Which is the older The US or the British secret service?
Or is it a secret? LOL

The US Secret Service began as a division of the Treasury Department in 1865. It did not start protecting Presidents at all until 1894, and did not take on that job full time until 1902.

SecretService.gov


corrected broken hyperlink

This message has been edited. Last edited by: methos,

Undoubtedly the British, since it is an older country. "Intelligence services" have operated for millenia since all rulers have a need to gather intelligence about enemies and potential enemies. Of course, structures change to suit the needs of the time. Here is a short history of recent British intelligence.

It may depend what you mean by secret service. In the US, the term refers to a specific agency which is in charge of protecting the president and national currency. From what I understand, in the UK, the term refers to MI6, and to intelligence services such as MI6 and the CIA. I agree with Adi that intelligence servicces in Britain undoubtedly predate intelligence setrvices in the US, though I don't know if the establishment of an official agency does.

Thanks for that Methos and Adi
The link on the US Secret Service post doesn't work
I did find a good "Wiki" posting on the UK Secret Service surprisingly it only dates from 1909 as the Secret Service Bureau.How it was (officially) organised before then there is little info of it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MI5

Whoops. Apparently the "www" is not optional. The link should work now.

If I told you Bed, I would have to kill you.

003.5