Tide Waiter

A Tide Waiter was a Customs Officer who checked the goods being carried when a ship landed in order to secure payment of customs duty. This was often achieved by boarding the vessel and inspecting the cargo to ensure there were no smuggled goods and the correct amount of excise was paid.

There were usually a number of Tide Waiters attached to a particular Customs Department and they would be organised by the Tide Surveyor.