PC James CHAPPELL J Division

[PC2267]

James CHAPPELL

Born - Taunton Somerset 1864

Joined Met 6th February 1888, posted to J Division, with the warrant number 73321.

1891 census living at 103 Grafton Street, Mile End with his wife Sophia. (Bethnal Green Station)

1897 - J Division

1901 census living at 94 Grafton Street, Mile End with his wife Sophia and their son Sidney. (Bethnal Green Station)

1902 - J Division

1911 census (2nd April) , 31 Tyndall Road Leyton, but is in hospital (London Hospital - Whitechapel). (Leyton Station)

Pensioned 7th May 1911, still in J Division, with class 2 certificate of conduct = Good. As he hadn’t quite done 25 years I suspect he was then pensioned early on health grounds, missing out on the 1911 medal.

Grafton Street now Grantley Street is a 15 minute walk to Bethnal Green Police Station.


Entitled to the 1897 Jubilee Medal and the 1902 Coronation Medal.

[Bridewell]

Pc 2267,

If this is an ancestor of yours and you're not too far away, it may be worth your while getting access to the London Hospital Archive material which should yield full details of his 1911 illness/injury as the In-Patient registers are still in existence. You do have to pre-book an appointment though.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/a?_ref=387

[PC2267]

Pc 2267,

If this is an ancestor of yours and you're not too far away, it may be worth your while getting access to the London Hospital Archive material which should yield full details of his 1911 illness/injury as the In-Patient registers are still in existence. You do have to pre-book an appointment though.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.go...ils/a?_ref=387

Many thanks Bridewell, I'll certainly give that a try next time I'm down that part of the world. I think it's amazing that they've still got all that sort of information, I thought it would have been disposed of long ago. Will be interesting to see just what he was in hospital for, it clearly seems to have marked the end of his police career whatever it was.

[SuspectZero]

James CHAPPELL

Born - Taunton Somerset 1864

Joined Met 6th February 1888, posted to J Division, with the warrant number 73321.

1891 census living at 103 Grafton Street, Mile End with his wife Sophia. (Bethnal Green Station)

1897 - J Division

1901 census living at 94 Grafton Street, Mile End with his wife Sophia and their son Sidney. (Bethnal Green Station)

1902 - J Division

1911 census (2nd April) , 31 Tyndall Road Leyton, but is in hospital (London Hospital - Whitechapel). (Leyton Station)

Pensioned 7th May 1911, still in J Division, with class 2 certificate of conduct = Good. As he hadn’t quite done 25 years I suspect he was then pensioned early on health grounds, missing out on the 1911 medal.

Grafton Street now Grantley Street is a 15 minute walk to Bethnal Green Police Station.


Entitled to the 1897 Jubilee Medal and the 1902 Coronation Medal.

Percy James Chappell
Born April 1864, Taunton Somerset
Father - Richard Chappell
Mother - Martha Chappell
Spouse - Sophia Mulchay- born 1855. Married: 20 Jul 1889 - St Johns, Bethnal Green
Address at time of marriage: 458 Bethnal Green Road

[PC2267]

Percy James Chappell
Born April 1864, Taunton Somerset
Father - Richard Chappell
Mother - Martha Chappell
Spouse - Sophia Mulchay- born 1855. Married: 20 Jul 1889 - St Johns, Bethnal Green
Address at time of marriage: 458 Bethnal Green Road

This is certainly very interesting information. The address given 458 Bethnal Green Road, is in fact Bethnal Green Police Station so coupling this information with that of his joining date, certainly suggests beyond reasonable doubt that he was working from that station at the time of the murder of Polly Anne Nichols and indeed the Whitechapel murder themselves.

[Robert]

I am not sure about the Percy bit. Chappell seems always to have been known as James. It's true that there is a Percy James Chappell born 1864 in the right place, but there was also one dying there a few months after. Since there is no age, we don't know if this was an infant death or someone completely different. It could be that Chappell hated the name 'Percy' and never used it, but it could also be that he was born plain James. I don't think we know for certain.

