|BRITISH POLICE HISTORY

BY GRAHAM MAJOR

The London and India Dock Police were formed on 1st January 1901, bringing together the police forces of the companies that formed the London and India Dock Company. These being the London and St Katherine Dock Company and the East and West India Dock Company. These two companies operated separately until 1889 when they formed the London and India Docks Joint Committee which went on to become the London and India Dock Company.

It is not known where Oficers drew their powers from but it was most likely a section of an earlier dock Act.

On the 8th January 1901, Mr Cahill, Chief Superintendent of the Dock Police, was presented at the Thames Police Court with a receipt for £6 4s 6d donated by Officers of the Force for the widow and children of Constable Thompson who had been murdered in Whitechapel on December 1st.

In September 1901, the Company requested increasing vigilance in stopping smoking within the docks after Mr Cahill reported that, after investigation of a fire at the companies depot, smoking materials had been found in the area were the fire began.

October 1901 saw an interesting case where two men were brought to court and charged with assaulting Dock Constable 99, Waters. Both men had been arrested some hours after the event, and the judge dismissed both men stating that they should have been dealt with by summons and that, if the accused sought to take action for false imprisonment, it would be a serious matter.

Fire fighting was a role of the Dock Police and, in 1902, the Chief Officer of the London Fire Brigade wrote to the Board stating if a fire was found they were to do nothing but send for his men. The Board was unimpressed and instructed no change be made to fire fighting arrangements and even expressed disgust at such a suggestion.

In July 1905, Alfred Allison was found guilty of assaulting Constable Alfred Major and was fined 20/- or 14 days imprisionment. Three months earlier Constable George Boland had recovered a badly decomposed body from the Thames, that of William Knaggs, a seaman missing for some three months.

In April 1907, PC Layton was awarded the Royal Humane Society Testimonial on Vellum for saving a dock worker from drowning earlier that year. Also that month Jeremiah Sullivan received one month's hard labour for assaulting Constable Lunning. In May, Inspector J S Row was presented with a marble clock having retired after forty-two years' service in the Dock Police. At the beginning of December Constable Burridge detained a male who, as he was exiting the docks appeared to have a bulky waist. Upon searching him he was found to have thirty razors taken from the hold of a ship in the docks.

October 1907 saw Robert Gordan and William Cousins, both Constables at Victoria Docks, charged with breaking and entering with intent to commit a felony at the warehouse of the Great Northern Railway Company, along with other charges. They were detained while exiting the premises by Inspector Young and found in procession of a number of items including brushes, ladies gloves, keys and an ash tray. A search was made of Cousins' lodgings by Detective Langley and Detective Foster, where other items were found. A subsequent search of Gordan's lodgings turned up more items. Both men were committed for trial at the Central Criminal Court and, in November, were each sentenced to eighteen month's hard labour.

In October 1908, Robert Webster was fined 40/- for assaulting Constable William Flint, having thrown a bag of flour at him whilst unsuccessfully waiting for work at the dock gates. The following month Detective Henry Dayman detained a male for theft of two brass valves.

In 1909, at the time of its being absorbed into the Port of London Authority Police, the Force comprised a Chief Officer, Mr Cahill, ten Inspectors, twenty five Sergeants, three hundred and eighty six Constables, thirteen Barge Searchers, eighteen Firemen, one Clerk and a Messenger. There was among this a small Force of detectives. The annual cost of the force was £26,000. 

Sources
  1. Keepers of the Door, Glyn Hardwicke
  2. Eastern Daily Press, 10 January 1901
  3. East London Observer, 12 October 1901
  4. Portadown News, 04 May 1907
  5. Daily Telegraph and Courier (London), 05 October 1907
  6. Lloyds List, 12 October 1907
  7. Cannock Chase Courier, 02 November 1907
  8. Kentish Independent, 06 December 1907
  9. Woolwich Gazette, 28 July 1905, 01 May 1908, 09 October 1908
  10. Globe, 19 October 1908
  11. Tower Hamlets Independent and East End Local Advertiser, 21 November 1908
Was this helpful?
Share on Facebook

Can you identify this insignia?

Reveal Answer

A Port of London Authority Police Coat of Arms Helmet Plate


Please visit our sponsor to support this site and for more British Police Insignia

Collectilogue.com