which took place on the sands, and to show the daring of the smugglers on our coast, they had chosen this very day to run a cargo on the very beach, where the races were going on ... four or five light carts were being furiously driven across the sands towards the shore, to which a number of people were running down. Presently a sort of fight commenced, and the gentleman who was then in command of the Custom-house department at Wells came running and shouting at me and my companion, calling us to come and help, in the King's name, the revenue officers, saying that they were attacked and almost overpowered by the smugglers, who were running a cargo of brandy and tobacco on the beach"
Loftus later came across Franklin the baker, while riding home for evening dinner, who had been involved with the smugglers, ran up to him exclaiming, "I think I saw John Dunn driving a cart full of tubs, from what I heard, furiously along the sands."
"There was little or no poaching carried out on our manors, although smuggling was to a greater extent at that period, and for many years after, carried on perseveringly all along the Norfolk coast. I believe there was several well-known smugglers in our village [Stiffkey]. John Dunn, a tall, athletic man, was the head of the gang."
"On one occasion we rode over to Wells races, which took place on the sands, and to show the daring of the smugglers on our coast, they had chosen this very day to run a cargo on the very beach, where the races were going on ... four or five light carts were being furiously driven across the sands towards the shore, to which a number of people were running down. Presently a sort of fight commenced, and the gentleman who was then in command of the Custom-house department at Wells came running and shouting at me and my companion, calling us to come and help, in the King's name, the revenue officers, saying that they were attacked and almost overpowered by the smugglers, who were running a cargo of brandy and tobacco on the beach"
Loftus later came across Franklin the baker, while riding home for evening dinner, who had been involved with the smugglers, ran up to him exclaiming, "I think I saw John Dunn driving a cart full of tubs, from what I heard, furiously along the sands."
Accidental Discovery
And this was not the only occasion in which John Dunn was implicated - Loftus wrote about returning home from a shooting trip and tripping on a hoard of spirits left in Stiffkey Woods.
"One evening, coming home from shooting with the keeper, while we were passing through one of the woods, I put my foot upon what I thought was a lump of leaves. I tumbled heel over head on to something hard. I called out to Billy Betts, the keeper, to come and see what it was. On clearing away the leaves, we found, to our astonishment, a dozen small kegs of hollands [gin] and brandy. Billy Betts, who had been an old man-of-war’s man, looked at me, as I did him.
“Whom do you think they belong to?”, I asked". Already knowing the answer, Loftus followed by saying, “John Dunn or the baker – perhaps both.”
Turning a blind eye to the affair, Loftus headed home for dinner while Betts informed John Dunn who later collected the contraband.
"One evening, coming home from shooting with the keeper, while we were passing through one of the woods, I put my foot upon what I thought was a lump of leaves. I tumbled heel over head on to something hard. I called out to Billy Betts, the keeper, to come and see what it was. On clearing away the leaves, we found, to our astonishment, a dozen small kegs of hollands [gin] and brandy. Billy Betts, who had been an old man-of-war’s man, looked at me, as I did him.
“Whom do you think they belong to?”, I asked". Already knowing the answer, Loftus followed by saying, “John Dunn or the baker – perhaps both.”
Turning a blind eye to the affair, Loftus headed home for dinner while Betts informed John Dunn who later collected the contraband.
Norfolk Rangers
Loftus continued to write about John Dunn - this time regarding his part in mustering a force of men to deal with a riot in Fakenham in 1822.
"They were to assemble at Fakenham as a riot was expected among the farm labourers, on account of a horse-thrashing machine, which had been brought into Norfolk. I did not lose a moment, but took my departure with the least delay possible. Arriving at Fakenham late at night, I took a gig, and drove to Stiffkey, got my clothes and accoutrements, had my old horse saddled and equipped, sent an order out to John Dunn to join, with his thorough-bred mare, and with two others, whom I had enlisted in Stiffkey, I again started for Fakenham. At eight o’clock the following morning, I found myself in the Market Place at the head of eighty good men and true."
"They were to assemble at Fakenham as a riot was expected among the farm labourers, on account of a horse-thrashing machine, which had been brought into Norfolk. I did not lose a moment, but took my departure with the least delay possible. Arriving at Fakenham late at night, I took a gig, and drove to Stiffkey, got my clothes and accoutrements, had my old horse saddled and equipped, sent an order out to John Dunn to join, with his thorough-bred mare, and with two others, whom I had enlisted in Stiffkey, I again started for Fakenham. At eight o’clock the following morning, I found myself in the Market Place at the head of eighty good men and true."
Norfolk Assizes
Norfolk Chronicle 21 August 1821
John and fifteen others from the village found themselves in court in August 1821 on account of an alleged assault on Charles Harrison - amongst the defendants were his brother's Samuel, Robert and James and the Loftus gamekeeper, Billy Betts - they were acquitted and no charges were brought.
Samuel was an equally colourful character (see Samuel Dunn - boatman).
Samuel was an equally colourful character (see Samuel Dunn - boatman).