Hello There,
The above person was one of my 4x Great Grandad's. He was born on the 5th of February 1810, in Debenham Suffolk.
He married Sarah Croskins, in West Ham, on August the 16th 1840. His status at the time was a Widower. Robert had possibly previously married Sarah Barker, in Hackney, on the 16th of October, 1836. There was a Sarah Butcher who died in 1840, aged 36, in the West Ham district. So that possibly could have been her. Robert's occupation at the time of Marriage to Sarah Croskins was a Butcher.
On the 1841 Census, Robert is living at: Scotland Green, Hope Place, Tottenham. Next door appears to be his Father in law, John Croskins, "Carpenter", and his Mother in law, Mary. This corresponds with information relating to Sarah Croskins, baptism record, and the name and occupation of her Father at the time of marriage.
Their first child was baptised Emma Butcher, at Tottenham, on May the 23rd 1841. She was born on April the 21st 1841. At the baptism, Robert's Occupation is put down as: "Butcher". But by the 1841 Census, his Occupation is put down as: "Policeman". Emma died at 11 months old.
I looked on the 1851 Census, and found him at: Marsh Lane Tottenham. He was listed as a Sergeant In The Metropolitan Police on that Census. A GRO search for the children of Robert and Sarah, in the 1851 Census, all give the Mother's maiden surname as: "Croskins".
What I would like to know please, is this:
Would there be any way that I can find out when Robert joined the Metropolitan Police Force/ when he was made a Sergeant? The earliest reference that I can find to Robert actually being a Sergeant, is at the baptism of his Daughter Susan, on March the 26th 1843.
But then I looked at a Family tree on Ancestry, and this brings up some other possibilities/ queries:
There is one Family tree that has Robert joining the Metropolitan Police, on the 25th of September 1835. They list his Warrant number as: 10,955. I downloaded this list, and it seems that this Robert's reason for leaving was because he died. The date (maybe of when it was registered, and not the date of death?) on the list looks like the 10th of May 1852. I found out that Robert was buried in Tottenham, on the 5th of May 1852.
Is it possible that he could have joined the Police at this time but still carried on his job as a Butcher? Would there possibly even be a reason why someone would maybe not want to admit to being a Policeman also?
I looked on The British Newspaper Archive, and it seems that Robert was a Sergeant at N (Islington) Division. There are references to: "Sergeant Butcher, 37 N", and quite a few stories.
Any way, I apologise for this long winded one, but just wanted to put as much information as I could.
Any help or information regarding the above, would be gratefully accepted.
Thank you very much.