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ON THE BEAT WITH THE BEDMINSTER POLICE 1800s

Law & Order - Police records can also be a lucrative source of information in respect to family history. The first reports of constables on their beats are found in the Occurrence Books dated from July 1836 onwards. The following examples are representative of their kind, giving a vivid impression of police activities during the early 19th century. In order to maintain authenticity the entries are quoted as originally written.

FIRE - Between the 10th and 11th July a Beershop kept by John Hudson, situated in Water’s Buildings, Brown’s Row, Bedminster, was discovered to be on fire. Mr Inspector Gardener sent immediate intelligence to the engine keeper and was promptly on the spot with three sergeants and eight constables. On their arrival the fire was extinguished before much damage was done and the property is insured in the Old Bristol Fire Office.

Note: The Insurance Fire Brigades came into being in the Bristol area some time before 1800, for the sole purpose of protecting property insured with the companies. Because in those days houses were not numbered, it was necessary, in order to differentiate between those houses insured and those which were not, to place small metal plates on the front of insured premises. These marks were known as Fire-marks and portrayed the company’s symbol.

If, on arrival at the scene of the fire, the brigade of one company found the premises to be insured by another, either the men would stand and watch the premises burn or, if adjacent premises were insured with their own company, they would help in order to prevent the fire spreading.

A great many complaints were made against the police by members of the public; some malicious, some fabricated, others justified. They ranged from sleeping on duty to personal assault.

The following are examples of such complaints:

5th January 1837

Mr Harris, Guinea Street, called at Bedminster Station on the 4th January and states that a tenant of his complained of PC 215 Way for being in the tenant’s back-yard at 4 am on the 23rd smoking his pipe and being without his coat and shirt, and the same PC had been seen four days previously with a girl in the privy.

Enquiry has been made by Mr Inspector Gardener who reports that the WHOLE STORY is a complete fabrication.

In the same year another complaint was made to the Watch Committee concerning young women who made a habit of calling at Bedminster Station and that, after their arrival, the blinds of one room of the station house were pulled down.

The explanation given to the Watch Committee was that Mrs Knapman, the Housekeeper, had had a Mrs Chandler and Anna and Mary Baker to tea. The blinds were drawn to prevent those men on evening duty looking into the apartment.

Sometimes, however, when the case against a member of the force was proven, the man concerned was either fined so many days pay, or dismissed. In the case of this being a sergeant he could be demoted.

ROBBERIES

February 1837 - About half past seven o’clock on Sunday evening Mr William Hill in Redcliff Street, discovered that his house had been forcibly entered by means of a crowbar during the absence of his family at church. Mr Hill immediately called PC 206 Gammon who was sent from Bedminster Police Station and on the arrival of Inspector Gardener and Sergeant Sims, they searched the premises and found two well-known thieves named Watkins and Brown concealed. 3 dozen of skeleton keys were found on their person and various other implements of house breaking. They were taken to Bedminster Station and on Monday committed for trial.

28th March 1837 - Stolen from the house of Mr Samuel Dyer, Failand, Somerset. 3 pigs value about Ł6. PC 12 and PC 188 succeeded in tracing out the party who committed the robbery and found part of the property in the possession of a man named Job Wade who was arrested and subsequently transported for life for the offence.

2nd December 1837 - Reported robbery from the premises of Hand and Bailey, Grocers, 3 Queen Lane, Redcliff Street, of 4 cwt of cheese.

Report of Inspector Gardener (Bedminster Station)

'I have examined the premises in Redcliff Street from which it was stated that 4 cwt of cheese, valued at Ł9 was stolen on the 1st of December. The only way to the warehouse is through the shop in Redcliff Street. At the back, where he states the entry was made, is a small window, about a foot square, looking into a dry ditch covered over with soft mould, the surface of which is very smooth and over which there is no thoroughfare or footmarks, which there must have been had the robbery taken place.

From Mr Bailey’s manner and statements I am convinced that the robbery never occurred as on a former occasion he states that his warehouse in Redcliff Back was opened two or three times by means of false keys~, which I can prove beyond a doubt such was never the case'.

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