Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Hannibal of the Lee
One of the most notorious smugglers known to have operated from Lee (Lee Bay - North Devon) was Hannibal Richards. Six foot tall, with long black hair, he and his five-foot wife moved here in 1789 from Morwenstow in Cornwall, where he had been one of the Cruel Coppinger's gang of smugglers.
Hannibal Richards lived at The Gwythers, then a farm, but soon returned to his old ways. He was well-known to the Collector and his name appears in, several reports but he seems never to have been convicted. Nevertheless he had several close shaves with the coastguard and revenue. After a raid in which he was the only one of his gang to escape he decided to retire. He died in 1849 at the age of 85. He and other members of his family are buried in the churchyard at Ilfracombe.
Source: Lee Bay - North Devon http://www.leebay.co.uk/n02_smuggelers_path.htm
www.stories-of-ged.co.uk - stories, books and ebooks for children and adults
Hannibal Richards lived at The Gwythers, then a farm, but soon returned to his old ways. He was well-known to the Collector and his name appears in, several reports but he seems never to have been convicted. Nevertheless he had several close shaves with the coastguard and revenue. After a raid in which he was the only one of his gang to escape he decided to retire. He died in 1849 at the age of 85. He and other members of his family are buried in the churchyard at Ilfracombe.
Source: Lee Bay - North Devon http://www.leebay.co.uk/n02_smuggelers_path.htm
www.stories-of-ged.co.uk - stories, books and ebooks for children and adults
