H.M. Customs & Excise
Ron was an Officer of H.M. Customs & Excise http://www.hmce.gov.uk/ 1957-1965
that site has disappeared as the Dept is now HM Revenue and Customs http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/
and also disappeared is
the
the Department's history page http://www.hmce.gov.uk/about/ourhistory/customsrecords.htm
- it had Timelinesand links to Archives PRO etc
Instead check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customs_and_Excise_department
The Museum http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/customs/
and The National Archives http://www.ndad.nationalarchives.gov.uk/AH/19/detail.html
Records for HM Customs officers and Excise men - they used to be separate
services - are held at PRO/TNA Kew http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
Most documents have the prefix CUST example - minutes of Board of Customs
CUST39
It requires a personal visit or you employ a researcher they have a list of
people at the site TNA/PRO.
Try PROCAT catalogue Officers of Customs - http://www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
The Custom House was the HQ of HM Customs. It is the place where importers
go to pay the custom duties on goods.
Usually they would use a customs agent (private company) to prepare an entry
which detailed the goods and ship on which goods had been imported into the
London docks. The officers at the Customs House received the monies and
checked calculations - and ensured all goods on a ship's manifest did
eventually get a customs entry. Officers were located at the Docks and would check and
release the goods when entry was seen. This has a good painting of the building.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/LONcustom.htm
Family Tree Magazine UK in April 2004 had an excellent article on researching C&E officers.
This
Port of London site has a lot of detail on Customs in London
and if you are interested in The Port of London look at the other links with
pictures of local offices in the Docks.