Newcastle Upon Tyne Police Force, entry qualifications 1914

[Tickettyboo]

I recently had some help in pinning down a possible twiglet of mine who I believed may have been in the Police Force/Fire Brigade in Newcastle.

I now have a copy of his Police personnel file which is deposited at TWAS - its super!

If anyone else has folk who were in the Newcastle Police Force I thought the following may be of interest

From documents dated 1914.

Newcastle Upon Tyne Police Qualifications
The following qualifications are indispensable and no candidate should attend for examination who
does not possess them.
1st - To be above the age of 21 years and under the age of 27 years, Candidates who have
     served in the Army, Navy or a Police Force, may be admitted up to the age of 30 years.
     Candidates of exceptional qualifications may be admitted under the age of 21 years but
     their service, prior to reaching the age of 21, will not count towards Pension.

2nd - To stand clear Five Feet Ten Inches, without Shoes, and have a Chest Measurement of at
      least 36 Inches, under clothing.

3rd - To read and write well, to have a fair knowledge of English Grammar and Arithmetic, and
          to be generally intelligent.

4th - To be of a strong Constitution and free from any Bodily Complaint.



Candidates for the Newcastle Constabulary must be possessed of the following articles of Clothing   
all of which must be in good condition

1 Suit of Plain Clothes          3 pairs of Drawers
2 pairs of Boots               1 Hair Brush and Comb
3 Shirts                  1 Looking Glass      
3 Body Flannels               1 Clothes Brush
3 pairs of Socks or Stockings      1 set of Shoe Brushes

Clothing and Accoutrements are provided by the Watch Committee, and 7d per week is allowed for Boots. Single Constables are accommodated with furnished apartments and attendance in Station Houses, for which a rental of 2s 5d per week is charged.   

Pay scales for a Probationary Constable was 28/- weekly, rising by 1/- a week each year for the first 7 years and after that 1/- a week every two years. Maximum was 39/- for a Long Service Constable who'd served 20 years. Sergeants were paid 41/- to 48/- a week.

The Fire Service seems to have been part of the Police Force (I have yet to discover more about that, its on the list of to-do) and Constables who were members of Auxiliary Fire Brigade received 3/6 per week each in addition to ordinary scale.

Boo

[pityackafromblyth]

Tickettyboo, Your post is very interesting, and most of the qualifications for enrolement lasted until the 1960s, early years.  Although the rates of pay did INCREASE.   When you consider the local Police Forces in Northumberland and Durham Co. there were quite a few. N'u the pastmberland Constabulary; Berwick Borough, which merged with the latter in the 1920s?  Tynemouth Borough; then south of the Tyne - Gateshead Boro; Sunderland Boro, Durham Constabulary. And of course, River Tyne Police.
There is a website, which I have visited in the past, but which I now forget, where you can view all the old uniforms and photos of PCs from the 19th century up to.....
And South Shields Borough Police - I believe they had silver chains across their helmets in the 1920s ??  Looking at - "When the Boat Comes In" on freeview Channel 20 (Drama) Saturday - 1p.m.- 5pm.  In that programme the 'polises' feautured have that chain across their helmet.
James Mitchell, the author of " When the Boat......" was born and raised in South Shields, so it seems as though he is putting to paper his memories.