Search Wiltshire Police Officers Appointed, 1839-1926

These records are incredibly detailed. You may find information including

• First name
• Last name
• Birth year
• Birth date
• Birthplace
• Entry age
• Previous occupation
• Martial status
• Birthplace of wife
• County
• Height
• Hair colour
• Eye colour
• Complexion
• Denomination
• Able to ride a bicycle
• St John Certificate
• Able to swim
• Vaccinated
• Career history
• Stationed at history
• Service length
• Officer number
• Injuries
• Termination pay
• Termination date
• Termination notes
• Notes

This recordset is based on the first personnel book "B" (F5 200/1/2), which lists officers with previous employment, ranks, dates, reasons for leaving and personal details. The book appears to have been commenced in 1840 or early 1841, backdated with details of all officers in position at that time. Some officers who had left before that date & shortly after their appointment are not included and information about these has been included from an earlier book now in the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre (WSHC) [F5 200/1/1]. This book, which was badly damaged but restored by the WSHC, lists constables and includes some information about them but without their rank, promotions, age or height and other items which are in book "B".

The years of birth given in the return have been added to the other information, but they do not always agree with the age on joining given in book "B".

Constables & Sergeants are listed in Book "B" under their allocated number; Superintendents & Inspectors do not have numbers and are listed on separate pages more or less in the order of their appointment to that rank. In cases of demotions, rejoining the force and a few other cases men may have more than one number during their service. Additional data has been derived from the next 4 volumes of book "B" F5 200/2-5. These later volumes progressively include more information about the officers.

When a constable or sergeant left or was promoted, a new recruit or demoted inspector was given the free number so that over the period covered by this publication, most numbers were used many times and in cases where no leaving date has been found, the date of reallocation of the number has been used as a "replaced by" date.

A few, mainly senior, appointments were made late in 1839 and by the end of 1840 collar numbers from 1 to 187 had all been issued at least once and remained in continuous use until1926 for Constables & Sergeants. It was not until 1873 that No. 188 was issued for the first time but then numbers continued to grow steadily until No. 274 was first issued in 1914. No new numbers were issued between 1914 & 1926.

The ranking structure was changed several times during the period and this may cause some confusion. The force started in 1839 with Constables 2nd & 1st class, Sergeants, Inspectors & Superintendents 3rd, 2nd & 1st classes.

In August 1841 an additional rank of Constables was introduced to give 3rd, 2nd & 1st classes.

On 1st July 1855, fifty of the Constables were given a new 1st class rank (at 18s 6d per week), and the 3 existing ranks were re-designated down one to 4th, 3rd & 2nd classes.

In November 1860 a new 4th class of Superintendent was inaugurated and in September 1866 a 2nd class of Sergeant.

On 1st July 1872 certain Constables were given a new top class Merit Class and around this time, newly promoted Inspectors were being called Junior Inspectors but shortly afterwards, Inspectors were re-designated 3rd, 2nd or 1st class.

On 25 April 1912, classes were replaced by incremental points on a pay scale starting at £1 1s 0d per week rising in increments of 1s 2d to £1 9s 2d for Constables and £1 9s 9d rising to £1 10s 11d for Sergeants. Some Sergeants promoted from Merit class Constable continued to receive an additional merit payment of 1s 2d per week. Inspectors and Superintendents were paid individual salaries.

On 10 September 1918, there was a substantial increase to all wages and salaries but classes or incremental points were not recorded in Book "B" after this date so ranks are only identified as Constable, Sergeant, Inspector or Superintendent after 1918.

The volume of Book B in use in 1918 contains a list of 68 officers who served in the army during the First World War whose police service was kept open pending their return.

Wiltshire Family History Society (WFHS) wishes to thank and acknowledge the staff of the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre for the help given to the transcribers.

Anyone wishing to know more about the history of the force should read "The Oldest & The Best – The History of Wiltshire Constabulary 1839-2003" by Paul Sample, Second Edition published by No Limits Public Relations Studio, 23 Blakey Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire S1 2LP. Copies are available for reference at WSHC, borrowed from a Wiltshire Library. In the book, for instance, you will see why Sergeant William Crouch and Constable Ernest Pike both died on the same day.