Cowes Customs Staff 1839 - 1922

Transcribed from the Ages and Capabilities Book

Book is held in the National Archives, Ref: CUST 61/179

Note: This was transcribed some time ago on a 10 year sample basis. Fuller details are shown in the Alphabetical List of Officers. I am not intending to update this list, but if you have any queries please contact me.

The Ages and Capabilities book was completed by the Collector at the end of each year (although in the earlier years it was actually the beginning of the following year). It contained details of all staff employed at the port, together with their previous service and a brief report on their performance for the year, a lesser version of current day annual reports. It was signed by the Collector. In only contains details of Established (full time staff). Extramen or part time staff are not included.

This extract includes only the names, positions starting date and age of staff, promotions and previous service are not included. It is completed to the best of my ability, but I cannot be responsible for errors. Italics indicate some uncertainty.

Ages are those at the end of the year in which they were appointed, with the exception of those marked * which are at the beginning of 1840.

 

Name Position Date of Appointment Age
Ambrose Foote Collector 20 December 1834 39*
William Smith Collectors Clerk 10 December 1801 61*
Richard Estwick Comptroller February 1827 57*
James Alford Landing Officer 10 January 1805 64*
David Chapman Landing Waiter, Searcher and Tide Surveyor 28 July 1834 53*
William Upward Coast Waiter, Newport 31 August 1837 30*
John Alford Coast Waiter, Yarmouth 17 September 1831 40*
Robert Lydale Coast Waiter, Ryde 3 October 1816 64*
John Ralph Tide Waiter 20 October 1810 59*
Samuel Lockhart Tide Waiter 17 July 1837 24*
John Cashen Tide Waiter 11 August 1812 54*
George Baker Deceased 20 July 1839
George Draper Leale Tide Waiter 26 September 1839 25*
Richard Baker Tide Waiter 16 December 1819 61*
James Ralph Tide Waiter 12 September 1835 31*
Jacob Leale Boatman 2 September 1814 57*
William King Boatman 4 February 1836 28*
James Gregory Acting Tidewaiter 6 July 1834 37*
Henry Cake Boatman 27 March 1835 37*
James Francis Moire Hodder Collector and Jerquer 5 February 1842 41 Note 1
John Potter Searcher, Landing and Coast Waiter 1 November 1842 46
Thomas Hanley Tide Surveyor 30 January 1845 42
Charles Burridge Clerk Long Room 3 February 1845 18
William Lashman Boatman 12 May 1845 45
George John Lester Gerrett Boatman 14 July 1845 28
George Watts Tide Waiter 23 October 1845 28
Charles Saunders Tide Waiter 19 November 1845 24
William Wheeler Searcher, Landing and Coast Waiter 23 March 1846 29
Alfred Cole Principal Coast Officer, Newport 25 May 1846 21
Henry Atkey Principal Coast Officer, Ryde 26 June 1846 24
George Steer King Tide Waiter 19 August 1846 27
George Legg Boatman 23 August 1847 27
Edward Morgan Tide Surveyor 30 November 1847 35
Frederick James Mayne Tide Waiter 14 December 1847 32
William Pinchen Skinner Tide Surveyor 7 November 1848 40
George John Baumback Comptroller and Land Surveyor 2 December 1848 47
Henry James Clark Collector and Jerquer 2 April 1849 58 Note 1
George Cook Boatman 29 August 1849 44
Edward H Cuthbertson Tide Surveyor 22 November 1849 34
Fitzherbert Murray McQueen Clerk and Landing Waiter 13 August 1851 23
Charles Mogg Tide Waiter and Boatman 24 December 1852 24
George Barwick Tide Waiter and Boatman 11 April 1853 29
John Leonard Farrow Tide Waiter and Boatman 17 December 1853 26
William Forrester Tide Surveyor 21 April 1854 39
Henry William Thompson Tide Waiter and Boatman 13 December 1854 29
Tulloch Comptroller and Land Surveyor N/K (after 1January 1855) N/K Note 2
William Dear Comptroller and Land Surveyor 10 January 1856 41 Note 3
William Vaughan Tide Surveyor 11 February 1856 36
Thomas Hollis Clerk and Searcher 1 April 1856 29
Robert Bobbitt Tide Waiter and Boatman 26 June 1856 51
Thomas Love Collector 10 November 1857 64
William G Duke Tide Waiter and Boatman 16 January 1858 58
William Ward Tide Surveyor 6 August 1860 40
William Dear Collector and Jerquer  8 August 1860 45 Notes 1 & 3 
Thomas Windus Assistant Examining Officer 4 September 1863 52
William Parsons Scovell Outdoor Officer 13 June 1866 22
William Edward White Outdoor Officer 24 November 1868 21 On Probation
William Henry Holmes Collector and Surveyor 25 September 1872 39
