Daily AncestorTide waiter
A tide waiter was a customs officer who boarded or watched arriving merchant ships so that no goods came ashore before the duties were secured.
The name comes from waiting for the tide that brought ships into port. A tide waiter stayed with a vessel, sometimes living aboard, until its cargo was properly entered and the duties paid, to stop goods being smuggled ashore.
The title appears in British and colonial customs records and in the records of port towns. It is one of several customs posts, alongside landwaiters and gaugers.
As seen in a recordCustoms house rolls and port town records
Jno. Baker, Tide waiter, Custom House
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Daily Ancestor. "Tide waiter." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/tide-waiter. Last checked 2026-10-01.