| Description |
This volume contains a set of accounts and reports spanning the period 1772–1809 (The National Archives, Customs 17). Some of the earlier documents resemble those in volume one (Customs 3). That said, the earlier documents in this volume focus more on merchandise that was imported into England and Scotland, as well as British and foreign merchandise that was exported. It is also worth highlighting that these earlier documents only have a few pages detailing the accounts of merchant vessels.By the 1790s, these documents had changed somewhat in terms of layout and content. Perhaps most importantly, the accounts became more detailed. These later documents are typically split into three sections: “Navigation”, “Commerce”, and “Revenue”. The “Navigation” section lists the number of vessels that were built, their tonnage, where they were registered, and the number of men employed as crew. Naturally, the “Revenue” section includes accounts, such as gross and net produce, records of payments, custom duties, and statements of excise. The “Commerce” section includes accounts in relation to imports and exports, both in and out of “Foreign Europe”, “British Europe”, “States of America”, “British Continental Colonies”, “British and Foreign West Indies”, “Asia”, and “Africa”.
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