William Frederick Tyler was the third child of Alfred Tyler (1853-1900) and his first wife, Susan Tyler née Fenn (1852-1883). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1877 in the Hendon, Middlesex, registration district.
His father was a florist and the 1881 census shows him living at 3 Rosebud Cottages, The Mead, Childs Hill, Hendon, with his parents and his siblings, Alfred Henry Tyler (1873-1940), Elizabeth Tyler (b.1875) and Thomas C. Tyler (1880-1948).
His mother died in 1883 and on 26 May 1885 his father was remarried to Catherine Basford Taylor (1858-1930) in Twickenham. They went on to have two children, Albert E. Tyler (b.1887) and Violet P. C. Taylor (b.1889).
The 1891 census informs that he was now assisting his father as a florist and was living at Clarendon Villas, Finchley Road, Childs Hill, Hendon, with his father, stepmother, his three siblings and two half-siblings.
In 1903 he married Emily Burfield in Holborn and they lived at 32 Arnold Road, Tottenham.
He joined the Metropolitan Police Force and as Police Constable 403 of 'N' Division, he was killed, aged 31, on 23 January 1909 in the Tottenham Outrage.
Both he and Ralph Joscelyne (1899-1909), who was also killed in same robbery, were buried on 29 January 1909 in Abney Park Cemetery, 215 Stoke Newington High Street, London, N16 0LH.
The bravery of his actions and those of his colleagues led to the establishment of the King's Police Medal and he was, posthumously, the first recipient.
He is also commemorated by a plaque in All Saint's Church, Church Walk, Childs Hill, London, NW2 2TJ.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan
