1888 policemen

[PC Roadnight]

25 shillings (£1.25) in those times would buy the same as about £75 today. £60 (excluding housing costs) is presently the minimum level of welfare support for a single person (aged over 25) in Britain, although the official poverty line today is way above that of the incomes of the improverished masses in the 1880's. Police officers were probably quite well off in those days by comparison with them, but £75 today is well below the statutory minimum wage!

They also had the free uniform and coal allowance, which was a not an inconsidereable benefit, plus sick pay & pensions, which was not common in that period.

Straight £ value comparisons do perhaps make their pay seem low, but it does not necessarily relate to the actual cost of living in London then.

[Gman992]

Were they armed or could they armsselves? What was the firearms policy? I know that today the Met have special firearms squads, but what happened when they came upon an armed suspect back in 1888? Could they purchase their own firearms and use? I remember reading that the Met purchased a whole slew of revolvers to use.

[Jeff Leahy]

None PC. Nor have I seen any photos with them. Not to say they werent though.

Ex Met PC, and nightwatchman for Kearley & Tonge, George Morris used his own whistle (which I suspect he kept back from when calling for assistance in Mitre Square. Most nightwatchmen had them and I suspect the City PCs went to the nearest one for help.

Also, I know lamps were used as a signalling device for help. See PC Neal re Polly Nichols.

Cheers
Monty

Hi Monty

the drawing of PC Watkins in Mitre Square shows him with his arm out stretched (directing the traffic?) and something in his left hand.

The caption above says 'Police constable Watkins signalling for assistance'.

But this appears to be some sort of hand signal?

Any ideas?

Pirate

[Steven Russell]

In very special occasions they could be armed, I think, as in the Sidney Street Siege but in general it was truncheons.

Rattles, which I mentioned earlier, could also be a formidable weapon as they were weighted with lead. But as others have noted and a bit of googling has confirmed, these seem to have been discontinued in 1884.

Best wishes,

Steve.