Board of Customs: Extra and Intra-Departmental Correspondence

This series consists of correspondence between the Board of Customs and its subordinate courts in Custom House, London and the outports. The precise work of each court is not clear.

The records illustrate a certain number of activities and responsibilities of the board. The board was responsible for the collection of customs and the prevention of fraud. There are specific records relating to these functions including: the receivership of wrecks, quarantine procedures, delimitation of ports, legal wharves and sufferance wharves. The commercial device of 'drawback' and the development of bond warehousing are also covered by the series.

Non-revenue collection responsibilities of the board, as reflected in the records, include the payment of service pensions in the outports.

Other records concern Custom House, London: its destruction by fire and re-building after 1813 (which entailed the loss of much material of historical worth). There are other files relating to the fabric and accommodation of Customs Houses in the outports.

In addition to Great Britain, some files concern the West Indies and New South Wales.

Broadly chronological under the branches dealing with the work or, in some cases, types of record.

From 1992 Board of Customs and Excise

Topics

Trade and commerce

Caribbean

Pay and pensions

Australia and Pacific

Crime