Knocking up duty

[YankeeSergeant]

Can some one explain what kncoking up duty" is. In connection with PC Mizen's testimony at the Nichols inquest? I understand the UK usage but the reference to it as a duty is a bit confusing

[Phil Carter]

Hello YS,

Unless I am most mistaken as to the meaning, I believe I can help a little..

"The police are not only allowed, but are taught to render this service (on ordinary night duty to be made available for calling private individuals in time for early trains etc) or any other service in their power to the inhabitants."

This is taken from Dicken's Dictionary of London, 1888.

I hope this helps in any way.

best wishes

Phil

[Monty]

Yankee,

As Phil states, Beat Bobbies were used to wake people up on their beats at certain times.

The recipient paid for this. PC Pennet, the PC who discovered the Pinchin St torso also knocked up a man just prior to dicovering the body.

Monty

[lynn cates]

Yank usage

Hello Neil, Phil. Glad this refers to British usage and not Yank. For if the latter, we old chaps may be shirkers, even though England expects every man--well, you get the idea.

Cheers.
LC

[Ally]

*inappropriate, juvenile giggle*

[Monty]

Wish me to explain the term 'laying to table'?

Monty

[Phil Carter]

Hello Lynn,

Please don't ask me about the term beginning with F used in the American language pertaining to the human derriere or behind, as opposed to a physically opposite position in the English language.

The books written by the much missed TV personality and homely cook Fanny Craddock however to do not apply to either position as mentioned above.

best wishes

Phil

[YankeeSergeant]

Knocking up

Thanks all for the information and the morning laugh! I'm actually using my novel about Jack the Ripper for my last class (Historical Fiction) before getting my BA so I'm combining this with course work. Again Thanks I saw the reference whilst going over witness statements in the Nichols murder.

[Lechmere]

Yes the knocking up business is curious. I presumed it meant that a police constable while on their beat had regular people they had to 'knock up' in place of an alarm clock.
I have read that somewhere.
I guess it would be less likely for there to be a one off 'knock up'. What would the person who wanted to be knocked up do? Go to the police station and say:
'Hello officer, I need to get an early train to Glasgow, please knock me up tonight at 3.45 am, I live at no 5 Baker's Row.'
And the desk sergeant replies:
'Certainly sir, that will be 2d.'

I would guess that you would have to be fairly well off to afford this. I would guess that people who had an important civic role such as doctors or magistrates may get them free perhaps?

On the beat, the constables had to check doors of premises, I think.

From what I have seen their beats tended to take half the time to walk them as they actually took (if that makes sense). In other words they must have loitered, checking doors, knocking up and so forth. Having a quick pipe, having a swift pint in the back of a bar, having a hot drink in a warehouse or slaughterhouse (where the PC might have left their cape in case it rained), stopping for a chat with a night watchman and so on.

Mizen seems to have carried on knocking up after being told about Nichols. I had the impression that the person he was knocking for didn’t respond. Was Mizen supposed to wait for a response or give the door a couple of loud knocks then go on to the next one?

It is said Mizen was on knocking up duty. Does this actually imply he wasn’t on the beat but his job was just to knock up various people over a wider area?

[Monty]

Lechmere,

They would have approached the PC whose beat covered their street and asked him to knock on their door or window to wake them, for a small fee.

I cant reveal who (as it may appear in an upcoming book so Im not a liberty to reveal all) but there is a report of a Bobby venturing slightly off his beat to knock up, however we are talking yards here, just slightly off beat.

It was part of a Beat Bobbies duty to liaise with Nightwatchmen to establish if anything untoward had happened in the area. The nightwtachman were the ears and eyes for the Bobbys. This was often done over a brew and whilst not strictly part of their duty, it was seen as good relations.

The best example of this is the Packing case incident regarding a man named Burke and our very own Nightwtachman in Mitre Square Morris. Burke stole some packing cases situated in the Square, Morris clocked this and reported it to a Policeman. Seeing as this happened months before the Eddowes murder its logical to assume the PC was Watkins. Morris also stated at inquest that he often had a smoke outside the warehouse between one and two and spoke with Watkins, the only exception being saturday night/Sunday morning.

It was also expected that the PCs learnt who the landlords, Lodging house keepers, shop keeper, heck pretty much everyone on their beat were. As stated, this to establish good relations. After all, the Bobby needed to know what was going on upon their beat and they incase assistance was needed.

So the stopping for a brew wasnt uncommon. As was stopping for a quick 'snifter' in a pub.

Monty

[Graham]

Phil,

my wife says she once paid for a fanny craddock, but didn't enjoy it.

Graham

[lynn cates]

duty calls?

Hello Phil. Good one.

At least, I have no duties to perform.

Cheers.
LC

[sleekviper]

That is interesting, thanks Monty!

[Lechmere]

Yes indeed - would the PC pocket the knocking up fee? If so was it an accepted perk?

[The Grave Maurice]

I've just been looking at that excellent volume, Lost London, which is discussed on the Books--Non-fiction thread.

One of the photos shows a woman knocking people up by blowing dried peas through a hollow tube at their windows. (This device, in my youth, was called a pea-shooter.)

That raises an interesting point. I can see a policeman knocking on a door to rouse the occupant. But what if, as seems likely, multiple families lived in the home? Would the copper awaken the whole house, throw pebbles at the relevant window, or use something like a pea-shooter?