Battle in the garden
Goudhurst 1747
Sarah looked forward to the day, her heart soaring that Neville would
be there for her. Long her emotions desired his company & at last
he wanted to go beyond friendship & the kiss she shared with him yesterday
set her soul ablaze. She opened the heavy door and strode down to
'Neville's house at the bottom of the hill.
With a light heart she set down the path and saw the gang loitering
as they always did. Her eyes focused down, it was not wise to stare
at these self appointed guardians of Goudhurst. Soon her form was
passing them & a deep voice heralded her arrival.
"Morning lass, a nice day to see such a fine maiden."
Sarah didn't react and kept moving, but the voice would not be so easily
deterred.
"Now that's not nice to ignore us it it? We look after you all
and you don't even thank us for it do you? I'll say again Good Morning
to You."
Reluctantly Sarah raised her eyes and replied.
"Good morning sir, I didn't mean to offend you. I am just in
a haste to meet someone."
The voice she heard belonged to a broad man with a dark black beard.
He had a vicious scar down his left side & had a malevolent
air about him. She knew he was not a nice person to know & wanted
to be gone quickly.
"Aaah, such a sweet voice. No my fine strumpet, I'm not offended,
just come over to us, your someone will wait I'm sure. Come here so
we can have a good look at you."
Sarah now was in a dilemma and one she could not easily escape. Nervously
she made her way over to the bearded man and looked closely at his three
companions. They were all dressed in a dark garb, three were bearded
and the other was thin with an almost ferret like appearance. Soon
she was amidst them all, she knew she would have to endure their company
or pay the consequences as many other villagers had found to their cost.
A hand gently touched the side of her face, and the voice enquired
for some revelations from her.
"What's your name lass? I be called Jacob, my other friends are
Samuel, John and Charles, I'm sure you've heard of our little communion
called the Hawkhurst Gang? Come on smile for us."
Sarah had heard the name, once the Gang were seen as benefactors of
Kent, but now they were lawless and evil. To cross the Gang at the
least would be a beating, at worst death. Sarah did as she was ordered
and gave a nervous smile and said her name as more hands began to touch
her face and hair. A panic began to take over her but she stood her
ground and tried to remain calm.
"A pleasure you are to behold that is for sure." Two hands from
Jacob embraced her and he drew her near. "I think a kiss from you
would be nice my dear, a small payment for all we do for you, don't you
agree?"
Sarah nodded and let Jacob smother her as other hands pulled and prodded
at her clothing.
"Wonderful, wonderful." Jacob was not sated yet and his hands became
more rough as he forced them inside her outer garments.
Terrified Sarah feared the worst, more suggestions came her way.
"Come on, lets see what you're hiding from us. We want to have
a good long look at you and you can pay us for the pleasure."
She felt her tunic opening and hands pulling her blouse down. Sarah
feared the ravaging that was about to happen when a voice called over.
"Boys, pleasure later, we have business to attend to. Hurry now
or suffer Kingsmill's displeasure."
Jacob looked up to his superior, reluctantly he released his prey but
not before he had let his hands wander down his victims body once more.
He kissed her roughly and made his farewell.
"Sarah we got to go now lass. It's been a pleasure and I look
forward to finishing our bit of business. Now off with you and keep
yourself warm for us."
They laughed & made off and Sarah hurried to Neville's house as
quick as she could, tears descending down her cheeks as rivulets of fear.
She soon rushed to Neville's door & knocked loudly and rushed
inside as soon as she could. Neville was shocked at Sarah's confidence
so eroded and her obvious distress. He embraced her tight and asked
her..
"Sarah what's wrong? I have never seen you so upset, please what
has happened?"
Sarah recounted her tale and Neville felt utterly helpless. No
one could go up against the Gang and even to approach them was a huge risk.
All Neville could do was comfort her as best he could and pray that
Jacob and his friends would find something else to amuse themselves.
"My love, this has gone on too long. We shall have to leave this
accursed village or we'll be their damnable slaves. If only there
were something we could do and to think their leader is from this village.
How he repays us with his threats and violence, one day he will pay
for his sins. I only wish vengeance will come soon."
Bristol 1747
"At last this war is over for me" George mused.
The campaign at the end had been getting particularly nasty and George
was glad to be away from killing Americans, Frenchies or anyone else who
he was ordered to engage. All he wanted to do now was get off this
damnable boat and make the journey back home. His duty was over and
the commendations were many & he could now at last rest in his comfortable
surroundings in Kent. It had been many years since he last lived in
Goudhurst with its pretty church atop of the steep hill and despite the
petty smuggling that went on back then it was a good place to dwell.
"Come on George, let's go or do you want another tour out there again?"
George laughed at the question from his old stalwart friend, & answered,
"No John, that's it for me. I'm retired now and I can't wait to
get home in Goudhurst. Listen you must come and see me down there.
It is a beautiful part of the world who knows maybe I'll finally
get married? That's if I can persuade my London Girl to live there"!
John laughed and bade his friend farewell. After what seemed an
age George left the docks and made the long slow journey to London to meet
his long suffering intended and make their way to his home in Goudhurst.
He was sure that his sister and her daughter Sarah looked after his
house well. He couldn't wait to see them again, apparently Sarah
was quite a lady now, the last time he had beheld her she was only seven,
now she was twenty five. George paused a moment, so many years and
so much had happened since then.
"At least it won't be Corporal Sturt anymore." George smiled inwardly
at the thought of his found again family and the life they would leave.
Finally he got onto the coach for London, the journey to his peaceful
idyll had begun.
Arrival
The village of Goudhurst was roused by the appearance of the dusty coach
as it reached the bottom of the hill. A tall figure departed the
carriage and was met by a young lady. She flung her arms upon the
lost stranger who now took stock of where he had come to.
"Uncle George, is it you? Truly it is, it was so long ago since
I last saw you and we are so glad you are come. Please come with me
now."
George smiled and was amazed by the beauty of his young niece..
"My god you have changed so much Sarah. Your betrothed is a lucky
man to have one such as you by his side. To think my little niece would
grow to be a maiden so fair."
Sarah laughed and could not help but blush. Soon they were both
making their way up the hill to Neville's house when Sarah stopped dead in
her steps. George looked at her perplexed wondering what would make
her do such a thing. Then the cause of her fixation made itself manifest.
Jacob and his friends had returned to the village once again..
"Well, well it's my dear lady and some fine man. I don't believe
we have had the pleasure of your company, Jacob is my name fine Sir. Me
and Sarah are well acquainted already."
Jacob and his friends had circled the pair and Sarah knew this could
turn bad for both of them if they were not careful.
"Well met Jacob, I am glad to make your acquaintance but I do not wish
to be rude, but me and my good lady wish to go home now. I bid you
farewell."
George meant to usher Sarah through and suddenly the small entourage
turned malevolent. Jacob put himself directly in the path of George
and sneered at him ominously.
"You don't walk away from me friend. Anyway me and the fine lady
have some unfinished business, I would as you say.. like to see more of
her. I am not....."
Jacob flinched with sudden pain as George grabbed his arm & bent
it back. Swiftly a knife came from George's' pocket & found itself
at Jacob's' throat before any of the other gang reacted.
"Get you gone, all of you or his throat gets cut. Go on clear off!"
Reluctantly the rest of the group retreated, but they snarled their threats
at the pair and motioned their hands across their throats so as to inform
George of what was to come.
"You're a dead man walking stranger, no one crosses the Hawkhurst Gang
and lives. Kingsmill will have your head for this."
Still under George's' arrest Jacob was pushed carefully ahead until George
was sure that the rest of the group were out of sight. Balefully
George glared at Jacob and issued threats of his own.
"Cross me again scum and I will cut your jewels off. Do you understand
me? Now go and don't return."
Jacob was thrust from the soldiers arms and struck the dirt and dust
with a hard thud. He turned, spat at the pair and he cursed them both
before he left.
"Hell awaits you both for this. Kingsmill himself will come for
you for this outrage. Soon you will know what crossing us all means."
George strode towards the agitator, but Jacob turned from them and ran
off still cursing as he disappeared from view.
"Oh God Uncle George, we're as good as dead. You shouldn't have
done that."
The fear is Sarah's' voice was obvious, but George Sturt was not a man
who was afraid of a small rabble.
"Let them come, I doubt whether they are as formidable as the Indians
we had to deal with in the Americas. I will show them what hell really
looks like. It strikes me that this has gone on for far too long."
For all his confidence, Sarah felt dreadfully afraid of what was going
to come. She already knew of a big meeting that was coming up in the
next couple of days and dutifully told George of this.
"I will attend this meeting Sarah. These villains can be removed
if you all stand together, you just need to know how."
The verdict
The hall was soon thriving full of worried villagers who looked at their
host with anxious expectation. He looked down at them all before addressing
the crowd.
"Greetings to all of you on these dark days. I have no pleasure
in calling you all here but things lately have been getting completely out
of control with the Gang. The time has come where we have to come to
a decision about what to do, even if it means leaving the village to them."
There were a few groans and gasps at this announcement, but in truth many
people inwardly accepted that this would be better than to accept life as
it is.
"Can we not talk to the gang and ask them to be more civil? Surely
they can't go on like they have been doing? I reckon if we talk they
will be agreeable."
John Hawkins replied with the knowledge that this was a fruitless task.
"Frank, we have already tried that route. Kingsmill laughed in my
face and bade me to behave or he would thrash ten villagers for fun. These
are not men you can reason with. The authorities disregard our pleas
and Kingsmill warned me if that we spoke to them again he would burn down
our village."
George couldn't believe what he was hearing. That Goudhurst should
be simply left to these malefactors was too much.
"Well stand up and fight them then. They are no more than scoundrels
and bullies. If you confront them they will turn tail and run, mark
my words."
The hall fell silent at the thought of confronting the lawless mob. Eyes
turned to the would be saviour of Goudhurst in disbelief.
"Sir, I understand that you have just returned from America and the war
out there. We are no soldiers and have no possibility of holding off
this small army. Kingsmill would have you killed if he knew what you
said just now."
"Nonsense, you have many fine young men here. Do you think they
want to be trodden on by this gang? This is your chance to create
an army of your own, a militia. I have experience of commanding men
and would relish the chance to show Kingsmill what a fight really is."
The address from George drew unexpected cheers and applause. Hawkins
couldn't believe what had just happened. The crowd then began to call
out to him.
"Let us fight. We'll show them what fighting is."
"Revenge, we want revenge, no more will we lose our horses. No more
will our women be molested. We fight."
Again the acclaim rang forth, Hawkins raised his hands to placate the
crowd.
"Know well the paths we have before us. If we choose to leave our
village we will have our lives if not our dignity. If we choose to
fight we risk destruction. What say you to leaving the village?"
Hawkins was greeted by only two hands raised.
"And to fighting the gang?"
Virtually the whole hall raised their hands and began to cheer.
"Down with Kingsmill, death to the gang!"
At the back of the hall a member of the gang who had been hiding in their
midst made his exit. Kingsmill would be enraged at this effrontery,
his wrath would be terrible.
Mermaids Inn ~ Rye
The evening was the usual fare in the Mermaid's Inn. Kingsmill had
taken his position at the head of the table and the agenda before him dealt
with a big shipment coming in the next few days which would be most lucrative.
He was in a good mood but all that knew him had come to know that this
could change in an instant. Giles entered the room and slithered towards
Hawksmill and whispered something in his ear. Slowly the fires in his
spirit were lit and the outburst of rage would be withering and terrible.
"So this is how they repay my protection with threats of war. War?
They know not what they have undertaken, let them endure what war is.
Let them reap what they sow and hell be set forth on them."
The inn shock with the sudden tumult in his voice. He grew silent
while his mind hatched a most heinous plot for the villagers of Goudhurst.
"Let them know that on April 24th life ends at that accursed village. I
want that place ransacked, nay, expunged from this country. Every woman,
child and man is to be killed and the village razed to the ground. Let
them have their armageddon."
