Find Ancestors

This thread is now closed. I will start a new one.

This includes name, age, physical description - height, weight, chest measurement, complexion, eye & hair colour as well as particular marks. Also date and place of birth, previous employment. Kew also has the pensions records which give the policeman's service record - when and which places he was posted, plus any promotions. You can find out his final pay and his pension, plus his current and planned address and next of kin. BUT in order to get his service record, you need to have his warrant number, and to get his pension details you need the date when he retired. Sometimes this info is on police-orders.com and I can access this, so if you'd like me to look for your copper, please give me his name and if possible, an idea of when he served. If this info ISN'T on police-orders then you can find the warrant number from an index list of officers on microfilm, but this is at Kew. nell

Hi Nell FANTASTIC!!! Both my dad and grandfather were in the Metropolitan Police their surname being PRIEST. My Grandad is Daniel Thomas Priest and I believe he joined c 1950 till the 1970's. My Dad Paul Leonard Priest joined the Metropolitan Police Cadets in June 1968 Any info very much appreciated. With thanks Danielle

Nell - amazing timing ! Just found a great Uncle who joined the Met in 1899-1901 period. Frederick J Lilley, born 1876 Gt Chesterford, Essex - was in Hammersmith 1901 census - married to Ada Elizabeth Avis, married 3/1901 west ham - a policeman in 1901. Appreciate anything you can find. Kind regards, Laird

Danielle Neither of yours, sorry :-( I don't think the database goes up that far. If you go to the National Archives site and search the catalogue for MEPO 4 - it will give you the dates it goes up to at Kew. nell

Thanks so much. I have Francis Joseph Penston in the 1901 census as a met constable. Should be really grateful if you could have a look for him.

Laird I think this might be him: Date Warrant First name Last name Rank Number Station Reason PO Date 22/03/1897 82031 FREDERICK J LILLEY PC 702 V JOINED 07/03/1898 82031 FREDERICK LILLEY PC 249 V To 416 X 08/03/1898 26/03/1923 82031 LILLEY PC 416 X PENSIONED 25/03/1923 V is Wandsworth and X is Harrow Road. nell

Ness Date Warrant First name Last name Rank Number Station Reason PO Date 26/12/1899 85881 FRANCIS PENSTON PC 425 V JOINED 05/05/1902 85881 FRANCIS PENSTON PC 425 V RESIGNED 04/05/1902 Looks like he didn't stay around to collect his pension! Good job he was a copper in the 1901 census or you'd have missed it! V is Wandsworth. nell

Thank you so much! That's brilliant.

Brilliant - ta Nell. Pensioned at 47 ! Wheres the Harrow Road - must check, seems a ways to pedal to Hammersmith ! They did move around didnt they - backwoods essex to Wandsworth, marry in West Ham and then to Hammersmith . Much appreciated, great to fill in a gap.

Ness - amazing, I'm sure that your man was a witness at my mans wedding !!!!! I cant check the cert today, but will !

Lizzie :-(( No Henry Skinner of the right time to be yours. No Skinners in Brixton called Henry. I don't think this database is complete. Another possibility is that although he was in Brixton, he might have been working for the Surrey police authority or possibly the City of London police. Their records aren't at Kew. nell

Laird Harrow Road is part of the A404 and goes from Kensal Town to Paddington. The police station is on the south side, near Elmfield Way, to help you locate it on the map. nell

Me again ..... had a vague memory of another Lilley - just found him Robert Lilley - b1864 Gt Chesterford, Essex. 1891 in Lambeth - policeman. OK for another one Nell ? - very grateful, LD PS. Ta for Harrow Rd lookup - it was a bit of a way to Hammersmith, but if needs must he could have turned on the flashing blue lights on his bike / horse - LOL

Sue This is all there is: Date Warrant First name Last name Rank Number Station Reason PO Date 29/03/1864 27761 MILLBANK PC L RECLASSIFY Reclassify means Promotion to a high grade within current Rank L is Lambeth. For more info, you will have to go to/get someone else to go to Kew. It's quite easy to find the info there. nell

