Smuggling in Britain has existed for many centuries. Whenever a tax or duty was placed on the export or import of materials or goods there have been individuals who have tried to exploit the opportunity of trade by illegally importing or exporting those goods. The export of tin from Cornwall, iron from Sussex and wool from many parts of Britain all gave rise to smuggling activity. The taxes placed on imports of luxury items (silk, tea, coffee, brandy and gin) also led to illegal imports of such magnitude that it has been estimated that by the middle of the 18th century 50% of the spirits consumed in Britain was smuggled.

To ensure that taxes and duty was paid Customs Officers were appointed at ports and the official export of some goods was restricted to specific ports. The Board of Customs collected import taxes on goods via their network of Customs Officers at ports.

By the 17th century the Board of Customs had a small fleet and this could be backed by efforts from the Royal Navy. Ashore the Customs Officers could, in theory, call upon the local units of dragoons. However, against them were the vast majority of the public who welcomed cheaper goods and high illegal earnings as well as the local land owners who were often investors in the trade.

In 1698 the Treasury and Board of Customs established the Riding Officers in Kent and Sussex to help combat the rise in smuggling. By the early 18th century this force was around 300 men. It was further expanded to cover most of the British coastline.

At sea the small fleet of Revenue sloops could not effectively tackle the bigger and better armed smuggling vessels. Warren Lisle, Surveyor of Sloops of the South Coast from 1740 to 1779, succeeded in obtaining new larger and better armed vessels. These were clinker built cutters with a large spread of sail and a very long bowsprit. By 1782 there were 40 vessels in service totalling 4000 tons and carrying 700 crewmen and 200 guns. From this period the Revenue Service began to gain the upper hand.

In 1809 the Preventive Waterguard was formed. They were based in Watch Houses around the coast and boat crews patrolled their allotted stretch of coast each night. At this time there were 42 Revenue cruisers and 59 boats covering the three divisions comprising the British coastline. So at this time there was a triple defence line: at sea the Preventive cruisers, inshore the boats of the Waterguard and ashore the Riding Officers.

At the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 Captain Joseph McCulloch proposed the creation of a unified service to guard the coast of Kent where he was at that time commander of a Royal Navy ship supporting the Revenue Service. He proposed that the shore patrols, the in-shore water patrol and the off-shore cruiser activity should all be united under a single command. So in 1816 the Coast Blockade Service was created under McCulloch’s command on the Kent coastline between North Foreland and Dungeness. This proved to be highly successful but not popular. By 1820 there were 6708 officers and men, including 2375 men on 31 Royal Navy ships, operating at a total cost of just under £521000. There was considerable scope for confusion and duplication because of the fragmented approach. In 1821 a committee examining the operation of the Customs recommended the combination of all services (except the Coast Blockade which would remain under the Admiralty) under the control of the Board of Customs. Officers would be recommended by the Admiralty. The Coastguard Service came into operation in 1822. In 1831 the Coast Blockade was absorbed into this new service.

Coastguards served on ships and on shore. Men on shore were moved away from their home location for fear of collusion. Coastguard Stations were equipped with living quarters for married men as well as single quarters. Each station was commanded by a Chief Officer (normally a Royal Navy lieutenant). Beneath him were Chief Boatman, Commissioned Boatman and Boatman ranks. The size of the station determined the number of each rank. By 1839 there were over 4553 Coastguards.

The first Coastguard Instructions were issued in 1829 and included a section on lifesaving and lifesaving equipment. The Manby lifesaving equipment was already in widespread use.

In 1831 the Admiralty determined that the Coastguard Service should be a reserve force for the Royal Navy. As a consequence the regulations for recruitment of officers and men were laid down.