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  1. #11
    busyglen
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    Hi Valman,

    I'm not so `up' with the Customs Officers, my interests lay with the Coastguards, but I picked up a bit of info here and there.

    I do know that there were Carpenter Coastguards, who maintained the boats, but I wouldn't have thought that these would apply to the Customs men. It's possible that he was a carpenter and then changed his job. Or...visa versa depending on which came first.

    I'll have a look and see if I can find anything out for you, but it will be later today.

    Glenys

  2. #12
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    He may have thought that it was best to keep a low profile. After all, smuggling was a popular industry in Cornwall and nobody hates a carpenter.

  3. #13
    busyglen
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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Goodey View Post
    He may have thought that it was best to keep a low profile. After all, smuggling was a popular industry in Cornwall and nobody hates a carpenter.
    Actually Peter you could have hit the nail on the head!

    I have been browsing some pages on Smuggling and Customs & Excise Men, and looking at the years Valman's ancestor would have been operating (1780s onwards) a lot of Customs men were killed by the smugglers in order to stop them from reporting their actions.

    Today we think of Customs & Excise operating in dock areas, but in those days, they were sent to various inns and meeting places to spy on the smugglers to get information. So....saying you were a Carpenter might not have been a bad thing. That's not to say of course that he wasn't a Carpenter in the first place, and then changed his job. I know which I would have preferred to do!

    Glenys

  4. #14
    Valman
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    Quote Originally Posted by busyglen View Post
    Hi Valman,

    I'm not so `up' with the Customs Officers, my interests lay with the Coastguards, but I picked up a bit of info here and there.

    I do know that there were Carpenter Coastguards, who maintained the boats, but I wouldn't have thought that these would apply to the Customs men. It's possible that he was a carpenter and then changed his job. Or...visa versa depending on which came first.

    I'll have a look and see if I can find anything out for you, but it will be later today.

    Glenys

    Hi Glenys,

    l have found that he was mentioned in the 1823 Pigots directory as an acting land/tidal surveyor whatever that was? does sound like he was originally a carpenter but maybe took on an extra job as a customs officer as well.

    Val.

  5. #15
    Valman
    Guest

    Default customs officer at Fowey

    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Goodey View Post
    He may have thought that it was best to keep a low profile. After all, smuggling was a popular industry in Cornwall and nobody hates a carpenter.
    hi Peter,

    You could be right that he preferred to be known as a carpenter rather than give his true job away.

    Val.

  6. #16
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    Perhaps when you get to Kew and explore his employment records, all these questions will be answered.

  7. #17
    busyglen
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    Hi Val,

    A land/tidal surveyor was in the preventive force (ie.Coastguard/Customs) in charge of the boarding crew. That's the only ref. I can find for this at the moment.

    I think that Peter is right in that you will get a fuller explanation when you are able to get to Kew and look at the records.

    Good luck.

    Glenys

  8. #18
    Valman
    Guest

    Default customs officer at Fowey

    Quote Originally Posted by busyglen View Post
    Hi Val,

    A land/tidal surveyor was in the preventive force (ie.Coastguard/Customs) in charge of the boarding crew. That's the only ref. I can find for this at the moment.

    I think that Peter is right in that you will get a fuller explanation when you are able to get to Kew and look at the records.

    Good luck.

    Glenys

    Hi,

    Thanks to you all for your help, hopefully Kew will hold some answers for me.


    Val.

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