Folios 164-165. A letter from Mr Gibbes, the Collector of Customs, Custom House,...

Folios 164-165. A letter from Mr Gibbes, the Collector of Customs, Custom House, Yarmouth, [Isle of Wight, Hampshire], regarding a suspicious shipment from the Hague being detained at the port. He reports that shortly after the departure of the mail a Dutch fishing boat arrived from the Hague and had onboard 26 Spanish officers and soldiers, together with three women and six children of the same country.

Rather let them disembark and make their way to London as they planned, he decided to detain them onboard until more was known, especially considering the present state of the country and the tone of letters coming from government offices. The state of the accommodation onboard was so appalling he has housed the 22 single men in the Custom House and the families in the adjoining building.

The Spanish say that they originally belonged to the Constitutional Army in Spain but they were broken up by the French invasion of 1828. The group had fled to Portugal and joined liberals there, but they too were put down, and Don Mignet placed the group on a prison ship for two and half years. Six weeks ago they were liberated and set sail for Holland, but on their arrival the Dutch government would not permit them to land and so they headed for England.

They are mostly in a destitute condition and have no money between them. The single men wish to go to France but have no means of getting there. Gibbes states that he will take no further action until he has received further orders.

[Also refers to an enclosure containing names and some passports, not included].