Group    From 29/9/1829 

Metropolitan Police

Categories: Armed Forces

Founded in 1829 by Robert Peel under the Metropolitan Police Act 1829 and on 26 September of that year, over 1,000 men were sworn in in the grounds of the Foundling Hospital. (From Sarah Wise's book, The Italian Boy).

The next year local divisions, one for each borough and each with its own station, were established. These were known by letters of the alphabet. e.g. M division was for Southwark.

The Met did not police the City, so, predictably, territorial disputes materialised. The old-style force policing the City moving vagrants over the border and the Met doing the same in reverse. Temple Bar was a location where this activity became a spectator sport (from Sarah Wise's book). Sad and laughable as this now seems, in essence, the practice has not gone away: the buskers at King's Cross knowing the precise line where the BT police patch meets that of the Met and what the differing busker policies are; each Council being aware then whenever they launch a campaign to clean up drug-dealing, it causes increased drug-related activity in neighbouring boroughs.

Wikipedia states the Met is "the first modern and professional police force in the world" though the establishment of the Marine Police preceded the land-based force by over 30 years, and Commissioners of Police for Scotland were appointed in 1714. It's all in the definition.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Metropolitan Police

Commemorated ati

First Peelers training school

The bronze panel depicts an everyday scene in London at that time - that of a...

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Metropolitan Police - Eternal flame

{On the glass in front of the flame:} This eternal flame commemorates those w...

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National Police Memorial

Unveiled by the Queen.

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PC Patrick Dunne - SW8

{On the top, diamond, plaque:} This tree is dedicated to PC Patrick Dunne who...

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Police at Scotland Yard

Site of Scotland Yard, first headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, 1829 - ...

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Show all 9

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
Metropolitan Police

Creations i

James Braidwood

What a great plaque. The inscription is inside a laurel wreath, in front of a...

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Jonathon “JJ” McPhillips

Murder £20,000 reward At about 12:40am on Saturday 25th February 2017, 28 yea...

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PC Gary Toms

Here fell PC Gary Toms, 11 April 2009.

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PC Nina Mackay

Here fell PC Nina Mackay, 24th October 1997. Metropolitan Police

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Other Subjects

British and Foreign Sailors' Society

British and Foreign Sailors' Society

Sailors’ Society is an international Christian charity working in ports across the world. After the Napoleonic Wars ended, the need for ships declined, and many former seafarers became destitute. ...

Group, Armed Forces, Community / Clubs, Philanthropy

1 memorial
Alfred Adrian Jones, MVO, FRBS

Alfred Adrian Jones, MVO, FRBS

Born Ludlow. Served in the army in the First Boer War as a veterinary captain. As a sculptor he specialised in animal figures. See Speel for more of his work. Our Picture Source and his Wikipedia p...

Person, Armed Forces, Sculpture

5 memorials
G. Attridge

G. Attridge

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial
Eagle Squadrons

Eagle Squadrons

Knowing that America would eventually enter the war, and inspired by stories of the RAF pilots many American men responded to the call for pilots to replace those lost in the Battle of Britain. Fr...

Group, Armed Forces, USA

1 memorial
H. Dowsett

H. Dowsett

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial