Reference
Z1883/1
Title
Mounted formal photograph of the High Sherrif's ceremonial coach with policemen by E Walker of Bedford. Annotated in ink on the mount, the wording is unclear and the date could be 1895 or 1898.
Date free text
1895 or 1898
Production date
From: 1895 To: 1898
Scope and Content
The coach, drawn by two horses, has a liveried and wigged driver sitting on the box and two liveried men standing on the rear footplate. Note that the head of the horse and part of the background appear to have been cut in from a different negative, probably because the horse shook its head at the wrong moment. The box has a heavily tasselled cover with shell and star motifs. In front of the coach stands a uniformed man with a horn with a banner of shells and horns and spears[?] To either side of the coach stand a line of three policemen. The policeman third from the right is William Hewitt. In the background are other men, some dressed formally and others siting in a relaxed manner (one with a cat on his knee). Behind the group is a large building with a double door in the centre of the ground floor with windows either side and three sash windows in the first floor. The left and right upstairs sash windows are open and a man is looking out of the left hand one. Above the central entrance door is a lamp decorated with a swan motif. It is thought that the building is a police station, but it's location has not been identified. Although the most likely would seem to be the Bedfordshire Constabulary's Headquarters in Gadsby Street, Bedford the roof line and adjacent buildings do not seem quite correct for any of the known Bedfordshire Constabulary buildings.
On the 19th January 1895 the Bedfordshire Times and Independent reported that at the Bedfordshire County Council Standing Joint Committee of the 12th January Major Downes had moved "That the employment of the County Police instead of Javelin Men as Sheriffs Escort of Assizes, and as may be required, is hereby authorised.". Mr Dymond, the present High Sheriff had moved the matter and had sent a circular to all the English counties regarding whether they had javelin men or used the police. The clerk explained that under an Act of Charles II the High Sheriff was bound to have javelin men, but a Police Act of 1859 gave power to dispense with the necessity of providing liveried servants or javelin men and to substitute a sufficient number of constables. After some debate the motion was carried. It is therefore possible that this photograph marks the first occasion of the use of the Bedfordshire constables in place of javelin men. On 16 November 1895 the same newspaper reported that 'The High Sheriff (Capt Hugh Edmond Browning) provided a handsome equipage, and the manly escort supplied by the County Constabulary had an imposing appearance. The sound of the trumpet had likewise an impressive effect upon children, though scarcely calculated to soothe the nerves of apprehensive prisoners.'
An alternative date is 1898 at this point Henry Chernocke Gibbs Brandreth of Houghton Hall, Houghton Regis, was Sheriff and the unclear writing on the mount could be interpreted as a signature ending Brandreth. There is a possibility that the group may be assembled at the rear of the Dunstable Police Station, which does show some similarities with the building pictured.
William Hewitt was born on the 12th May 1858. Before joining the Bedfordshire Constabulary he had been a police constable and a prison warder. He joined the Bedfordshire force on the 2 July 1885 and left with a pension on the 31 December 1913 being awarded 11 years' service with 3 months with the Bedford Borough Police. William died on the 1st April 1934.
Level of description
item