Arthur Gray (c. 1713–1748) was one of the leaders of the

Hawkhurst Gang The Hawkhurst Gang was a notorious criminal organisation involved in smuggling throughout south-east England from 1735 until 1749. One of the more infamous gangs of the early 18th century, they extended their influence from Hawkhurst, their base ...

that operated from its base in

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

, along the South Coast of

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

from 1735 until 1750. A charismatic leader described as a gentleman and "

fop ''Fop'' was a pejorative term for a man excessively concerned with his appearance and clothes in 17th-century England. Some of the many similar alternative terms are: ''coxcomb'', ''fribble'', ''popinjay'' (meaning 'parrot'), ''dandy'', ''fas ...

", he denied ever being involved in the smuggling himself, but acted as the mastermind behind Hawkhurst's operations.

Biography

Arthur Gray was born in about 1713, the eleventh of the thirteen children of William Gray Esq. and his wife Mary Gray. One of his brothers was William Gray, who was also involved with the gang. Gray served as an apprentice to a

butcher A butcher is a person who may Animal slaughter, slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesale ...

at Marden, near

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, l ...

, for seven years. He then returned to Hawkhurst, and there carried on his trade (as a butcher) for about three years. He then, by his own admission, spent more and more time in the company of smugglers, although denying ever smuggling himself. However, he was known to have become one of the leaders of the Hawkhurst Gang.Old Bailey Proceedings Online 1674–1913
Execution of Arthur Gray. Ordinary's Account, 11 May 1748. Reference Number: OA17480511 Version 6.0 17
Retrieved 15 December 2018 Indeed, it is said that Gray lived in a large manor house outside

Hawkhurst Hawkhurst is a village and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The village is located close to the border with East Sussex, around south-east of Royal Tunbridge Wells and within the High Weald Area of Outstanding N ...

, from whence the gang derived its name. Gray was tried for his offences at the

Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...

and found guilty. He was executed at

Tyburn Tyburn was a Manorialism, manor (estate) in London, Middlesex, England, one of two which were served by the parish of Marylebone. Tyburn took its name from the Tyburn Brook, a tributary of the River Westbourne. The name Tyburn, from Teo Bourne ...

, in London on 11 May 1748 and then gibbeted at

Stamford Hill Stamford Hill is an area in Inner London, England, about northeast of Charing Cross. The neighbourhood is a major component of the London Borough of Hackney, and is known for its Hasidic community, the largest concentration of orthodox Ashken ...

, Hackney. Gibbeting a body post execution was unusual for smugglers. It was normally a punishment reserved for criminals who had committed heinous crimes such as murder. The use of it on Gray coincided with the authorities desire to punish smugglers on the South coast and deter others from smuggling. Gray’s body was hung on a double gibbet, that had been used before, next to the body of a murderer. Gray remained in the gibbet until 1752 when his body was finally cut down.Dyndor Z. The Gibbet in the Landscape: Locating the Criminal Corpse in Mid-Eighteenth-Century England. In: Ward R, editor. A Global History of Execution and the Criminal Corpse nternet Basingstoke (UK): Palgrave Macmillan; 2015
Chapter 3.
Accessdate 17 December 2018. The year following Gray's execution, Thomas Kingsmill, the gang's new leader, and Fairall were also hanged at Tyburn.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Arthur (Hawkhurst Gang) English smugglers Hawkhurst 1710s births 1748 deaths