Smuggling started in the reign of Edward I, about 1300, when a customs duty was placed on the export of wool, which was in great demand in Europe. This was the first permanent customs system established in England, and until it was set up all trade in and out of England was free.

The initial duties started quite small, but as the Hundred Years War progressed, so the tax went up, to help pay for the troops and fighting.

Initially the Customs Service was only there to collect the duties at the ports, and not to prevent smuggling. Chichester was the only port in Sussex where importing and exporting goods was allowed. However the merchants of our area found it easier to land the goods in the local Cinque Ports where there were few Customs Officials.

In 1357 a court was held in Rye to try a number of merchants who were smuggling goods through the port of Pevensey. In 1614, the export of any wool was made illegal, and so the volumes being exported increased. As time went on and the smuggling became more profitable, so the smugglers were able to bribe more of the port officials, which in turn allowed more smuggling.

In 1661 the illegal exporting of wool was made punishable by the death sentence, this meant that the smugglers started to arm themselves, and the only way they could be stopped was by the army.

Before 1671 the collection of Customs Duties was generally let out to private individuals. During 1671 Charles II created the the Board of Customs.

The Romney Marshes became the centre of smuggling and the records show that in the 1670's 20,000 packs of wool were sent to Calais annually. The smugglers were now building fast and armed ships to carry out their nocturnal runs.

During the 1680's the Revenue Officers were provided with Customs sloops to enable them to patrol the coasts, and catch the smugglers.

In 1698 the government decided to take action. An Act was passed stopping people within 15 miles of the sea from buying any wool, unless they guaranteed that they wouldn't sell it to anyone within 15 miles of the sea. Also any farmers within 10 miles of the sea had to account for their fleeces within 3 days of shearing. A further change was the introduction of a number of officials who were paid to prevent smuggling. The initial effect of these officers was to limit the smuggling of wool which they had sent into serious decline by 1703, but the officials became corrupt, and smuggling returned.

In 1714, the local records show that the majority of the population within the area was involved with smuggling. By 1724, the number of wool smuggling runs was reducing , as the French could get wool from Ireland for about the same price, but with less problems.

Between 1735 and 1749 the area was terrorised by the Hawkhurst Gang , who controlled the smuggling in a large part of the south coast. Originally known as the Holkhourst Genge, they were based in the Oak and Ivy Inn in the village of Hawkhurst on the Kent border. They roamed from Herne Bay to Poole in Dorset, but they frequented the Mermaid Inn in Rye, where they "would sit and drink with loaded pistols on the table". A further reference to the gang was in 1740, at Silver Hill in Robertsbridge where Thomas Carswell (a customs officer) was shot and killed while trying to apprehend some of the smugglers. One of the guilty smugglers George Chapman was gibbetted on the Village Green in the village of Hurst Green .

In 1784 the duty on tea and French wines was reduced by the government, removing the incentive to smuggle these items, but those for spirits and tobacco still remained.

The Napoleonic Wars 1797 - 1815 saw a number of increases in duty to try to pay for the War, but this along with the decline in the local Iron Industry provided more reasons and better incentives to smuggle.

The Aldington Gang probably formed by soldiers returning from the Napoleonic Wars survived until 1827 when their leaders were found guilty and transported.

In 1831 the Coastguard took over the coastal policing, and from 1832-33 a number of violent events occured, culminating with a fight at Pevensey in 1833, which seemed to be the end of the smuggling in this area.