History of Customs registers
History and Development
The information recorded in Customs registers has
grown over the years, in line with changes in legislation and in
the technology of ships, such as engines and iron hulls. 17th century Registration of British ships began, but few Customs
registers survive from before 1786. 1786-1825 An act of Parliament made it compulsory to register all British
ships with a deck and which were bigger than fifteen tons. Details
listed on the register included: - ship`s name
- date and place of registration plus port number
- owner`s name, occupation and address
- master`s [definition]
name
- place and date of build
- number of decks and masts
- length, breadth and depth of hold
- tonnage [definition]
- whether the ship had a figurehead
Changes in ownership were recorded on the certificate of
registration given to the ship. 1825-1854 Ownership of all vessels had to be held in sixty-fourth shares,
although it was possible for a single share to be in joint
ownership. The registrar had to be notified of any changes in
ownership, even of a single share, or changes of master. 1854-1889 Each ship was allocated an official number, which remained
constant if the ship was sold or renamed. New forms were introduced, which recorded extra data about the
ship, including the name of the builder and engine details for
steamships. A transcript [definition] of the form
was sent to the central body (now the Registrar General of Shipping
and Seamen [
definition]). Any changes of ownership had to be recorded on the registration
form held in the port. They were also reported on a transaction [definition] form, which
was sent to the Registrar General. The transcripts and the transactions for this period were filed
separately by the Registrar General`s office, and remain separate
today in the Public Record Office [address].
Each transaction was numbered, and the number written on the
transcript. So the transactions can be traced once the transcript
is found. For most ships there were several transactions every
year, as even the sale of a single sixty-fourth share generated a
transaction. It is easier to trace such changes from the registration
documents which were kept in the port of registry. The amendments
were simply written on the registration form. However, these
documents are now widely scattered (see
location of Customs registers). 1890-1955 The transcripts and transactions were now filed together, even
if a ship was renamed, or registered at another port. 1955-date Very few of the registration papers for this period have found
their way from the office of the Registrar General of Shipping and
Seamen to the Public Record Office. The location of the vast
majority is unknown.
|
