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They Reigned When Crime Ruled

Two brothers. The most notorious villains of their day.  They controlled a vast criminal empire. Over two centuries ago. The Kingsmill brothers, infamously etched in criminal history as The Hawkhurst Gang. It took the courage of the third brother to bring them to justice, inspired by the bravery of one man - William Sturt. Names that are recalled with brutality and savageness, others that are remembered for heroism and valor. This is a true story, the whole truth anchored to historical fact...not folklore.

The year is 1747. George II rules England. In reality the power of his throne stretches no further than his own court. His hold on the rest of the country is fragile and ultimately depends on his ability to mobilize military force to keep the population in subjection. Formidable gangs of cut-throat smugglers rule entire coastlines. A law unto themselves.

The Hawkhurst Gang, lead by the Kingsmill  Brothers, GEORGE, THOMAS and RICHARD. George - the cool, calculating brains of the outfit. Thomas - the brutal enforcer, assisted by FAIRALL, a barbaric murderer. Richard - the youngest sibling, a weak 'lackey' cowering in the shadow of his two elder brothers.

CORPORAL WILLIAM STURT, a British soldier at war in the Americas, fighting for King and Country, assisted by London convict JAMES HOPKINS, bonded overseas with the army, penal servitude at His Majesty's pleasure. When Sturt receives word of his sister's suspicious death back home, both Sturt and Hopkins return to England...as deserter and fugitive.

SARAH STURT, sister of William, girlfriend of one Richard Kingsmill - one of many shocking truths revealed to William by CHARLOTTE EVANS, victim of the Kingsmill reign, witness to the murder of Sarah at the hands of Thomas, George and Fairall, a ruthless act to subjugate Richard.

Having eradicated the sole bastions of law and order, The Hawkhurst Gang run their lucrative criminal empire, unchallenged, from the Ivy Inn, where an enslaved Charlotte serves ale to the ruling motley crew and unwillingly grants sexual favours to Thomas Kingsmill.

Until William Sturt arrives, to turn the Kingsmills hometown against them. A challenge that Thomas infamously vowed "will not go unpunished. We will besiege the town, on April 20th. And we will plunder every house, murder every soul and for good measure leave the town in ashes. As for Sturt, I'll be damned if I don't boil his heart in the flames of his home and eat it".

Sturt vows defiantly "This should not happen in England. After today, it will not again". What follows is a powerful true story of barbarity, bravery, brotherly betrayal and one man's heroic battle to survive long enough to break a code of silence, unite terrified villagers into a formidable Militia, defeat a savage enemy - restore law to the lawless - without the aid of King and Crown - with nothing more than courage.

Courageousness that travels far and wide across England and wins the admiration of  KING GEORGE II, who realises how much of a threat unlawful, unprotected coastlines pose to his throne.  Bravery that spurs the forces of law and order into action and galvanises a Monarch to reclaim his lands back from a home-grown threat to liberty.

Exonerated by a King, championed by a soldier, assisted by the will of ordinary folk to rid their land of villainous tyranny, this turbulent tale, 'The Krays' meets 'High Plains Drifter', set against the blustery 18th Century Sussex Coast, reflects today's struggle against unlawfulness and escalating crime. It would be a true crime that these names, dates and deeds are permitted to fade from history.

written by Anthony O’Leary

A short history

By Tony O’Leary (Writer)

I was first introduced to the legend of the Hawkhurst Gang by a poster on the wall of a fish restaurant hidden away in the town of Rye in the county of Sussex. At that time I had no idea how this particular story would grip me in the way it has for the last few years and I decided to write a screenplay.

Just imagine from Calais on the coast of France the smuggling of contraband across the channel to the Kent and Sussex coast being off loaded into rowing boats and our well organised Hawkhurst Gang taking up the challenge to avoid the customs men from King George's treasury. We start the true tale at the town of Goudhurst where all the people of the town were threatened and badly beaten if anyone was to make their bitter feelings known about the use of the tub pond in the centre of town for storing the barrels of rum.The rum was dumped in the pond to be sold later to all and sundry.

The ruthless gang led by the brothers Tom and George Kingsmill ruled with an iron fist and for that period were the law in the surrounding villages and small towns, nothing went on that these brothers did not know about and they had spies everywhere. The Kings own troops were dispatched with unheard of savagery maimed or killed by their top henchman Fairall. Folklore has it that the Hawkhurst Gang would sit drinking in the tavern the Star and Eagle right next to St Marys Church with flintlocks on the tables and cutlasses at the ready. All of this was going on in broad daylight they had no fear from anything or anyone.

Now enter one William Sturt ex corporal of His Majesty's finest to find his home town overrun by these cutthroats. Sturt makes off to the church to talk with the people of Goudhurst and the surrounding villages and together they form a militia to take back the town starting at the church. Their plans were in operation but news of what they were doing was passed back to the Kingsmill brothers via a spy. Thomas Kingsmill sent a message to William Sturt and the town’s people that the Hawkhurst Gang would on the 20th of April 1747 burn and kill every one in the town of Goudhurst. Thomas Kingsmill reportedly said that he would personally cut out and eat William Sturt's heart for good measure as a warning to others.

William Sturt went about training all the men of Goudhurst in readiness and they fortified the church and the Star and Eagle. In addition he had his own people watching the main road into the village by way of Hawkhurst town and they had a clear view across St Mary's cemetery where the battle took place. Oh what a battle it was, among the men killed that day was George Kingsmill, Tom's brother which legend has is buried in a grave with skull and cross bones carved into the head stone.

Most of the remaining Hawkhurst Gang scattered across the weald of Kent and Sussex trying to get back home to there families. Thomas Kingsmill and his right hand man Fairall were captured, tried and hung. Thomas was put in a gibbet and left hanging in the gore at Goudhurst just on the approach to the town.Fairall was also put in a gibbet at Horsmondon his home town to warn all others of criminal intent. The last thing to point out is this, King George had his armies fighting all over the world to bring revenue to the Crown but for that short period in history the Kent and Sussex coast were laid bare and at the mercy of invasion in particular from the French.