Anyone have any ideas as to what a Police Messenger's duties would be?
This occupation was shown on his 1922 death cert. Informant was his son.
Best wishes
Jean
Police Messenger
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Jean Jeanie
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Currie
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Hello Jean,
Most of the information easily found about Police Messengers is during WW2, and there seems to have been quite a lot of young lads among them. This part time Messenger or Runner would usually have had a uniform, complete with tin police helmet, and did messaging duties, especially when communications were disrupted, and a variety of other important jobs to take pressure off the regular police
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stor ... 1438.shtml
On this page a Police Messenger is described as being forerunner of Police Cadets.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stor ... 4900.shtml
A Police Messenger in peacetime before the 1920s would likely have had the job of conveying urgent etc. messages and documents from the Police Station to other Police Stations, to Police Officers in the field, to Courts, or to people in general before the days of, or widespread use of, radio, telephone, motor vehicles etc.
Hope this helps,
Alan
Most of the information easily found about Police Messengers is during WW2, and there seems to have been quite a lot of young lads among them. This part time Messenger or Runner would usually have had a uniform, complete with tin police helmet, and did messaging duties, especially when communications were disrupted, and a variety of other important jobs to take pressure off the regular police
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stor ... 1438.shtml
On this page a Police Messenger is described as being forerunner of Police Cadets.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stor ... 4900.shtml
A Police Messenger in peacetime before the 1920s would likely have had the job of conveying urgent etc. messages and documents from the Police Station to other Police Stations, to Police Officers in the field, to Courts, or to people in general before the days of, or widespread use of, radio, telephone, motor vehicles etc.
Hope this helps,
Alan
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Jean Jeanie
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Hi Alan and thanks.
I should have been more specific when posing the question
This guy was born c 1830. He was 93, according to his d.c. when he died!
The last census he appears in is 1861 aged 28 and he is an ag lab at that time. He doesn't appear with his wife and family after that. Presumably he is away on the job
I contacted the Northern Constabulary and they can only give me info relating to this occupation from WW11.
I can only assume that the same job description applies prior to WW11, unless someone else can tell me different.
Best wishes
Jean
I should have been more specific when posing the question
This guy was born c 1830. He was 93, according to his d.c. when he died!
The last census he appears in is 1861 aged 28 and he is an ag lab at that time. He doesn't appear with his wife and family after that. Presumably he is away on the job
I contacted the Northern Constabulary and they can only give me info relating to this occupation from WW11.
I can only assume that the same job description applies prior to WW11, unless someone else can tell me different.
Best wishes
Jean
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Currie
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- Location: Australia
Back again Jean,
I wasn’t expecting a 93 year old. It must have been a healthy occupation.
This is a summary of almost all of the 19th Century results of a search for the phrase “police messenger” in the London Times and the British Library Newspapers. It looks like there’s quite a variety of activity that they may have been involved in but at least it’ll give you some idea.
1837 Manchester - A brutal and cowardly assault upon a Police Messenger who had noticed some strange behaviour and gone to investigate.
1853 London - Police Messenger sent to summons a suspect to the police station and arrested him when he refused to obey.
1859 London - A Police Messenger searching the saloon of a fancy hotel for a couple posing as nobility but without the means of paying their bill.
1863 Preston - Someone’s case at the Assizes was drawing near and he had been sent for by the attorney for the prosecution, the message being delivered by a Police Messenger.
1863 Birmingham - Delay in holding Inquest blamed on sending information to the Coroner by post rather than by Police Messenger.
1869 Glasgow - Misreporting of the death of an individual blamed on a Police Messenger who had been sent to the infirmary to make enquiries.
1874 Hartlepool - Urging the Board of Trade to appoint Police Messengers in connection with Customs House “their duty being principally to look after ship deserters and when needful to supply substitutes.”
1879 London - Bank official takes note of name and number of Police Messenger whose job it was to take pass book and cheques to and from bank and who was charged with stealing from Receiver General of Metropolitan Police.
1887 London - mounted Police Messengers, concerned about the possibility of a meeting of the unemployed developing into a riot galloped off to get reinforcements.
