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

Auxiliary Fireman Frederick Scate

Auxiliary Fireman Frederick Scate

From the Sub Fire Station 6W, Cheyne Place. Died in a fire which took the lives of seven firemen, known as "The Wednesday".

Person, Emergency Services

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial
Yvonne Green

Yvonne Green

Born in Canada and married to a Canadian army officer. Living at 34 Old Church Street. A part-time Auxiliary Fire Service driver. One of five fire-watchers killed as the night bombs fell on Chelsea...

Person, Emergency Services, Canada

War dead non-military, WW2
2 memorials
J. W. Sanders, FRCS

J. W. Sanders, FRCS

Corps Surgeon in the St John Ambulance Brigade, Metropolitan Corps, 1887-1890.

Person, Emergency Services, Medicine, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
W. B. Smart

W. B. Smart

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
Sir William MacCormac, Bart. KCB, KCVO, MD, FRCS

Sir William MacCormac, Bart. KCB, KCVO, MD, FRCS

Notable surgeon during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Strong advocate of the antiseptic surgical methods proposed by Joseph Lister and he served in conflicts such as the Boer War. An...

Person, Emergency Services, Medicine, Politics & Administration, Ireland

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Christ’s Hospital School - sculpture - back

Christ’s Hospital School - sculpture - back

EC1, Newgate Street

"On Quitting School" (sometimes "On Leaving School") is a sonnet by Coleridge, aged 18, dedicated to saying goodbye to Christ's Hospital ...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Princess Alice disaster

Princess Alice disaster

London's worst peacetime disaster. The Princess Alice was a passenger paddle steamer, making what was called a 'moonlight trip', from Swan Pier near London Bridge to the former Rosherville Pleasure...

Event, Tragedy, Transport

3 memorials
Muzio Clementi

Muzio Clementi

Composer, musician, music publisher, piano manufacturer.  Born Italy.  Moved to London at the end of 1774 from where he went on tours of Europe.  Moved out towards the end of his life and died in W...

Person, Music / songs

1 memorial
St Mary Magdalene Richmond - war memorial

St Mary Magdalene Richmond - war memorial

TW9, Church Walk

This free-standing monument is to the north of the church. From War Memorials Online: "A tall Gothic structure of Barnack ragstone, with ...

2 subjects commemorated
Harold Vyvyan Harmsworth

Harold Vyvyan Harmsworth

One of Viscount Rothermere's three sons, of which the elder two died in WW1.

Person, Politics & Administration

War dead, WW1
2 memorials