With the help of the book Country Coppers (by Tony Clarke) Martin Hodder tells the story of the early years of the East Riding Constabulary, a force that served East Yorkshire from 1856 to 1968. It's a story that provides a fascinating insight into the life of a Victorian policeman.
In the earliest years of the 1800s Britain was in all respects a very different place compared with today. Rather than the fairly cohesive place we all know in the 21st Century, the United Kingdom consisted of counties with very individual identities and their own way of doing things. Each town within those counties had its own different way of looking at life and dealing with problems and problem people.
Before the railways arrived there was, of course, no easy way of travelling around, and so the insularity persisted. Even time was different, each place basing its time on the position of the sun at mid-day which, of course, varied considerably around the British Isles. Only the dawn of long-distance railway travel later in the century made people realise that British time had to be standardised if timetables were to work.
Policing the country was just as varied as everything else, and at the beginning of the 19th century it was not being done very well at all - in most places, less effectively than had been the case hitherto because fewer men wanted to take on the voluntary role of Parish Constable and many of those who did were of poor quality.
The situation changed gradually. In London Robert Peel introduced the his full-time police force in 1829, but the idea of such forces elsewhere was generally resisted, and nowhere more so than the fiercely independent East Riding of Yorkshire.
One idea mooted nationally was to form rural forces under the control of the Metropolitan Police, but this had little - if any - support. About half the counties of England and Wales formed police forces following the 1839 County Police Bill, but the worthies of the East Riding held out determinedly.
The Government tried repeatedly to introduce legislation compelling the formation of professional police forces everywhere, with only partial success. The East Riding remained determined that it would not happen there, and even resisted the new County Police Bill of 1856 - until, at the very last moment the county's magistrates caved in. They knew that if they resisted further, even fiercer legislation would be passed.
On October 14, 1856 it was agreed to form an East Riding Police Force of 48 ordinary and 12 mounted or Superintending Constables. The total cost would be £3808 16s, plus the salary of a Chief Constable which was later set at £300 per annum. Constables were to be paid 18s per week (90p in today's money), Sergeants £1 1s a week, and Superintendents £130 per annum including allowances.
In due course the Chief Constable was appointed - Major Bernard Grenville Layard, who had seen army service in India and Ireland, and who would serve as Chief Officer of the East Riding Constabulary for its first 16 years (he was later appointed Lt Colonel in the retired list). Because of an illness he did not commence duties immediately after his appointment, but he was fully behind his desk in January 1857.
He moved swiftly, and by the 22nd of the month 300 would-be officers were ready for initial inspection, medicals were conducted by Dr Early, and two days later the first 48 were sworn-in at Beverley.
The force was organised into 12 Divisions, each under the control of a Superintendent and Sergeant and containing between six Constables (in the Dickering Division) and just two (Mid Holderness). Most had three or four Constables.
The everyday life of those early East Riding officers is brilliantly described in Tony Clarke's book Country Coppers, and the best way to convey these fascinating facts is to quote from the book, which is an excellent read from cover to cover. First, though, it is interesting to know the average age of the force on its formation - 33 years. We also know the average height too - five feet nine and a half inches. Not a lot of people know that!
The uniform issued to those first professional guardians of the East Riding of Yorkshire consisted of tall pill box type hats, capes lined with saddlers' blue cloth, stocks (normal wear for early police to guard against the risk of garrotting), tunics with buttons stamped with a crown over a Yorkshire rose, and trousers. Blucher boots were issued to Sergeants and Constables, who were also equipped with belts, lanterns, handcuffs and staves.
Uniform fittings became annual events with the whole force parading at Beverley for two days. When not actually being fitted with uniform the men were trained in military style drill.
As elsewhere, Officers were expected to wear uniform at all times when not inside their own houses and this caused considerable wear and tear. With this in mind, the Chief Constable ordered that new garments, particularly capes and caps, should only be worn at court or when attending church on Sundays. Furthermore, he decreed that on no account were they to be exposed to bad weather. In Yorkshire!
At the annual clothing parade each man had to stand to attention at the rear of his kit with staff in the right hand, handcuffs in the left between forefinger and thumb with the key visible and left arm fully extended. The kit would be laid out with one pair of old shoes in front and lantern on the right of them. Next would be his old hat with stock tucked neatly inside together with journal, book of instructions and catechism (book of instructions, regulations and procedures) on top of it. To the rear of this pile was all clothing, neatly folded with old greatcoat tunic and hat at the bottom and new greatcoat and trousers on top. The cape, neatly folded once, with leggings upon it were placed on the right of the trousers.
Leather leggings were issued to all ranks to protect legs and trousers from bad weather, and men were warned to oil and wax the leggings before storing them.
Whistles were issued for the first time in 1859 but officers were ordered to keep them from the public gaze and not to talk about them to civilians "lest their utility be impaired".
A policeman's lot was not an easy one in those Victorian days. Instructions for beat patrols in the winter - which in this part of England could be severe - were that from October 1st to April 1st no beat should exceed 14 miles or 10 hours per day, nor could it be less than 12 miles or 8 hours. It took ten years from the formation of the force for Superintendents to direct that on one day per week the men were to work the minimum eight hours.
