The story is founded on fact. In a village on the south coast of England, young Margaret Catchpole is being courted by two rivals, Will Laud, a smuggler, and Lieutenant Barry of the coast guards. She favours Laud, and when he escapes from custody after a government raid on the smugglers, Margaret steals a horse and tries to join him. In a fight with the coast guards, Laud is killed an Margaret is arrested for horse-stealing and transported to Botany Bay. Only part of the film survives today.

The Tide of Death is a 1912 Australian silent film directed by Raymond Longford based on an original story by Longford. This was rare at the time because most Australian silent films were based on plays or novels.

Based on the 1906 play by Walter Howard.