One of the impressions that emerges when reading some of the articles below is that, to the British reading audience, there was nothing arcane or mystical about the workings of its various government departments. Many magazines, including The Strand, liked to run articles along the line of "a day at..." or "a day with..." that showcased the day-to-day workings of some government department. It is clear from these articles that the employees of such departments were perceived as "just ordinary folks," though often folks with interesting stories to tell! This section takes you inside such offices as the Customs House (with a look at the types of contraband commonly found and confiscated), the Coast Guard, the Mint, and many others.

The Customs Office

A Custom of the "Customs [House]" (Leisure Hour, 1860)

The annual sale of items that have been impounded by the Customs House during the year.

The Queen's Tobacco Pipe (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1875)

The joke of the day was that the Queen smoked by proxy: Her "tobacco pipe" was the customs furnace used to destroy contraband goods. Find out what oddities were consigned to the flames!

On the Duty (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1881)

On the duties of Customs Officers monitoring traffic on the Thames.

Curiosities of the Customs, by A. Kemp (Windsor Magazine, 1902A)

The Census

How the Census is Taken (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1881)

The Coming Census, by Alexander Knox (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1891)

The Census Up To Date, by J. Holt Schooling (The Strand, 1895A)

See Statistics: The Census for a variety of charts of census data.

The Royal Mint

The Mint (Leisure Hour, 1868)

Our Money Manufactory (The Strand, 1891B)

A visit to the Royal Mint.

From the Mine to the Mint, by Emma Brewer (Girl's Own Paper, 1897)

How coins are made at the Royal Mint in London.

Where the Money Comes From (Home Magazine, 1898)

Other Offices & Departments

The Royal United Service Institution (Leisure Hour, 1860)

Prisons (Harper's Monthly, 1873A)

What Becomes of Lost Luggage, by C.E. Fryer (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1876)

On the remarkable items left behind on cabs, trains, and stations - and how they are processed and stored.

Queen's Counsel (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1877)

A short history of the Queen's Counsel, and that official's contemporary responsibilities.

Corresponding with Government (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1878)

How letters to the government are handled.

The Board of Trade: Its Powers and Duties (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1880)

The War Office (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1881)

A Day in the Railway Clearing House (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1883)

What Is a Royal Commission? by George Howell (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1888)

A look at the scope and objectives of royal commissions of inquiry.

The British Embassy at Paris, by Mary Spencer-Warren (The Strand, 1894A)

The Silver Greyhound: An Account of the Queen's Foreign Messenger Service, by J. Holt Schooling (The Strand, 1896A)

The War Office: Its Work and Personnel, by A. Hilliard Atteridge (Windsor, 1898A)

The Police of the Coast, by Archibald S. Hurd (Windsor Magazine, 1899B)

Dispelling the myth that Britain's 4200 coastguards live an easy life!

The Yeomen of the Guard, by George A. Wade (Windsor Magazine, 1900B)

The "sturdy veterans" who do guard duty at St. James Palace, Buckingham Palace, and wherever a royal event such as a ball or concert takes place.

Hands Round the Coast, by Alfred T. Story (Strand, 1901B)

The organization and responsibilities of the British Coast Guard.

His Majesty's Patent Office, by John Mills (Strand, 1901B)

• See also The Post Office