Customs Officer

[Robynlooking]

My GGG Grandfather Peter Sterling 1803 Devon to 6/4/1867 Bexley Heath Dartford was a superannuated officer of HM Customs of the Port of London. I'm trying to find out further information on his career etc. His wife was Elizabeth Johnson Sterling nee Isworth. Peter's death cert. lists him as StArling?

[Peter Goodey]

The message is headed 'Coastguards' but the body of the message says "Customs'. Which are we talking about?

I'm guessing Customs in which case this research guide explains the records that are available:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=234

You would have to engage someone to search the National Archives records in person on your behalf.

[Robynlooking]

Hi Peter

On his son William's Death cert Peter was listed as an Officer with HM Customs and I was told by an OPC that this meant he was a coastguard. On his Death Cert his occ. was Superannuated officer of HM Customs. What exactly would an 'officer' be? Thanks Robyn

[Peter Goodey]

That OPC needs a good slap. Your ancestor was a Customs Officer, not a coastguard

A "Superannuated Officer of HM Customs" is a retired Customs Officer in receipt of a pension.

Does that answer the question? If not, just shout. I've been ploughing through Customs records today so I'm in the mood :)

[Mutley]

Your ancestor was a Customs Officer, not a coastguard.


I have edited the title of this thread from Coastguards to Customs Officer. If you would like me to change it back I am happy to do so but I think it would be better to have the correct occupation in the title as I believe they are quite different. :)

[Robynlooking]

Thanks for your help guys. Do you know whether there is an alternative way to find information on Customs officers apart from the National Archives? It's a long way from Australia! I know you can pay someone to do the searching for you which I'm quite happy to do but I thought there may be an index available elsewhere?

[Peter Goodey]

I'm afraid there isn't even a comprehensive index available on paper :(. "Ham's Customs Year Book" is a bit of a help as an index - the National Archives has a run starting 1875 (is that too late for your man?) - I don't know when publication actually started. Copies turn up in other libraries. I can't think of anything online that might help. Sorry.

[hughar]

The national museum of HM Revenue & Customs is now part of the Merseyside Maritime Museum. See http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/collections/seized/ and select 'research'. They have an information sheet on 'Tracing Your Ancestors Who Were In The HM Customs and Excise Department' which confirms that any surviving staff records are held at TNA.

[Elwyn Soutter]

Robyn,

In one of your posts, you asked what the word "Officer" meant, for a Customs Officer. It really just means a member of the Customs & Excise Service. In the UK we would call the person who checks your bags for prohibited/restricted items after an international flight a "Customs Officer". (The word officer doesn't have any military or superior rank significance).

Elwyn

[Robynlooking]

Hi Elwyn

Thanks for your reply. Sounds about the same as in Australia at present. In relation to the year when Peter would have been employed i.e betw. abt 1820 - 1867 do you know whether the same job description would apply and would his job have required him to move around the district?

Thanks Robyn

[Peter Goodey]

In relation to the year when Peter would have been employed i.e betw. abt 1820 - 1867 do you know whether the same job description would apply and would his job have required him to move around the district?

The was a range of jobs in the Department that a Customs Officer might undertake. If he was a headquarters man he might very well have spent his entire career in Headquarters.

If you want to find out what your man did, you'll need to engage somebody to do some research on your behalf.

[Robynlooking]

I'm sure a customs officer did have many varied tasks which I'm sure the person I have engaged to look for the info will let me know. Peter Starling/Sterling changed addresses quite frequently so I guess his job may have required that.

Robyn

[shelwin]

Customs and Excise are now treated together under one heading. It wasn't always so. Excise Officers were I think the forerunners of what are now considered as tax collectors, usually in the collection of tax on alcohol (brewering and distilling), but over the years including such other commodities as glass, meat, salt, leather, linen, clothes. It did entail moving around the country and going where you were placed, and fraternisation with the locals was discouraged to the point of dismissal.

Other than the National Archives at Kew, is there anywhere else to start looking for someone in that "profession" in the late 18th century?

Or am I on the wrong board?!

Edwin

[Peter Goodey]

Other than the National Archives at Kew, is there anywhere else to start looking for someone in that "profession" in the late 18th century?

Other than the National Archives? Not really. The research guide mentioned above summarises what's available.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=234

The Customs & Excise Collection at the National Archives represents just about the best collection of surviving civil service employment records. Well worth a visit.

[busyglen]

Long before the formal establishment of HM Coastguard, it had been a function of the Board of Customs to collect the various duties payable on imported goods and to prevent any evasion of payment by smugglers. Later Preventive Officers were appointed, and by the end of the seventeenth century the Board of Customs had a small fleet and a few men on the coast.They also had custom officials in the ports.

The forerunner of the Coastguards was called the Riding Officers whose function was to prevent the movement inland of smuggled goods which had eluded the Revenue cruisers at sea, and the customs officials in the ports.

In 1809 the Government established a Preventive Water Guard to operate in coastal waters, to tackle any smugglers who had managed to evade the Revenue cruisers further out to sea. Eventually the existence of so many different preventive services resulted in a lot of overlapping of function and duplication of effort, so in 1821 a committee was set up to enquire into the operation of the Customs, and recommended that all of the preventive services would remain under the a single authority, the Board of Customs. In 1822 the Preventive Water Guard, the Revenue cruisers and the Riding officers united to form the Coastguard.

As has been said previously, originally there were only Customs men, and later the `guard of the coasts' were formed as part of the Board of Customs and Treasury.

Customs Officers always were and still are, related to the collection of revenue on imported goods and duties payable.

Hope that helps a little with difference between the Customs & Excise and the Coastguards, who worked closely together in the earlier years.

Glenys