City of Glasgow Police Force circa 1890

[loobylooayr]

Hi,

For a project I'm undertaking I've been trying to find out what ranks City Of Glasgow police officers would hold in the late Victorian period circa 1890.
I'm wondering if the ranks of Detective Inspector/Sergeant existed. I've tried researching online but haven't turned much up   
Any help or advice on where to look would be appreciated , please.

Thanks,

Looby

[Jool]

This may help, a snip of part of a newspaper article headed Inspection of Glasgow Police Force (North British Daily Mail 22 October 1886)

[Elwyn Soutter]

Perhaps the Glasgow Police Museum might be able to assist:

http://www.policemuseum.org.uk/museum-overview/

[loobylooayr]

Hi,

Thank you for the snippet, Jool. It is very useful  - and it looks like "Detective" may have been a position in its own right.

Thanks for the link Elwyn Soutter. This site is excellent I've found a reference to a man who was (in 1869) promoted to Detective Officer which re-inforces my interpretation of the information in Jool's newspaper snippet - Detective may have been a position/rank of its own.

Looby

[ikas]

Hi,

Couple of my ancestors were in Glasgow Police around that time. The constables were split into Classes eg 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st class constables. I think also there were different classes of Inspector as one of mine was promoted to Inspector 1st class. There was also a rank of bar officer.  The curator of the museum explained that this was (in Glasgow) a young officer working in the court to learn court procedures before being promoted.

The curator is an expert and I am sure would give you the definitive list. The Mitchell in Glasgow has the police ledgers that show an officer's progression through the ranks with salary etc. Fascinating if you have someone in your tree.

[loobylooayr]

Thank you for that information, ikas.
Looks like the Glasgow Police Museum is somewhere I need to visit.
The police ledgers at the Mitchell sound very interesting too.

Many thanks,
Looby

[Liviani]

This is really interesting. My great-grandmother married a man who was in the Police in Glasgow, a Norman Campbell.
I also didn't know about the Police museum in Glasgow. I will have to pay this a visit sometime

[ikas]

Museum well worth a visit but on winter opening now. Details on website.

Staff at The Mitchell have created a digital index (surname, forename) so it is very easy to find your man. The index gives the ledger and page number for the officer. You have to go back about an hour later and the ledger has been brought up for you to examine. The record gives quite a bit of additional information on the officer as well as salary, promotions. Date and place of birth, height, date of entry into service and address at that time. So can be very useful.