Isaac Gulliver controlled one of the most extensive smuggling operations on England's south coast during the late 18th century, operating from a purpose-built stronghold in what is now Bournemouth. His empire stretched from Hampshire to Devon, yet he earned the epithet "the gentle smuggler who never killed a man" and died a wealthy, respected citizen.
Early Life and Rise to Smuggling Power
Gulliver was born circa 1745 at Semington, near Trowbridge in Wiltshire. His father was also involved in smuggling; records show an Isaac Gulliver frequenting the New Inn at Downton, Hampshire as early as 1758, when his son was just twelve years old. Gulliver senior's will, drawn up in 1765, referred to "my son or reputed son Isaac Gulliver, otherwise Matravers," suggesting some uncertainty about the younger man's parentage.
On 5 October 1768, Gulliver married Betty Beale, the daughter of an innkeeper, at Sixpenny Handley parish church. The couple settled at Thorney Down, where Gulliver took over tenancy of the Blacksmith's Arms, his father-in-law's inn on the main road between Blandford and Salisbury. This establishment served as his early base of operations.
The Smuggling Empire
By the height of his career, Gulliver commanded fifteen luggers that transported contraband gin, silk, lace, and tea from the Continent to Poole Bay. A report from the Custom House at Poole, dated 1788 and addressed to His Majesty's Commissioners of Customs in London, described him as "one of the greatest and most notorious smugglers in the west of England and particularly in the spirits and tea trades." His territory ranged from Lymington on The Solent in Hampshire, through Dorset, to Torbay in Devon.
Gulliver's men, known as the "white-wigs" for their practice of whitening their hair and wearing smock-frocks, became a distinctive presence along the coast. To guide his vessels safely to shore, Gulliver purchased a farm at Eggardon Hill in Dorset and planted large clumps of trees to serve as navigation aids. These plantings reportedly remain visible today.
Howe Lodge: The Bournemouth Stronghold
Gulliver's most significant legacy in Bournemouth was Howe Lodge, also known as West Howe House, a purpose-built stronghold in Kinson. The property was constructed with smuggling specifically in mind. When the building was demolished in 1958, investigators discovered a network of hiding places including a secret room accessible only through a door ten feet up a chimney.
Tunnels beneath Howe Lodge extended in multiple directions, with one reportedly reaching as far as Parkstone. Local lore holds that the entire village of Kinson, including St Andrew's Church and the rectory, sits atop a network of smugglers' tunnels.
The heathland between Kinson and the coast proved ideal for Gulliver's operations. His men dug wells in the ground to hide contraband, and the distance from the coast provided both concealment and warning time should excise men approach.
St Andrew's Church: Sacred and Profane Storage
St Andrew's Church in Kinson served a dual purpose during Gulliver's era. Contraband was routinely stored in the church tower; marks left by ropes used to haul goods up can still be seen in the soft sandstone walls. The churchyard contains stone graves constructed specifically for storage that were never used to hold coffins.
One genuine grave tells a darker story. Robert Trotman, one of Gulliver's men, was killed in crossfire during a landing on the sands at Poole in 1765. His gravestone at St Andrew's bears the inscription: "To the memory of Robert Trotman, who was barbarously murdered on the shore near Poole." This stands as one of the few deaths directly connected to Gulliver's operations, and one he did not cause.
The Gentle Smuggler's Tactics
Gulliver's nickname derived from his refusal to take life. He carried pistols, one of which now resides in Bournemouth Museum, but reportedly never used them against the King's men. His methods relied on ingenuity rather than violence.
The most famous story involves Gulliver's coffin trick. When excise officers arrived at Howe Lodge to arrest him, Gulliver covered his face in white powder and lay in an open coffin. His wife informed the officers that he had died during the night and showed them the body. Once the officers departed, Gulliver rose from the coffin and escaped. He later staged a mock funeral at Kinson, using a coffin filled with stones to maintain the deception.
From Outlaw to Respectability
In 1782, Gulliver accepted the benefit of His Majesty's proclamation for pardoning smuggling offences. The 1788 Customs report noted that he "took the benefit of his Majesty's proclamation for pardoning such offences and as we are informed dropped that branch of smuggling and afterwards confined himself chiefly to the wine trade which he carried on to a considerable extent having vaults at various places along the coast and in remote places."
Gulliver provided two men for naval service in 1784, further securing his pardon. Some accounts suggest he also foiled a plot to assassinate King George III, which effectively granted him immunity thereafter. He reinvented himself as a wine merchant, a profession that conveniently masked his knowledge of coastal landing spots and storage facilities.
He invested his smuggling proceeds wisely, particularly in property. Over time he acquired multiple homes, including Pelhams House in Kinson, which later became Kinson Community Centre. He also owned property in West Moors and The Saltings, an area near Poole that acquired the name "Lilliput," thought to be an oblique reference to the smuggler.
Death and Enduring Legacy
Isaac Gulliver died on 13 September 1822 at Gulliver's House, West Borough, Wimborne, the property where he had spent his retirement. He left an estate valued at Β£60,000, with properties across Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, and Dorset; a sum worth multi-millions in modern values. He was interred at Wimborne Minster, where his gravestone remains set in the floor.
His descendants married into the Fryer family, who progressed from Newfoundland fisheries to banking. His lineage includes Sir Frederick Fryer, Lieutenant General Sir John Fryer, banker Edward Castleman, and Captain Thomas Hanham. His grandson Isaac Fryer lived at Kinson House, and family connections extend to the actress Sybil Thorndike.
Gulliver's memory persists in Bournemouth and the surrounding area. The Dolphin Inn, built in 1750 and believed to be the oldest pub in Bournemouth, was renamed Gulliver's Tavern in 1993; it is now known as The Acorn but remains Grade II listed. A miniature portrait painted in 1821 is preserved by his descendants at Chettle House, Blandford Forum.
The clump of pines at Eggardon Hill, the hiding places at Howe Lodge, and the rope marks in St Andrew's Church tower all serve as physical reminders of an era when a village several miles from the sea became the centre of one of England's most extensive smuggling enterprises, commanded by a man who preferred theatrical deception to bloodshed.