RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Wiltshire => England => Wiltshire Lookup Requests => Topic started by: kiwithai on Sunday 03 January 21 06:38 GMT (UK)
-
Hi All
Is there anywhere I can get a history on the Police in Wiltshire districts from when they formed to around 1850 looking for the name of Fowler what have been told he was a policeman and he may have or not escorted convicts to Australia
On another information he retired and not wanted to take convicts
I need to sort this out your help appreciated
-
There is a short history in this article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiltshire_Police
If there are any records, they are likely to be at the Wiltshire & Swindon Records Centre.
https://wshc.org.uk/
-
Sorry,
-
Hi Kiwithai,
As a matter of interest I have an ancestor who was a "Policeman" on the GWR. In those early days a policeman was regarded as a signalman on the Great Western Railway.
I only mention this out of interest to indicate there may be other occupations which are referred to as policeman.
Alan
-
he was a policeman and he may have or not escorted convicts to Australia
On another information he retired and not wanted to take convicts
If be surprised if a policeman were to accompany convicts on the voyage to Australia. I could be wrong, but I thought there were military guards on the convict ships.
-
Maddy yes i agree seems strange I have been puzzled with this for someti.e now someone in our line decided to say he was a policeman after little research before he came to New Zealand he was a innkeeper and shop keeper so policeman I don't believe unless I can find he was
Thank you for your input more help appreciated
-
Don't necessarily discount it.
Just before Christmas I researched a family for a friend and found a fellow who was a police constable at Grove Police Station, St Pancras in the 1851 census. When he was married 3 years later in 1854 he put his occupation as "ironmonger" (his father was a blacksmith) and in later censuses he was a "warehouseman" and then "cabman".
-
Wiltshire Constabulary were formed in 1839.
Whatever records exist will be held at the Wiltshire and Swindon Family History Centre in Chippenham.
Email is archives@wiltshire.gov.uk
They are very helpful and will answer enquiries without charge if straightforward, or otherwise will do sone research for you at a reasonable cost.
I agree that it is extremely unlikely that a police officer would have escorted prisoners on a convict ship.
I had a relative who joined the Metropolitan police in the mid 19th C., and the Met certainly have records for individual officers, so I imagine Wiltshire will be the same.