The Autobiography of a Cornish Smuggler: (Captain Harry Carter, of Prussia Cove) 1749-1809 — John Shaqi
The Autobiography of a Cornish Smuggler: (Captain Harry Carter, of Prussia Cove) 1749-1809Carter, Harry
History
The Autobiography of a Cornish Smuggler: (Captain Harry Carter, of Prussia Cove) 1749-1809
Carter, Harry
Carter, Harry, 1749-1829; Smuggling -- Great Britain -- History
As it have been imprest upon my mind for sevral years to take a
memorandum of the kind dealings of God to my soul, in particular these
laste two or three years, I have been persuaded by sevral of my friends,
in particular Mr. Wormsley and Geo. Carter. I have thought in general it
would be so weak that no person of sense would ever publish it to the
world, notwithstanding, this morning being 20 of Dec^{r.} 1809, I have
taken up my pen, and may the Lord bring past things to my remembrance
just[5] as they are, and if published to the world, may the Lord make it
a blessing to every soul that read and hear it for Christ's sake, amen,
amen.
I have made sevral remarks at difrante times in years past of sume
particular things of my experience for my own amusement, then thinking
for no person ever to see it but myself only; and as I have made a
general rule more or less for sevral years to have had fixed times to
sit in silence to trace my whole life from 8 or 9 years of age, in
particular more so since I have tasted the goodness of God, moste
particular things that _I have_ past through seems to be tolerable
famil_iar_ to me.
I was born in the year of 1749 in Pengersick, in the parish of Breage,
in the County of Cornwall. My mother had ten children, eight sons and
two daghturs, eight of whom lived to maturity. My father was a
miner--likewayse rented a little farm of about 12_l._ p^r year--who was
a hard labring man, and brought up his family in what we caled[6] decent
poverty. My oldest and youngest brothers were brought up to good
country scolars, but the rest of my brothers with myself, as soon as we
was able, obliged to work in order to contribute a little to help to
support a large family, so that I never was keept to scool but only to
read in what we caled then the great Book. As for our Religion, we were
brought up like the rest of our neighbours, to say some prayers after we
were in the bed, and to go to Church on particular times as occasion
sarv'd us. When I was aboute 8 or 9 years old, my brother Francis was
aboute four years older than me. He joined the methodist society in
Rudgeon,[7] soon after found peace with God, and as him and me was moste
times sleeping and waking together he revealed himself unto me, told me
the place and time he received the Comfarter. I seeing such very great
chainge upon him, as before time he was a very active boy, I farmely
believed the report. From that time I farmley believed that except I was
born again I should in no case see the kingdom of God, so that
convictions followed me sharp and often, sumetimes constrained to weep
bitterly. But alas! as I grew up they went fewer[8] and fainter. Aboute
9 or 10 years old went to work to stamps, and continued there until 15
or 16. I worked to bal,[9] as I think, until I was aboute 17, and from
thence went with my two oldest brothers to Porthleah[10] or the King's
Cove afishing and smuggling, and I think aboute 18 or 19 went at times,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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