Alien Office facts for kids
The Alien Office was a special government department created in 1793. Its main job was to keep an eye on foreign visitors coming into Britain. This was especially important because many people were arriving from France during the French Revolution, and the government wanted to make sure they weren't spies or troublemakers.
The office was part of the Home Office, which is a big government department that deals with things inside the country. The first person in charge of the Alien Office was named William Huskisson. In 1798, the office moved to a new building on Crown Street in Westminster, near Downing Street.
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What the Alien Office Did
Even though it was part of the Home Office, the Alien Office had a very important and secret role. It was like an early spy agency! Its job was to watch foreign people both inside and outside Britain who the government thought might be a threat.
A Secret Service
The Alien Office was a key part of Britain's national security. It worked alongside other new laws, like one that helped set up a better police system. In 1794, William Wickham took over from William Huskisson as the head of the office.
Under Wickham, the Alien Office grew bigger. From 1798 until 1802, it acted like a real intelligence agency. Some historians say it was the first proper British secret service. They even see it as an early version of today's spy agencies like MI5 and MI6.
Famous Cases
One of the most well-known people the Alien Office dealt with was a French diplomat named Talleyrand. In 1794, the Alien Office told Talleyrand he had to leave Britain within five days. This shows how much power the office had to control who stayed in the country.
The Office Changes Over Time
In 1803, John Reeves became the new head of the Alien Office and stayed in that role until 1814. After 1816, when there was more peace in Europe, the Alien Office's job became less clear. It seemed like it wasn't as necessary anymore.
Fewer Deportations
The number of people deported (sent out of the country) by the Alien Office dropped a lot. In the 1790s, about 50 people were deported each year. But between 1816 and 1826, only 17 people were deported in total. Most of these were people who had been close to Napoleon Bonaparte.
Between 1821 and 1826, only one person was deported. This was the last deportation for 75 years!
The End of the Alien Office
The Alien Office and its staff, who mostly worked as clerks and messengers, closed down in 1836. This happened because of a new law called the Registration of Aliens Act 1836. This new law replaced the old ones.
The 1836 law was supposed to create a system where all foreign visitors had to register when they arrived. However, this system wasn't really used much. Still, the law stayed in place until the Aliens Act 1905 was passed.
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