Laird I only said that Fred Lilley MIGHT be yours - I found at Kew yesterday that the Harry Gray I found on police-orders wasn't MY Harry Gray! Similarly, you have a choice of Roberts: No. One: Date Warrant First name Last name Rank Number Station Reason PO Date 16/10/1882 67218 ROBERT LILLEY PC JOINED 30/01/1886 67218 ROBERT LILLEY PC B To M 01/02/1886 07/02/1888 67218 ROBERT LILLEY PC 407 M To 836 A 08/02/1888 13/09/1889 67218 ROBERT LILLEY PC 199 A To 587 W (DISCIPLINARY) 14/09/1889 22/10/1896 67218 LILLEY PC 241 W DISCIPLINARY 31/10/1903 67218 LILLEY PC 241 W DISCIPLINARY 18/11/1907 67218 LILLEY PC 241 W PENSIONED 17/11/1907 3 disciplinaries! Who's a naughty boy then? I read somewhere that conditions were strict and the most common reason for disciplinaries was drunkenness. Possible no. 2 Date Warrant First name Last name Rank Number Station Reason PO Date 17/08/1896 81523 ROBERT G LILLEY PC 253 K JOINED 25/02/1899 81523 ROBERT LILLEY PC 253 K To 265 R 27/02/1899 07/09/1903 81523 ROBERT LILLEY PC 326 R RESIGNED 06/09/1903 Maybe No. 1, 2 or 3 Not sure whether this is one of the above - if you got a different warrant number if you rejoined, or not. Date Warrant First name Last name Rank Number Station Reason PO Date 05/08/1914 O4877 ROBERT LILLEY PC W REJOINED Reminder about divisions: A Westminster B Chelsea C Soho Area D Marylebone E Bow Street F Kensington (From 1886) G Kings Cross H Whitechapel J Bethnal Green (From 1886) K Limehouse L Lambeth (Kennington) M Southwark N Stoke Newington P Peckham Q Wembley (From 1965) R Blackheath Road S Albany Street T Hammersmith V Wandsworth W Brixton X Harrow Road Y Kentish Town Z Croydon (From 1923) TA Thames TD Thames Division replaces TA (From 1839) 1st WOOLWICH DOCKYARD 2nd PORTSMOUTH DOCKYARD 3rd DEVONPORT DOCKYARD 4th CHATHAM DOCKYARD 5th PEMBROKE DOCKYARD 6th ROSYTHE DOCKYARD nell

Sarah Sorry, this is all there is for Fitzgibbon. Date Warrant First name Last name Rank Number Station Reason PO Date 48965 FITZGIBBON [no date supplied] 49771 FITZGIBBON JOINED [no date supplied] 12/02/1894 48965 FITZGIBBON PC 274 H PENSIONED 11/02/1894 18/09/1834 9749 GERALD FITZGIBBON PC L DIED

Cheers Nell - point taken about possibles ... I'm putting this into FTM as notes only ... with that qualification. This one's interesting isnt it. I think it is #1 as he was 'plod' on the 1891 census - #2 joined later. Disciplined eh ! Family trait then ! btw - he and Fred were 2nd cousins from the Lilley clan of Ickleton/Gt Chesterford. I've only got about 150 of em to date, no doubt the streets of Brixton and Lambeth will yield a few more ... many thanks again for your time and trouble. Laird

I would be interested in anything on Edward Rowe born Cornwall about 1849, a Met policeman in 1881.

Brian This could be him: Date Warrant First name Last name Rank Number Station Reason PO Date 01/10/1884 63795 EDWARD ROWE PC Y To K 03/10/1884 04/02/1890 63795 ROWE PC 396 K GRATUITY 29/01/1890 Y was Kentish Town and K was Limehouse. Gratuity means he resigned without a pension. nell