PC Neil's Route

[Columbo]

It was part of the job, and yep that's what it means.

So people asked him to wake them up like a hotel wake up call?

I'm just trying to understand what he was doing.

Columbo

[GUT]

So people asked him to wake them up like a hotel wake up call?

I'm just trying to understand what he was doing.

Columbo

Pretty much, except it would, normally, be every day at the same time.

Remember most of these people wouldn't have an alarm clock.

[Billiou]

So people asked him to wake them up like a hotel wake up call?

I'm just trying to understand what he was doing.

Columbo

From a previous post by Phil Carter in 2011:
"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.

[Billiou]

Also from Wiki:
A knocker-up (sometimes known as a knocker-upper) was a profession in Britain and Ireland that started during and lasted well into the Industrial Revolution and at least as late as the 1920s before alarm clocks were affordable or reliable. A knocker-up's job was to rouse sleeping people so they could get to work on time.

The knocker-up used a truncheon or short, heavy stick to knock on the clients' doors or a long and light stick, often made of bamboo, to reach windows on higher floors. At least one of them used a pea-shooter. In return, the knocker-up would be paid a few pence a week. The knocker-up would not leave a client's window until they were sure that the client had been awoken.

A knocker upper would also use a 'snuffer outer' as a tool to rouse the sleeping. This implement was used to put out gas lamps which were lit at dusk and then needed to be extinguished at dawn.

There were large numbers of people carrying out the job, especially in larger industrial towns such as Manchester. Generally the job was carried out by elderly men and women but sometimes police constables supplemented their pay by performing the task during early morning patrols.

Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, includes a brief description of a knocker-up. Hindle Wakes a play written by Stanley Houghton and then a movie (of the same title) directed by Maurice Elvey, includes a knocker-up.

[GUT]

My dad did this for his best mate in the early 1950s, dad would leave home call into his mates place and knock on the bedroom window till he got up.

[drstrange169]

Here's a freelance "knocker upper".
Mary Smith of Brenton Street were employed to rouse sleeping people in the early hours of the morning. They were commonly known as ‘knocker-ups’ or ‘knocker-uppers’. Mrs. Smith was paid sixpence a week to shoot dried peas at market workers’ windows in Limehouse Fields, London. Photograph from Philip Davies’ Lost London: 1870-1945.

[drstrange169]

Hello Columbo,

Some bloke named Neil Bell has written a book that explains what the police did, generally and specifically during 1888 and the murder period.

It's in my top ten jtr books.

[GUT]

Hello Columbo,

Some bloke named Neil Bell has written a book that explains what the police did, generally and specifically during 1888 and the murder period.

It's in my top ten jtr books.

Probably in my top 2.

[drstrange169]

Yeah, I didn't want to give him a big head.

[FrankO]

If Monty is right?

Monty
😐

Could you give us your view on what PC Neil's (split) beat looked like, Neil? How the complete beat was described in Rosella's post would probably be split?

Thanks!
Frank

[Columbo]

Hello Columbo,

Some bloke named Neil Bell has written a book that explains what the police did, generally and specifically during 1888 and the murder period.

It's in my top ten jtr books.

Excellent! I'll check that out. Thanks for the info.

Columbo

[Columbo]

Pretty much, except it would, normally, be every day at the same time.

Remember most of these people wouldn't have an alarm clock.

So would it be unreasonable to assume Neil had a pocket watch? I haven't found confirmation that he did.

I understand most people went by local community clocks chiming, and I'm wondering if Neil did that or had his own watch.

Columbo

[Monty]

Hello Columbo,

Some bloke named Neil Bell has written a book that explains what the police did, generally and specifically during 1888 and the murder period.

It's in my top ten jtr books.

The Cheque is in the post Dusty.

What did we agee? 60/40?

Monty

[GUT]

Excellent! I'll check that out. Thanks for the info.

Columbo

Now earlier it was rated top ten or even top two in ripper books, but I will tell you this, it is NUMBER ONE in police procedure books.

[drstrange169]

Different book, same author (sort of) holds that title.
"Police Code 1889"