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Alternative Location
Whilst holding the utmost respect for the career of Donald Sutherland Swanson, it has always jarred with me that the confrontation ID which he reports in the Marginalia took place so far away from London. I have taken to wondering whether DSS may have been mistaken in his recall of the venue (especially if not present in person). To this end I have done some, admittedly cursory, research as to whether or not there might have been an alternative location, amenable to both Met & City Forces, closer to London which might have served the purpose and have been erroneously alluded to, years later, as "the Seaside Home".
"Police Orphanage (Metropolitan and City)
Twickenham - President, Col. Sir Charles Warren, C.G.M.G.; Vice Presidents, Lieut-Col. Pearson, A.C. Bruce Esq., J. Monro Esq. and Col. Sir James Fraser K.C.B. (City Police); Chairman of Board of Managers & Treasurer, Lt-Col Monsell; Sec. Arthur J. Kestin."
This reads like a Who's Who of the London Police at that time and I suspect, therefore, that the presence of even very senior officers at such an out of town location might have passed unremarked. Perhaps the suspect was "sent with difficulty", not because of his own circumstances, but because the orphans had to be packed off to the seaside for the day. (Colney Hatch to Brighton would have been about 75 miles via the more direct route then available; Colney Hatch to Twickenham about 20 miles.)
Whilst holding the utmost respect for the career of Donald Sutherland Swanson, it has always jarred with me that the confrontation ID which he reports in the Marginalia took place so far away from London. I have taken to wondering whether DSS may have been mistaken in his recall of the venue (especially if not present in person). To this end I have done some, admittedly cursory, research as to whether or not there might have been an alternative location, amenable to both Met & City Forces, closer to London which might have served the purpose and have been erroneously alluded to, years later, as "the Seaside Home".
"Police Orphanage (Metropolitan and City)
Twickenham - President, Col. Sir Charles Warren, C.G.M.G.; Vice Presidents, Lieut-Col. Pearson, A.C. Bruce Esq., J. Monro Esq. and Col. Sir James Fraser K.C.B. (City Police); Chairman of Board of Managers & Treasurer, Lt-Col Monsell; Sec. Arthur J. Kestin."
This reads like a Who's Who of the London Police at that time and I suspect, therefore, that the presence of even very senior officers at such an out of town location might have passed unremarked. Perhaps the suspect was "sent with difficulty", not because of his own circumstances, but because the orphans had to be packed off to the seaside for the day. (Colney Hatch to Brighton would have been about 75 miles via the more direct route then available; Colney Hatch to Twickenham about 20 miles.)
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