Wiltshire Family History

My family tree has been traced back to the kings of England in the early 7th. Century AD. This gives me an interest in English history, which is very fun to research. As I am a direct descendant of Sir Christopher Wren and many ancestors from London who were also members of various police forces in London, I think it may be interesting to write an article on the history British Police .

I also have some funny British Bobbies on Victorian art prints please click here.

Police in its present form has existed for about 150 years. The first form of the police in Britain predates the Norman conquest. The frankpledge Saxon was a private company, social obligation in which all adult males were responsible for the proper conduct of others. People could expect to live peacefully and legally, keeping the king's peace.

This has been arranged in more formal with men aged 12 and 60 arranged in groups of 10 family units called decuries (also spelled tythings). They were led by a tythingman. Each tything been grouped into 100, which in turn was led by a hundredman. He acted as administrator and judge. The administrators reported hundredman King, the local warden whose responsibility was it to maintain order in the county.

In 1750, Henry Fielding, novelist and the Chief Justice of Westminster, set up the Bow Street Runners, their numbers began with only six police officers in the late 18th century, their number has increased to about seventy- ten.

The debate continued in the early 19th century about the importance of a police force in England. The interior minister of the time, Robert Peel, later Sir Robert Peel, sponsored the bill first success of a civilian police employees. The Metropolitan Police Act of 1829 was limited to the London area, but he excluded the City of London and the provinces.

The police should be easily recognized and wearing a uniform. Patrols to prevent crime and disorder. As the police were to be employees, allowance or reward are not allowed to solving the crime or the return of stolen property. With their regular duties, the new police force to continue some of the guards' duties such as lighting of lamps, call time and fire detection.

As Interior Minister Sir Robert Peel main achievement was the reform of the police force of London, the precursors of modern day British policing. The nickname of police have been called "Peeler" and named after the Prime Minister.

In Great Britain in 1812, 1818 and 1822 a number of committees have examined the police in London. Based on their findings the Home Secretary Robert Peel adopted the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829, introducing a more rigorous and less discretionary enforcement. The new Metropolitan Police Service, established on September 29 has been depersonalized, bureaucratic and hierarchical structure with the new police officers (patrol officers = U.S.) responsible for preventing crime and prosecuting offenders. However, unlike most of paramilitary police in continental Europe, the British police, partly to counter public fears and objections concerning armed enforcement officials, were first clearly civilians and their armament limited to the baton, the fear of spy systems and also maintained political control "civilian and detective work, even at a minimum. The force was independent of the local government, through its Commissioner is directly responsible to the Ministry of Interior. The new constables were nicknamed 'peelers' or 'bobbies' after the Home Secretary, then, Sir Robert Peel.

Even within the DIS Metropolitan Police.