Customs and Excise Officers
What do I need to know before I start?
Try to find out:
- name of the person
- approximate time that they were employed
- name of the outport or district where they worked
What records can I find in the Mitchell: Glasgow City Archives?
Glasgow City Archives hold records about staff (such as officers, clerks, boatmen, tidesmen, warehouse keepers) of the customs outports of Glasgow, Port Glasgow & Greenock, and Campbeltown.
The records include:
- registers of oaths of office
- lists of oaths of officers in letter books
- records of ages & capacities of officers
- service registers
- registers of seamen engaged by the outport
Details given in the entries of these records vary but can include:
- name
- office (occupation)
- salary
- if they are married
- number of children
- comments about conduct and character
- date of resignation
The dates covered for each outport are:
- Glasgow, 1799-1901
- Port Glasgow & Greenock, 1727-1765 and 1831-1920
- Campeltown, 1764-1894 and 1938-1975
Records are closed for 75 years under data protection legislation, but please contact the archivists for more details.
What records can I see online?
The records are not available online.
What records can I see elsewhere?
Other Scottish Customs & Excise Boards' records are held at the National Records of Scotland.
What other resources will help me find information?
Websites
The National Records of Scotland's Guide to customs and excise records.
Books
Frances Wilkins, Scottish customs and excise records with particular reference to Strathclyde (1992)