The Hovellers
Who were the Hovellers ? The name was given to a community of fishermen based around the town of Deal in Kent. From the mid 18th Century merchant ships and Men-of-War used the stretch of sea between Deal and the Goodwin Sands, known as the Downs, as a harbour. They would stock up on provisions before venturing out on the trade routes to the Caribbean or India. Sometimes there could be as many as 300 ships waiting for favorable winds. The Downs provided shelter in bad weather, but ships would frequently loose their anchors, or even some of their cargo. Many ships came to grief on the Sands too. The Hovellers changed from their traditional fishing role to scouring the seabed for lost property, thus acquiring the name. They frequently assisted ships in trouble and they saved many lives. However, they also acquired a reputation for pillaging goods, or even sometimes refusing aid. In some cases this may have been justified, but there are recorded instances where Captains re...