1887 Aberdeen - Report of top secret messages, concerning action to be taken in regard to public gatherings in Ireland, being carried by Police Messengers.
1890 London - Important papers, left in a hansom cab, delivered to the owner by a Police Messenger from Scotland Yard.
Hope this helps,
Alan
I wasn’t expecting a 93 year old. It must have been a healthy occupation.
This is a summary of almost all of the 19th Century results of a search for the phrase “police messenger” in the London Times and the British Library Newspapers. It looks like there’s quite a variety of activity that they may have been involved in but at least it’ll give you some idea.
1837 Manchester - A brutal and cowardly assault upon a Police Messenger who had noticed some strange behaviour and gone to investigate.
1853 London - Police Messenger sent to summons a suspect to the police station and arrested him when he refused to obey.
1859 London - A Police Messenger searching the saloon of a fancy hotel for a couple posing as nobility but without the means of paying their bill.
1863 Preston - Someone’s case at the Assizes was drawing near and he had been sent for by the attorney for the prosecution, the message being delivered by a Police Messenger.
1863 Birmingham - Delay in holding Inquest blamed on sending information to the Coroner by post rather than by Police Messenger.
1869 Glasgow - Misreporting of the death of an individual blamed on a Police Messenger who had been sent to the infirmary to make enquiries.
1874 Hartlepool - Urging the Board of Trade to appoint Police Messengers in connection with Customs House “their duty being principally to look after ship deserters and when needful to supply substitutes.”
1879 London - Bank official takes note of name and number of Police Messenger whose job it was to take pass book and cheques to and from bank and who was charged with stealing from Receiver General of Metropolitan Police.
1887 London - mounted Police Messengers, concerned about the possibility of a meeting of the unemployed developing into a riot galloped off to get reinforcements.
1887 Aberdeen - Report of top secret messages, concerning action to be taken in regard to public gatherings in Ireland, being carried by Police Messengers.
1890 London - Important papers, left in a hansom cab, delivered to the owner by a Police Messenger from Scotland Yard.
Hope this helps,
Alan
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Jean Jeanie
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Hi Alan
Many thanks for that.
This chap has confused me for a long time. He marries in 1861, after the census, and never appears with his wife and family in any census after that. With a name like William McDonald, it is very difficult to find him on his own.
His wife registers the births of most of the children and a neighbour is the informant to his wife's death.
I had him down as a bit of a lad, always away at the important times.
However, recently I have been looking at him and his family again, trying to put a bit of meat on the bones, so to speak.
His occupation as "police messenger" on his wife's d.c. and his d.c. got me thinking.
I've now changed my mind about him
I now think he has been "working away" not "playing away"
It would appear that a police messenger had quite an important role to play.
Thanks again
Jean
Many thanks for that.
This chap has confused me for a long time. He marries in 1861, after the census, and never appears with his wife and family in any census after that. With a name like William McDonald, it is very difficult to find him on his own.
His wife registers the births of most of the children and a neighbour is the informant to his wife's death.
I had him down as a bit of a lad, always away at the important times.
However, recently I have been looking at him and his family again, trying to put a bit of meat on the bones, so to speak.
His occupation as "police messenger" on his wife's d.c. and his d.c. got me thinking.
I've now changed my mind about him
I now think he has been "working away" not "playing away"
It would appear that a police messenger had quite an important role to play.
Thanks again
Jean
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bleckie
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Hi Jean
Something totaly irrelavant to your post.
Being away from home must be a McDonald trait I have a similar case my great grandparents had 11 surviving children the husband did not register any of them and he was not at home on any census records from when he appears on the 1851 until he reappears in 1901. I have not been able to find him on any census from 1861 onwards and he was a Joiner to trade.
yours aye
BruceL
Something totaly irrelavant to your post.
Being away from home must be a McDonald trait I have a similar case my great grandparents had 11 surviving children the husband did not register any of them and he was not at home on any census records from when he appears on the 1851 until he reappears in 1901. I have not been able to find him on any census from 1861 onwards and he was a Joiner to trade.
yours aye
BruceL