Excise and Inland Revenue Records

Despite the amount of genealogical and family history records either freely available or though pays sites online, the national repositories of the United Kingdom and Ireland still hold a vast amount of material that can only be consulted on site.

The British National Archives, Kew, has over  the past number of years embarked on a massive digitisation programme in conjunction with its partners, Findmypast and Ancestry, and to date some 5% of the Archive’s 32 million items have been digitised and are available through the pay sites of these partners.  Amongst the records targeted the National Archives are the military and naval service records, which have proved of immense importance to genealogists and family historians.

The majority of excise and inland revenue records are held by the National Archives, Kew and although a small percentage of these records have been digitised and are available through Findmypast, the vast majority of records for the Excise and Inland Revenue still have to be consulted at the National Archives.

Until 1849 the Inland Revenue service was known as the Board of Excise, which is important if searching for an employee prior to this date.  After 1849 the Board of Excise was amalgamated with the Board of Stamps and Taxes to form the Board of Customs and Excise.

Excise and Inland Revenue Records

Material available for consultation at the National Archives for the Board of Excise and the Board of Customs and Excise (Inland Revenue) are detailed below:

1. Entry Papers of Excise Officers 1820-70.

2. Pension records & staff lists of Excise & Inland Revenue 1642-1970.Not indexed and a search has to be made of the relevant years.  CUST 39/235-248.  The majority of the material dates from 1873 onwards and each call number represents ca. 3 years of material.  For example, CUST 39/235 dates from 1^st March 1873 and the next call number dates from December 1875.  CUST 39/235 ‘List of officials in the Inland Revenue Establishment showing date of entry into service and of entry to present grade, how employed and salary.  Folio indexed.

3. Excise Pay Lists England (1705-1835) and Scotland.

4. Irish Excise Records 1824-44.Appointment, 1824-33 CUST 110 and CUST 119 for records of employment, recruitment and dismissal, 1824-44.

5. Establishment Lists 1869-1920.Details of Inland Revenue officials covering staff in Ireland.  Details include dates of appointment, promotion, salary, place of employment and in some cases date of birth.  IR 147.  13 volumes.  Arranged by year with gaps.

6. Ham’s Year Book, 1875-1930. Indexed Directories of Customs officers, Excise Men and Inland Revenue officials covering the periods 1875-1930.  These can be consulted at Kew, Main Library