Yes Thomas Hazard was a policeman in the Southampton Borough Police force, the 1861 census, states this but by then he was living in Southampton, with his children, three of whom were born in Milford, Wiltshire, where in 1851 he was an agricultural labourer. The newspaper articles also confirm this, because in 1865 he recorded as giving evidence in Southampton Police Court, where three lads (none of whom is a Macey) were charged with stealing iron scrap. This was around April 1st, 1865, but then in September of that year, there is a report of a Thomas Hazard being employed as a barrowman to carry people luggage at the Docks. (whether this is the same TH is anyone's guess because no ages are given-our TH was 43 by then)
Then in October 1865, there is first mention of a TH as a nuisance inspector giving evidence against someone plucking a ducks's feathers whilst the bird was alive, From then onwards up to 1871, there are frequent mentions of TH being involved in nuisance cases, but none as a police constable, and certainly none as a barrowman. In September 1871, TH lost his job as an inspector, but by 1874, appears to have been re-appointed, because he loses it again, but then is reappointed because he loses it again in 1876, because in 1879 he is a porter in a workhouse-thje 1881 census states he is a gardener, and newspaper article in 1883, states he is a caretaker of the new theatre buildings.
Where was the Barnado Home in Southampton anyway, because TH appears to be a sort of foster father doesn't he. I can't find a marriage of Henry & Mary Macey locally.
TH seems to have arrived in Southampton sometime between 1853 & 1855, going on the births of the children in Free BMD and the census of 1861 & 1871.
On family search there is a baptism at Southampton All saints of a Alice Mary Hazard, 27 July, 1856, parents Thomas Hazard & Martha, which corresponds with Free BMD, Alice Mary June 1856 (HAZARD Alice Mary Southampton 2c 43), Edith Martha baptism, 29 December 1861 (All Saints),
Tom