[PC2267]

I am not sure about the Percy bit. Chappell seems always to have been known as James. It's true that there is a Percy James Chappell born 1864 in the right place, but there was also one dying there a few months after. Since there is no age, we don't know if this was an infant death or someone completely different. It could be that Chappell hated the name 'Percy' and never used it, but it could also be that he was born plain James. I don't think we know for certain.

I agree Robert, the Percy bit doesn't seem to fit any. On all the censuses and his police records all just gives James. Even in 1871 he's just James, surely his parents would have given Percy then if that was his name, as he was only 7. However, Sophia's date of birth does tally up and I have confirmed that there is only one James CHAPPELL with a J Division connection. So even if there was a couple of James CHAPPELL's who married a Sophia from Bethnal Green, there could only be one who would have been living in the station in 1889.

[Bridewell]

Many thanks Bridewell, I'll certainly give that a try next time I'm down that part of the world. I think it's amazing that they've still got all that sort of information, I thought it would have been disposed of long ago. Will be interesting to see just what he was in hospital for, it clearly seems to have marked the end of his police career whatever it was.

You're welcome. The staff are very helpful and knowledgeable. The registers are truly huge by the way & very, very heavy. The same archive also has the records for the much smaller Bethnal Green Hospital which might also yield valuable information.

[PC2267]

It transpires that CHAPPELL retired early due to an Esophagael Stricture.

[Robert]

Not a nice thing to have.

[PC2267]

http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t19010910-685&div=t19010910-685&terms=Chappell#highlight

He also gave evidence at the Old Bailey......

JAMES FREEMAN, STEPHEN WEBB, Theft simple larceny, 10th September 1901.


JAMES CHAPPELL (344 J). About 7 p.m. on August 21st I was in the Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green—Wilson spoke to me, and I went to Freeman, who was driving a pony and cart, on which was a log of walnut—I asked him where he had it from, and if he had any delivery note—he said, "No"—I asked him where he was going to take it—he said to the London Apprentice, Hoxton—I knew that was a public-house—he said, "Mr. Webb, of Temple Mills, asked me to put the pony in and take it and meet a Mr. Joyce outside the London Apprentice; he lives opposite me at Temple Mills"—I took him to the Police-station, and he was detained—he made no answer to the charge—I afterwards took him to the West Ham Police-station—I have made inquiries about him, and believe he is a respectable man.

[The Station Cat]

This was posted under the thread PC Neil's beat, thought it might be of interest......

Echo
London, U.K.
21 September 1888

EAST END MURDERS
THE POLICEMEN'S NIGHT BEATS
THE PRESENT PRECAUTIONS
A Correspondent has obtained exact details of those police beats covering the area within which the Buck's row murder was committed. From this it will be seen that the murderer had no doubt a considerable time in which he was quite sure of being undisturbed by a police constable, assuming he knew the beats. It seems that, notwithstanding the frequent repetition of murders round Whitechapel, under circumstances leading to the conclusion that they were the work of one man, not one single extra police officer was put upon the ground until after the commission of the fourth and last murder. Then the streets were filled night and by by police in and out of uniform.

During the month of August, and up to the 8th instant, when Annie Chapman was killed, the following beats were covered by the men of the J Division quartered at Bethnal green, these forming what is known as the "Second Section night duty." The first police constable would commence his two beats at Wilmot street, three Colt land, Cheshire street, Mape street, Bethnal green road, to Wilmot street, and the interior, this consisting of a few streets, courts, passages, &c. The second constable would cover Three Colt lane, Collingwood street, Darling row, Dog row, Whitechapel road, Brady street, to Three Colt lane, and the interior, this consisting of about twenty streets, courts, passages, &c; the third constable would commence at Brady street, cover Whitechapel road, Baker's row, Thomas street, Queen Anne street, and Buck's row, to Brady street, and all the interior, this consisting of about ten streets, courts, passage, &c. The fourth constable would commence at Baker's row, go through Nottingham street, White street, Bethnal Green road, Mape street, London street, to Baker's row, and all the interior, consisting of about thirty streets, courts, passages, &c. The fifth and last man of the section would cover Whitechapel road alone, this making a total of nine beats for the five constables. The third beat was the one within the limit of which Mrs. Nicholl (sic) was murdered. The exterior of the beats are at least a mile in extent, and to this distance must be added the interiors.

