Import and Export Registers, London and Outports

This collection comprises 54 large volumes which summarise imports and exports from London and outports and one volume recording premises used by the Customs service (Register of Premises in the Occupation of the Customs, 1857 - 1877, ports listed alphabetically). The import and export volumes appear to have been created by Customs officials and are concerned with the value of commodities rather than the ships and merchants that traded them. The location of the ‘outports’ is not defined, so the term may refer to smaller ports in the Thames estuary or all the other ports of the United Kingdom. The volumes are divided into various sections by import or export and locations. The volumes contain abstracts recording the totals of each section. The sections are arranged by country traded with and then broken down into various commodities, with the value of the amount traded calculated. The Maritime Archives & Library has no acquisition information regarding these volumes. However, they bear the stamp ‘Board of Customs Library’. For further details see the attached catalogue or contact The Archives Centre for a copy of the catalogue. The collection is stored offsite and will be recalled upon request. Please contact The Archives Centre with details of the items you wish to consult and to arrange a visit to the Searchroom.