Name

Manx Customs Establishment (pre-Revestment)

Description

The Duke of Atholl's revenue collection system on the Isle of Man. The entire operation was managed by a handful of officers paid on a scale that invited accommodation. Paul Bridson, the principal revenue officer at Douglas, was paid three pounds Manx per year. The total salary bill for every revenue officer on the Island came to forty-nine pounds, thirteen shillings, and fourpence — for collecting six or seven thousand pounds annually. A significant portion of duties were charged ad valorem, assessed on the value declared by the importers themselves. The Duke observed: 'When I hear of people on such salaries as these, living splendidly, bringing up numerous families, or dying opulent, I cannot but doubt the fair collection.'

Active Period

c.1600–1765

Place

Douglas

Castletown

Peel

Ramsey

Type

Revenue

Customs

Administration

Book Chapter

Chapter 5

Chapter 6