Customs Officials

[janwhin]

Despite being a coastal county we haven't done anything on smuggling or customs officers. We've probably got a few people in this forum whose ancestors worked for customs. On the other hand we could have a few descended from smugglers, all those tales of tunnels under Amble!
Here's my starter, the son in law of my three times great grandfather was an excise officer and he left notes of his career and other pieces of correspondence, now at Woodhorn.
He was born in Newburn, on the Tyne, and became an excise officer in 1796. He was moved round the county, frequently, presumably to avoid corruption. His "Rides" included Morpeth, Warkworth, Alnwick, Wooler. He was at the Warkworth Ride from 1797 to 1801. When he retired in 1838 he was awarded superannuation of £72 per annum. Each time he was moved he had to submit an expenses account to explain the costs of removing himself and his family between Rides.

[MAGS]

My husbands grandfather, RJ Burgess,who lived in Beaconsfield Terrace Amble, next door to Mr and Mrs Carse, was Customs Officer from1903 til probably 1921 when he retired. He was born in County Down Ireland, worked in various locations in Ireland and Scotland before arriving in Amble. My grandfather was a Chief Engineer on the Chevington and I have his log book which has R J Burgess signature as officer at Warkworth Harbour. Small world !

[hollydog]

Where was Beaconsfield Terrace in Amble? and did the Coastguards work with Customs as I have Chief Boatman to the Coastguard relatives from Craster to Alnmouth then Amble 1850s to 70s

[leslie]

BeaconsField Terrace , Top of Church St lading to Queen St , Beaconsfield House is one of the two big ones .
In 1914 the Amble Golf club secretary was R J Burgess 6, Beaconsfield Terrace, Amble. their Son is listed on the war Memorial!

[Coquet]

The Customs reference in my 1888 'Amble Almanack'
is to a Mr J. Kelly as officer and a Mr E Webster as his assistant.
I can't find these two in the 1891 census for Amble so perhaps
move on by then.

[Coquet]

There's plenty unpleasantness in earlier times regarding stealing from wrecks:

From Hodgson:


In 1316 a ship laden at Hartlepool with wheat, rye, and salt, and bound for Berwick-on-Tweed, for the sustenance of the garrison there, having been driven ashore at the port of Warkworth by the attack of pirates, was boarded by Richard de Thirlewal, Robert de Arreyns, Eustace the constable of Warkworth, John de Aketon, Hugh Galoun, John of Lescebury and others, who carried away the cargo and arrested the ship. A commission was thereupon issued at the suit of Richard de la More and others, the master and freighters of the ship.
Eight years later a ship belonging to certain merchants of Bruges and Ypres (John Robin being master), and freighted `cum lanis, coriis, pellibus, lanutis,' and other goods to the value of £600, shipped at Berwick and bound for Flanders, was cast ashore at Amble in a storm. The master and crew escaped safe to land, whereby the said goods and chattels could not be called a wreck according to the law and custom of England ; yet Adam son of Nicholas of Haukeslawe, Robert de Raynham, Roger son of Robert de Raynham, Robert brother of the same Roger, William son of Thomas, Roger son of William son of Thomas, Robert son of William son of Thomas, Nicholas son of Adam of Haukeslawe, Henry de Rihill of Werkeworth, Adam ` le taillour,' William Fox, Thomas Egly, Henry ` le peschour,' Nicholas Scot, John Cokkebayn, Alan Alegode of Werkeworth, Richard the grieve of Togesdene, William son of Robert, Stephen of Togesden, Adam son of Peter of Anebille, Henry son of Robert, William son of Henry, Robert ` ponder,' Robert Batyn, John son of Simon, John `le fevre' of Anebille, Hugh Wayt of Aclynton, William Paynesman of Aclynton, Nicholas Mawsone of Newbiggyng, Alexander son of Elias, Robert Shoute, John Hant, John son of John ' le clerk,' John son of Juliana, Roger Botting, and Robert del Borne of Newbiggyng and others, seized and robbed the ship at the vill of Anebille. The king, on the petition of the merchants, on the 28th of March, 1324, ordered an enquiry.

I'm sure some of that mob still have descendants in the district! [Robert Batyn ... now Beattie perhaps?? I better be careful here, I'll get a solicitor's letter ]

[janwhin]

Originally Posted by hollydog

and did the Coastguards work with Customs as I have Chief Boatman to the Coastguard relatives from Craster to Alnmouth then Amble 1850s to 70s

I don't know about the relationship between coastguards and customs. One of my other Warkworth ancestors went to live in North Shields and was, for a time, a tide waiter. These were definitely customs officials. Ships would stand off waiting for the tide to allow them into port. The tide waiters would row out to the ships and inspect them to see what duty needed to be paid. We're talking here about 1840s and 1850s. On his marriage certificate he is a tide waiter for HM Customs.

[janwhin]

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/Coastguards/
Genuki has a great resource for coastguards. It gives a history and NA references. It also has an alpha list of individual coastguards, including Mr Young at Amble.

[hollydog]

Originally Posted by janwhin

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/Coastguards/
Genuki has a great resource for coastguards. It gives a history and NA references. It also has an alpha list of individual coastguards, including Mr Young at Amble.

Thanks Janwhin, I have often referred to this list. A family mystery is a Neil Cancarrow on this list, listed as Matilda Matthews (James Youngs future wife - my g g g grandmother) grandfather. Clearly from census records he was not, and on the 1851 census he is Neil Cameron of Scottish decsent not old enough to be her grandfather. We have never established where he fits in to the family history!