Group    From 29/9/1829 

Metropolitan Police

Categories: Emergency Services

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 that 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.

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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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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

Station Officer Frederick Ernest Hawkins

Station Officer Frederick Ernest Hawkins

Firefighter who died as a result of a fire at Langley St, WC2. Hawkins, Rawden and Gadd died 11-23 May 1954. Frederick Ernest Hawkins was born on 28 June 1913 in Tottenham, Middlesex (now Greater ...

Person, Emergency Services, Tragedy

1 memorial
T. A. Joy

T. A. Joy

Either lost his life, or gave distinguished service to the London Fire Brigade, and was buried in the Highgate Cemetery plot between 1884 and 1955.

Person, Emergency Services

1 memorial
H. T. Purkis

H. T. Purkis

Either lost his life, or gave distinguished service to the London Fire Brigade, and was buried in the Highgate Cemetery plot between 1884 and 1955.

Person, Emergency Services

1 memorial
Henry J. C. Carden

Henry J. C. Carden

Auxiliary Fireman Henry John Clifford Carden was born on 23 December 1911 and his birth was registered in Bromley, Kent. He was the fourth child of John Henry Clifford Carden (b.1876) and Emily Jan...

Person, Emergency Services

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial
Norman R. C. Mountjoy

Norman R. C. Mountjoy

Auxiliary Fireman Norman Richard Charles Mountjoy was born on 5 March 1911 in Brockley, London, the son of George Mountjoy (1885-1948) and Lily Mountjoy née Deex (1895-1954). The 1911 census shows ...

Person, Emergency Services

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial

Previously viewed

Lord Edward Somerset

Lord Edward Somerset

Soldier and elder brother of Lord Raglan. From Wikivividly : "... in 1815 they {the Life Guards} were part of The Household Brigade at the Battle of Waterloo under Major-General Lord Edward Somers...

Person, Armed Forces

1 memorial
Carrie Reichardt

Carrie Reichardt

Artist active in 2020 with a number of long-running projects, and involved in a number of campaigns. She is a long-time campaigner against the death penalty and communicated with Herman Wallace for...

Person, Art

24 memorials