William Thomas Stokes Outdoor Officer 27 May 1874 29
Edward Southcott Examining Officer 20 November 1875 47
Robert Henderson Collector and Surveyor 21 August 1877 35
William Innis Outdoor Officer, 2nd Class 4 March 1879 33 Note 4
Henry Christopher Manners Collector and Surveyor 19 March 1880 36
Samuel Carey Morton Drudge Boatman, 2nd Class 11 May 1881 20
Henry Charles Waddon Smale Temporary Copyist 11 November 1881 28
Alfred Smith Clerk 2nd Class and Examining Officer 3 May 1882 41
Frederick John Parsons Boatman, 2nd Class 27 October 1885 24 On Probation
Samuel Rees Clerk 2nd Class and Examining Officer 30 March 1886 43
Wallace C Caws Boatman, 2nd Class 27 September 1886 29
Edward Corby Collector and Surveyor 27 October 1886 42
Theodore Wood Examining Officer, 2nd Class 11 August 1887 31
George Arnold Boatman, 2nd Class 1 October 1887 33
William Henry Stewardson Collector and Surveyor 27 February 1889 42
Alfred Henry Drumgoole Clerk 2nd Class and Examining Officer 13 January 1890 29 Note 5
Abraham Atherford Boatman, 2nd Class 3 February 1890 28
Jonathan William Irving Boatman 1st Class 16 August 1890 30
Patrick Moran Assistant Examining Officer 16 December 1890 36
Percy Hoad Clerk 2nd Class and Examining Officer 27 August 1891 29
Thomas Edward Wells Outdoor Officer, 2nd Class 6 February 1892 30
George Albert James Mills Boatman 9 February 1892 25
Arthur Benson Preventive Officer 4 May 1892 40
Frederick George Taylor Collector and Surveyor 7 June 1892 34
William Augustine Shea Boatman 4 November 1892 25
Edward James Osborne Boatman 8 July 1895 27
Alfred Samuel Cassell Boatman 17 August 1895 24
Patrick Carey Assistant 29 April 1897 30
Albert James Henry Titheridge Boatman 17 May 1897 32
John Tremlett Assistant 5 September 1898 28
Charles Albert Fry Boatman 7 July 1900 34
Frederick William Wood Clerk 2nd Class acting as Examining Officer 21 July 1900 42
John Ritchie Clerk 2nd Class acting as Examining Officer 19 October 1901 34
Joseph L Atkinson Assistant of Customs 18 September 1901 29
Alfred Henry Drumgoole Collector and Surveyor 1 September 1902 41 Note 5
Alfred Phillip Miskin Clerk 2nd Class acting as Examining Officer 1 June 1903 31
Lawrence Daly Assistant 5 December 1903 20 On Probation
Tom Morris Lewis Clerk 2nd Class Upper Section and Examining Officer 13 April 1905 39
William Henry Finley Preventive Man 11 November 1905 20 On Probation
William Joseph Jennings Assistant 26 June 1907 22
William George Geeves Preventive Man 21 November 1907 36
John Docherty Preventive Man 27 April 1909 20
John Stephens Collector and Surveyor 3 June 1909 45
William McPherson Clerk 2nd Class Upper Section and Examining Officer 3 November 1909 33
Stanley G Spencer Preventive Man 8 September 1910 23
Frank Abrook Employed as an Extraman 1910 - 1915
George Oliver Warne Preventive Man 8 September 1911 21
Isidore John Dobrzanski Preventive Man 29 September 1912 32
Walter Henry Bright Unattached Officer 28 August 1914 21
Alfred Luter Employed as an Extraman 1914 - 1915
John Lallow Employed as an Extraman 1915 - 1915
Frederick Petty Watson Preventive Man 19 December 1917 52
Harold William Chapman Preventive Man 1 September 1920 24
Stanley George Watson Unattached Officer 1 October 1921 27
Leonard Percy Griffin Preventive Man 22 December 1922 24

Note 1 - A jerquer is described as a customhouse officer who searches ships for unentered goods or who examine papers of (a ship) for smuggling attempts.

Note 2 - Dismissed 2 November 1855, no further details.

Note 3 - William Dear was appointed Comptroller in 1856 and Collector in 1860.

Note 4 - Innis was suspended 26 November 1879 for being intoxicated and dismissed  on 4 February 1880.

Note 5 -Drumgoole was appointed Clerk and Examining Officer in 1890 and Collector 1902. Service was not continuous.

An interesting note appears in the Collectors declaration for 1855

'The Tide Surveyor has not seen these men drunk but when they receive their pay they tipple'

Until 1851 the staff numbered 13, it then gradually reduced to 6 in 1871 but gradually increased to 9 in 1903 and stabilised at this number. 

More details 1885 - 1898

More details 1892 -1912

Customs Cowes Homepage

Note: These pages are my transcriptions of original documents, they are accurate to the best of my ability but I do not take any responsibility for errors.

1 January 2008