My researches into my mother's ancestors led me to the Boston area of Lincolnshire.
After looking through the Census returns it was it was quite a surprise when I discovered that my x2 great grandfather John Fletcher had been a policeman in the town - one of only around 20 constables serving in Boston in the 1880s.
My researches led to a trawl of websites relating to police history and there are a number of useful resources that are worth consulting:
The national archives site is a useful starting point, giving an overview of the type of national resources that are available to the genealogist: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
www.met.police.uk/history/ gives a comprehensive history of the Metropolitan Police from 1829 to the present. You will find descriptions of famous and lesser known events throughout the history of The Met as well as biographies of key figures. It recalls the first days in the life of the Metropolitan Police Service, the salaries of the first officers and how the idea of the beat system was devised. There is also a timeline and an details of some famous cases.
www.policehistorysociety.co.uk/ is a must-visit site for any resarcher with lists of useful publications and links to other sites.
http://www.lancashire.police.uk/index.php?id=365 gives a history of the Lancshire force from the early 1800s to the present day while the Lancashire Record Office police history site http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/education/record_office/records/police.asp provides a list of names of police officers, particularly those who served with the Lancashire County Constabulary from the force's inception in 1840 up to 1925.
All police forces have their own websites with useful information on police history.
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