Based on childhood recollections
of north London
in the early 1900s.
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A street scene from the early 1900s: a policeman on the beat.
Policemen, known as 'bobbies', were common sights on the streets in the early 1900s because they 'walked the beat'.
Iris and Mark Bailey report that the 'beat' consisted of a section of local streets. Each constable was allocated his own beat which he was required to patrol on a regular timed sequence. The duty Police Sergeant would then meet up with him from time to time, to check that the he was doing his duty.
They walked alone rather than in pairs and were well-known in the local community. They knew the families and the families knew and trusted them.
Even when I was a child, much later in the 1940s, if I was travelling with my mother and we were uncertain of directions, there was always a policeman to ask.
According to Steve Sleap, police whistles were twin-toned, like two whistles in one - which was what gave them their distinctive sound. It was illegal for the public to own them. (Before the police had whistles, the 'peelers', as they were called, would whack their truncheons on the pavement to summon back up.)
According to Iris and Mark Bailey police whistles had a particularly deep tone which was quite unlike any other kind of whistle. Although it was illegal for members of the public to them, similar whistles, albeit with a slightly different tone were available, and were acquired by more than one old lady just in case! (A sort of fore runner of the modern personal alarm).
At that time of course the policeman on the beat had no radio but if an emergency
arose and they needed help from other policemen, all they had to do was to blow
their whistles. That other policemen were near enough to hear the whistle bears
witness to how many policeman there were on the streets!
Iris and Mark Bailey tell the following rather nice story, as told him by an ex policeman who used to walk the beat:
On night patrol, the policeman needed to relieve himself, and so went off beat down an alleyway, and while so engaged noticed a man breaking into a local property. Our hero then waited for 'chummy' to come out, and promptly arrested (nicked) him. The policeman was of course praised for this arrest. However the sergeant wanted to know why the arrest took place off of the policeman's beat. The reply was that having seen the man acting suspiciously he had followed him to the scene of the crime!
A policeman directing horse-drawn traffic. Photo courtesy of Viv Nunn.
A close-up of a policeman's helmet from the early 1900s - a detail from the above photo,
Richard Smith, policeman from Surrey in the early 1900s. The photo, which is courtesy of Don Billing, shows his wife's grandfather.
Jim Clarke in the uniform of a special constable in Edmonton, about 1914. I had thought that it was his truncheon in his hand, as this is still in the wider family, but Iris and Mark Bailey have pointed out that it looks more like a rolled flag and that a truncheon was kept in a special pocket in the right leg of the uniform.
Somewhat surprisingly my mother did not include anything on policemen in her recollections from the early 1900s. This page is stimulated by a photograph from my father's family of his father (my grandfather), Jim Clarke, who was a special constable in the 1914-18 war. His regular job was in insurance, but presumably he became a special constable because so many regular policemen of fighting age were away fighting at the front.
A special constable's long-service medal from the early 1900s. Photo courtesy of Iris and Mark Bailey. The medal was awarded to Philip Richer who served as a special constable in Edmonton around the same time as my grandfather.
If you have further information or an old photo which illustrates this page, I would very much like to hear from you. Pat Cryer
The two sides of a special constable long-service medal from the 1914-18 war: For faithful service in the Special Constabulary. In those days it was the custom (as with military medals) to have the name of the recipient engraved around the rim, and Philip Richer's name is engraved round this rim. The practice was discontinued in World War Two. Photo courtesy of Iris and Mark Bailey.
MORE STREET SCENES
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gas street lighting
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policemen
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street traders
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gasometers
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fogs
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more long-gone sights
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SEE ALSO
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'Shops' in the main menu for their home deliveries and services to the home
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public transport
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