Today my guest is author and historian Joseph Dragovich. Joe has recently published Hawkhurst: Murder, Corruption and Britian’s Most Notorious Smuggling Gang. The story of the Hawkhurst Gang is an account of one of the first modern crime syndicates and provides the perfect opportunity to explore 1740s Britain, a time of profound political, economic and social transformation, through the stories of the people who lived it. I chat with Joe about the book, so I hope you are sitting comfortably and happy to stay with us.
We started off with some background story to Joe’s book (02:05), the type of men involved in the Hawkhurst Gang (08:37), and the method of their crimes (09:54). We discussed the lack of policing in England at this time (13:19), the story behind the Poole raid (20:55), and the eventual downfall of the gang (25:10). I then asked Joe about the legacy in a historic sense (28:01), and how the Hawkhurst Gang are interpreted today (32:09). Towards the end of the podcast I asked Joe about his inspiration behind the book (34:03).
Show Notes
- Joe’s website
- Joe on social media
- The Poole Raid
- For more, hear my conversations with Turtle Bunbury, Prof. Jennie Batchelor and Clare Mulley
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