[The Station Cat]

This is from the same thread.....

Each subdivision (Stations) has a small area to patrol. This area is divided yet again into sections. Theses section are split down even more into beats.

The section sergeants are responsible for the beat officers for that section, which are around 10-12 in number. These beat men are rotated throughout the year.

Beats are 30 minutes in the day, when 1/3 of beat constables are on duty. During the night, these beats are broken in to two, and covered in 15 minutes, when 2/3 of the beat constables are on duty.

The reason is simple, most crime is committed at night under the cover of darkness.


So judging by this piece of information, we can say with almost a level of certainty that PC Chappell, would have walked the same beat that incorporated Buck's Row. Whether that was before,after or during the Autumn of Terror we cannot say? Perhaps he was one of the constables called out from the section house, by Sgt Kirby? We shall never know............... Such a shame that so many documents from the case have been lost. I feel certain that many more officers where involved, even if only in a small capacity, whose names have been lost to history forever!

[The Station Cat]

Gave evidence at the Old Bailey.....

JOSEPH COATS, Theft housebreaking, 9th February 1891.
JOSEPH COATS, Breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Alexander Robinson and another, and stealing thirty umbrellas and sunshades, their property.
MR. D. J. LEWIS Prosecuted.
ALEXANDER ROBINSON, JUN . I am in partnership with my father as umbrella manufacturers at 14, Aldersgate Street—on Saturday evening, January 31, the warehouse on the third floor was locked up safely—I had seen these umbrellas safe at 12.30 in the day, and missed them on Monday at 9 a.m.—a shutter on the third floor was knocked out, and there was an open space through which a man could get, but the door was not opened—I missed thirty umbrellas and five sunshades, value £7 or £8—I afterwards saw two of the umbrellas at the Police-station, Bethnal Green—the outer door was not open, they must have climbed over the ballusters—we have only four rooms, but there are other people down stairs who lock up—some person must have concealed himself on the stairs, and then he would not have to break the outer door to get in—the ground floor is a tobacconist's shop, which closes at 9 or 10 p.m., when the street door is closed—these two umbrellas are ours; they were safe on January 31st at 12.30, and missed on Monday morning.
JOHN DABBS . I am an umbrella, finisher, in the employ of Messrs. Robinson—on 31st January I locked up the workshops, two rooms, about 1.20 in the day—these two umbrellas were then safe—I gave the key to Mr. Robinson—a board was fastened over the door where there ought to have been glass—on the Monday morning, at nine o'clock, I found the shutter was down—I went in and missed two and a half dozen of umbrellas and five sunshades—these are two of them—Mr. Robinson rents two rooms on the top and two underneath.
FREDERICK HARRISSON . I am assistant to Phillips and Scones, pawnbrokers, of Bethnal Green—on Tuesday, February 3rd, about 7 p.m., the prisoner brought these two umbrellas, and asked for 10s. upon them—I had received a description the night before, and sent for a constable and charged him—he gave his name, George Bell.
Cross-examined. I left the shop—you had time to get away if you liked.
JAMES CHAPPLE (J 344). I was sent for to Messrs. Phillips and Scones, and took the prisoner—these two umbrellas were on the counter—I asked him where he got them—he said, "I bought them last night at the Princess Alice public-house, Commercial Street, and gave two half-crowns each for them. "
SAMUEL LYTHEI . (City Detective Sergeant). On 3rd February I received a telegram at Bethnal Green Police-station, and saw the prisoner in custody—I was accompanied by Robinson and his brother, who identified these two umbrellas—I told the prisoner the charge—he made no reply—I said, "I shall further charge you with receiving the same, knowing them to be stolen"—he said, "I bought them of a man last night at the Princess Alice public-house, Commercial Street"—I said, "Do you know the man or his name?"—he said, "No; I never saw him before; I paid half a crown each for them"—he gave his address, 43, Commercial Road East—I found 10 1/2 d. on him.
The prisoner, in his defence, said that he bought the umbrellas in the Princess Alice for 5s. each, and, being women's umbrellas, he pawned them, as they were of no use to him.
NOT GUILTY .