The gang were used to Hawskmill's violence, but this was something new.
To be implicated in murders was something that many of them worried
about.
"Hold on Tom, won't we be asking for trouble? If we go down that road
we'll all hang."
"What's the matter you scared Jacob? It was you that started this
rousing in the first place. Besides who is going to hang us? The
magistrate? No-one here will touch us or we'll burn down their courthouse,
we're untouchable as you well know."
More murmurings came forth but were still subdued by Kingsmill's will.
"Send a member there to let them know how much time they have left. Let
them enjoy their insignificant lives before the beast rides forth and tears
their lives apart, even their pitiful church."
Giles left hurriedly for Goudhurst with his new missive, addressed for the
vicar of Goudhurst. The die had been cast and Kingsmill was to be the
deliverer of destruction.
Judgement
George looked at his newly trained militia pleased with what he had achieved
in such a short time. The children and women had been scattered to
various villages and it was time to wait for the butchers to arrive.
"George, how much longer will they be? I don't know if I can face these
devils. They are going to come for us all. I fear for our lives."
Neville's concern was not surprising, but George knew what was going to come.
"Fear is understandable Neville. If you didn't have fear then you probably
would die in this battle. Therein lies the doom of this Hawkhurst Gang.
They think they are just going to come forth and we will roll over
and die."
George put his hand firmly on Neville's shoulder reassuring his comrade.
"We will win this day my friend because we are strong and disciplined. They
are so arrogant that they don't even have the element of surprise. They
will be expunged from our lives and we will win."
The rest of the militia cheered but their shouts were soon dimmed. In
the horizon several shapes were emerging from under the morning sun. The
gang had come for their fun.
Kingsmill strode confidently to the bottom of the hill with his brother at
his side. Laughing and sneering he shook his fist at the rabble who
were hiding at the top of the church.
"I am going feast on your corpses village scum. Then we're going to
cook your children and savage your wives. Your time is at an end."
With his battle cry the rest of the gang took of their shirts and stood bare
chested and waved their weapons and jeered at the defenders. More and
more they screamed at their enemies of the atrocities at what was to commence.
Some of the defenders quailed at the threats but George just smiled.
"They think they are so frightening. They are nothing, you want to
know fear then you should see indians attack you. They have no need
of threats. Prepare yourselves."
The invaders came upon an abbatis that was formed across the street to the
church and set about dismantling the sturdy barricade. Up on the ramparts
of the church George told his men to take aim. The gang were past the
barricade and swarmed towards the church.
"FIRE."
George issued his command and bullets tore into the mob. George's aim
went straight through the forehead of Kingsmill's brother and he fell dead.
Several more fell to the ground in agony or mortal sleep. The
bravado disappeared and five members of the gang had fallen. Kingsmill
panicked but was not ready to fall back just yet.
"Come on lets rip these bastards hearts out. To battle."
"FIRE."
Another broadside ripped into the diminishing force. This time Jacob
fell dead his head shattered by the force of the volley of bullets. Swiftly
the assailants turned and fled from this disaster running as swifly as they
were able. The bodies of the injured and the dead left for the defenders.
"Come on get out of here, this is hopeless." Screamed a bewildered
Kingsmill as another salvo ripped into his routed troop.
The battle was over and the gang ran for their lives shamed at the massacre
at the top of the hill.
The militia cheered they had done the impossible and tore out the scourge
of the gang. Soon they chased after the gang and rounded up the injured
invaders who were to be brought to justice. George was raised to the
shoulders of his men and they enjoyed their victory. Goudhurst had
won it's freedom.
Footnotes.
I hope you enjoyed this mini epic that I have put together. This is
a work of fiction based upon actual events that happened in 1747 in Goudhurst.
I have created several characters but the lead protaganist of Kingsmill
and Sturt were real enough. The Hawkhurst Gang were smugglers who were
very powerful and feared no one. The events of Goudhurst were to lead
to their eventual demise.
Please feel free to add your comments in my guestbook and have a look at
my poems too! Thanks for reading and keep coming back.
©Gary Hewitt 2nd January 2004.