An example of the precise, military, nature of orders can be seen in the instructions for the orderly constable at Sessions House:
He will come on duty at 7am each day commencing on Monday in each week and he will remain in the Clerk's office until 8pm each evening unless when ordered to the contrary or when prisoners are in the cells, in which latter case he will receive distinct orders from Mr Gibson, Deputy Chief Constable. His duties are:
To attend at the Post Office at 20 minutes past 7 each morning with the letter bag and after having received the letters from the Post Office window and carefully counting the numbers, he will deposit them in the same bag, locking it and will proceed at once to the Chief Constable's house, awaiting any instructions that may be given and at 6pm each afternoon he will take all letters from the office down to the Post.
He will be held responsible for keeping the cells properly clean and the stove attended to when there is a fire, also for the daily pumping of the cistern full of water.
He will see that all constables coming from out stations enter their name and business in the information book, stating the time of arrival and of departure.
When prisoners are in the cells, he will frequently visit them to see that all is correct and also take their meals to them at the regular hours.
He will be most careful to enter in the proper books any charges or information given by parties stating the exact hour when received and obtaining signature of the informant.
It is his business immediately to go to the door when he hears a knock or footstep in the passage taking care that no improper persons enter the Chief Constable's private room and keeping the key turned when Major Layard or Mr Robertson are absent from the office.
He will be allowed one hour for breakfast, an hour for dinner and half an hour for tea.
Constables were instructed in their behaviour in the presence of their "betters". The ruling elite of the county expected the then new policemen to be put firmly in their place, to which the Chief Constable attended with enthusiasm. He ordered: "When addressing the Gentry Constables will under no circumstances presume to place their hands on the carriages".
And there were great contrasts in the work of a Constable. Hours of (usually boring) pounding along little used and badly surfaced roads in all weathers were relieved by a requirement to attend divine service at a church on their beat at least once every Sunday, no matter what other duties would have to be put to one side in order to do this.
On the other side of the coin, policemen were obliged to carry out Court sentences of flogging prisoners. It was disliked so much that at one stage the men queried whether they were indeed obliged to do this, and the Home Office confirmed it was their duty if so ordered.
The East Riding contingent at the Driffield Show in 1890 - note the pill box hats. Standing alone at the back is Supt R W Kelsey.
The East Riding contingent at the Driffield Show in 1890 - note the pill box hats. Standing alone at the back is Supt R W Kelsey.
The East Riding contingent at the Driffield Show in 1890 - note the pill box hats. Standing alone at the back is Supt R W Kelsey.
Major Henry J Bower succeeded the original Chief Constable in 1872.
Colonel Layard died suddenly during the night of September 21 1872 at the age of 60, and was succeeded by another military man Major Henry J Bower, remaining in the job for 27 years. The East Riding's original Chief Constable had been against the Constables doing personal chores for their superior officers, but Major Bower considered this to be "not in the best military traditions" and issued instructions that Superintendents and Inspectors could use Constables for grooming horses and cleaning carriages. Other than this, duties didn't change too much.
There were changes to uniforms, though. Helmets replaced the pill box caps (see our photo showing a group of Officers wearing early helmets), and in 1894 chevrons were introduced on tunic arms to distinguish grades of Constable - one for Second Class and two for First Class. Notebooks were introduced for each man to record occurrences, although the penny-pinching attitude remained, and each Officer was obliged to pay for his notebook.
This photograph was taken of East Riding officers in 1893 and shows clearly their distinctive early helmets with Maltese Cross style badges. They had been issued with hangers (cutlasses) because of the risk of serious disturbances while on duty in the West Riding of Yorkshire during a coal strike.
This photograph was taken of East Riding officers in 1893 and shows clearly their distinctive early helmets with Maltese Cross style badges. They had been issued with hangers (cutlasses) because of the risk of serious disturbances while on duty in the West Riding of Yorkshire during a coal strike.
This photograph was taken of East Riding officers in 1893 and shows clearly their distinctive early helmets with Maltese Cross style badges. They had been issued with hangers (cutlasses) because of the risk of serious disturbances while on duty in the West Riding of Yorkshire during a coal strike.
In 1896 the force purchased 12 bicycles for selected Constables to use on patrol, but when this led to requests for Officers not issued with bicycles to be paid for using their own cycles, the Committee refused, and bought another eight bikes instead. Further modernisation came along three years later in 1899 when telephones began to be introduced, with stations gradually being linked to the embryonic telephone system. As was the case everywhere, this improvement in communication was enormously beneficial, and only the advent of radio 70 years later proved to be better than the phone.
Constable Peckett, who served in the East Riding Constabulary from 1885 to 1919 stands to attention and holds the horse steady, while Supt Mitchell (1890 to 1922) enjoys his comfort and status. The photo was taken at Sproatley Police Station sometime around 1910.
Constable Peckett, who served in the East Riding Constabulary from 1885 to 1919 stands to attention and holds the horse steady, while Supt Mitchell (1890 to 1922) enjoys his comfort and status. The photo was taken at Sproatley Police Station sometime around 1910.
Constable Peckett, who served in the East Riding Constabulary from 1885 to 1919 stands to attention and holds the horse steady, while Supt Mitchell (1890 to 1922) enjoys his comfort and status. The photo was taken at Sproatley Police Station sometime around 1910.
Much of the information in this article comes from the excellent book Country Coppers, by Tony Clarke, which tells the story of the East Riding Constabulary from the events that led to its formation through to 1968 when it was merged with the York and North Riding forces. It really is an extremely informative book, and even includes the names of all officers who served with East Riding. Get a copy if you can!
