The Seventeenth-Century Customs Service Surveyed

William Culliford's Investigation of the Western Ports, 1682-84

Nonfiction, History, Modern, 17th Century
Cover of the book The Seventeenth-Century Customs Service Surveyed by William B. Stephens, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: William B. Stephens ISBN: 9781317016205
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: March 3, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: William B. Stephens
ISBN: 9781317016205
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: March 3, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

In January 1682, William Culliford, a loyal and experienced officer in the King's customs service, began an extraordinary journey under Treasury orders to investigate the integrity and efficiency of the customs establishments of southwest England and south Wales as part of a drive to maximize the Crown's income from customs duties (on which it relied for much of its revenue). Starting at Bristol, Culliford eventually completed this daunting task in Cornwall over two years later in the spring of 1684. His report on each of the ports he inspected (the primary source for this book) revealed widespread smuggling and fraud in the context of a customs service both lacking in efficiency and riddled with corruption. The book documents the varied frauds and wide-ranging abuses uncovered and their facilitation by customs officers only too ready to collude with smugglers, dishonest merchants and seamen and to accept bribes to ignore tax evasion. It describes, too, Culliford's assessment of the administrative practices of each port inspected and his judgment on the levels of probity and efficiency of individual officers, detailing his recommendations for procedural improvements and the treatment of the corrupt and incompetent and, incidentally, of those suspected of political and religious dissent. Additionally, the book presents a body of statistical data on the customs revenue actually collected at individual ports in the 1670s and 1680s and surveys the extent and nature of the maritime trade of the ports Culliford examined. It thus not only throws light on the history of the customs service, but provides a rare insight into the interactions of economic, social and political issues in the later seventeenth century, and makes a valuable contribution to the particular histories of the ports and maritime districts visited by this energetic and tenacious investigator.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In January 1682, William Culliford, a loyal and experienced officer in the King's customs service, began an extraordinary journey under Treasury orders to investigate the integrity and efficiency of the customs establishments of southwest England and south Wales as part of a drive to maximize the Crown's income from customs duties (on which it relied for much of its revenue). Starting at Bristol, Culliford eventually completed this daunting task in Cornwall over two years later in the spring of 1684. His report on each of the ports he inspected (the primary source for this book) revealed widespread smuggling and fraud in the context of a customs service both lacking in efficiency and riddled with corruption. The book documents the varied frauds and wide-ranging abuses uncovered and their facilitation by customs officers only too ready to collude with smugglers, dishonest merchants and seamen and to accept bribes to ignore tax evasion. It describes, too, Culliford's assessment of the administrative practices of each port inspected and his judgment on the levels of probity and efficiency of individual officers, detailing his recommendations for procedural improvements and the treatment of the corrupt and incompetent and, incidentally, of those suspected of political and religious dissent. Additionally, the book presents a body of statistical data on the customs revenue actually collected at individual ports in the 1670s and 1680s and surveys the extent and nature of the maritime trade of the ports Culliford examined. It thus not only throws light on the history of the customs service, but provides a rare insight into the interactions of economic, social and political issues in the later seventeenth century, and makes a valuable contribution to the particular histories of the ports and maritime districts visited by this energetic and tenacious investigator.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book The Twelver Shi'a as a Muslim Minority in India by William B. Stephens
Cover of the book Capturing the Political Imagination by William B. Stephens
Cover of the book Olympic Education by William B. Stephens
Cover of the book English as an Additional Language in the Early Years by William B. Stephens
Cover of the book Questionnaire Research by William B. Stephens
Cover of the book Ethics and the Future of Spying by William B. Stephens
Cover of the book Big Data at Work by William B. Stephens
Cover of the book Feminist Nationalism by William B. Stephens
Cover of the book International Perspectives on State and Family Support for the Elderly by William B. Stephens
Cover of the book Consulting to Chaos by William B. Stephens
Cover of the book The Video Game Debate by William B. Stephens
Cover of the book Italy's Foreign Policy in the Twenty-first Century by William B. Stephens
Cover of the book Prison Governors by William B. Stephens
Cover of the book Implementing Intensive Interaction in Schools by William B. Stephens
Cover of the book A Certain Share of Low Cunning by William B. Stephens
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy