An Historical Inconsistency in the Smuggler Bill Story
If you have read my earlier posts, you will have realised that while I have accepted that getting everything historically accurate for this animation would take a life time or more, I would like to include some historical realism.
The Ingoldsby Legends (at least my edition from 1921 does) prefaces “The Smuggler’s Leap” story with this statement:-
‘Near this hamlet (Acol) is a long-disused chalk-pit of formidable depth, known by the name of “The Smuggler’s Leap.” The tradition of the parish runs, that a riding-officer from Sandwich, called Anthony Gill, lost his life here in the early part of the present (18th) century, while in pursuit of a smuggler. A fog coming on, both parties went over the precipice. The smuggler’s horse only, it is said, was found crushed beneath its rider. The spot has, of course, been haunted ever since.’– See ‘Supplement to Lewis’s History of Thanet, by the Rev. Samuel Pegge, A.M., Vicar of Gomersham.’ W. Bristow, Canterbury, 1796, p. 127.
However in Barham’s version of the story:-
Smuggler Bill from his holster drew
A large horse-pistol, of which he had two!
Made by Nock;
He pull’d back the cock
As far as he could to the back of the lock;
I just did some searches for a gunmaker called Nock and found this Wikipedia entry:-
“Henry Nock (1741–1804) was a British inventor and engineer of the Napoleonic era, best known as a gunsmith”
Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Nock
So it seems unlikely that Smuggler Bill would have had access to one of Nock’s guns in the early 18th century.
This helps me feel less bad about any historical inaccuracies I might unwittingly incorporate into my movie!
Tony