Police Court is top pic, police station below. Sorry about all the shadows!
The 1869 date on this building refers only to the police court which was added to the existing police station when the latter was around 10 years old. This first part may have been converted into police use from a near derelict domestic building called The Garrison, sources conflict* Plans to add a room to the station for the purpose of holding petty sessions was mooted in 1865, but progress was very slow. The extension was opened in October 1869. It provided direct access from the police station so prisoners could proceed straight into the court. Normally referred to as the Petty Session Room in the first few years, there was also a retiring room for the magistrates. Sir William Robert Clayton donated a bust of the Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales to stare down at offenders. In 1876, he donated an 8 day clock too.
Previously the petty sessions were held in a small room of the Crown, which they had utilised for that purpose for many years. An agreement was made that the authorities could pay a pepper corn rent for it. (The Crown landlord collected one guinea from each magistrate per year in theory but not all actually made the payment.) The magistrates however frequently complained about the unsuitability of this accommodation. In particular they feared trying a poaching case because they said the court was overwhelmed with curious spectators (usually vocally supporting the poachers). It was hard to control the numbers coming into the tiny room, often resulting in everyone packed so close that you "could scarcely stick a pin in between them", as one person charmingly put it in 1865. This mixing of closely pressed men and women was "very disgraceful and often indecent" they said. Disruption of proceeding was not uncommon. Some questioned why the town hall could not be used instead, but this was let to the neighbouring Crown and the proprietors of that would not agree for a larger room to be used there. They said the court proceedings attracted a large enough mob of ne'er do wells already - aside from those answering a summons! A new room would allow the sessions to continue in "peace and quietness." Records suggest that some sessions were held at the police station even before the room was finished, although that can't have been easy space wise.
The petty sessions room extension was completed quickly once permission was finally granted for it to go ahead. Once finished the "commodius" extension was praised as "well arranged with every accommodation." Such satisfaction was short-lived. The police station was made for a sergeant and 2-3 constables. Sometimes an
extra constable was bought in at weekends during Marlow's busy summer river season. Marlow was granted a forth constable in 1900. Complaints were made about insufficient lighting at the station, cramped conditions and dodgy heating. (Actually the first complaint about police station heating came as early as 1859!) Although improvements were made in fits and starts, Marlow did not get a new police station until the 1960's.
The senior police staff were usually resident at the police station itself in Victorian times as you can see from census returns. (The unmarried junior policeman often lodged elsewhere, although at Marlow at least one is usually to be found lodging at the station.) I believe the first police Inspector resident was Thomas Knott Clark who may well have arrived in 1858. He was certainly there by the time of the 1861 census - address "Police Station Gun Lane". Born in Hillingdon, Thomas was living in the station with wife Emma nee Cheese and their two eldest children Thomas age 3 and Emma age 1. Inspector Thomas would later return to the trade of his youth in Uxbridge - he became a coach painter in High Wycombe. The other 1861 resident in the Police Station was Constable William Nash age 21. In 1863 Inspector John Pearman took over and described the station as a "nice home with a good garden".
The property included an airing yard for prisoners and later, stabling for horses. The stables were extended in 1910.
The Petty Sessions were originally held twice a month, although hearings for indictable offences could be held at other times. The days of the week it operated on and the overall frequency varied over the years. The courtroom saw occasional other uses such as coroner's inquests and parish council meetings. A plea from the Marlow Rifle club in its 1859 incarnation to store their weapons at the Police Station was refused. The police felt they could only be conveniently stored in the corridor leading to the cells. This spot was considered a little too close to the prisoners for their liking, especially in the event of a riot. (A not infrequent occurrence in Great Marlow!)
Did the Marlow police patrol Dean Street and Marefield in pairs? This is a common Marlow story and the answer to that question is both yes, and no.
In the earlier 19th century the area was both poor and home to many hardened poachers. Some arrests were certainly drawn out and bloody affairs - see the post here for details of one especially serious incident! It's unsurprising that the parish constables tended to take a couple of tithing man along to assist when attempting an arrest on one of these individuals but these were extraordinary, planned operations not part of patrol duties.
But this must be tempered by the many narratives of crimes and arrests where the residents of Dean Street show no hesitation at going to the police for help themselves. It was not always "us and them".
In mid and later Victorian court cases when two constables give evidence about assisting in the same arrest, or if both have witnessed the same crime, these things have nearly always occurred because the second man has been summoned by the first, not because they were patrolling together in the first place. And the delay recorded in help arriving means assistance was not just a few feet away. Marlow didn't have enough constables on duty at once to go about routinely paired up at that time. Remember they had to have men patrolling outlying places like Bovingdon Green and Handy Cross not just central Marlow. (Little Marlow got a constable in 1866) Also the narrative of events, particularly around domestic abuse cases, are full of single constables entering homes when they are aware of incidents occurring inside. They did not wait for back up. These were often brave men.
But if we move on to the 20th century there are numerous accounts in the 1920's and 30's of pairs of constables on patrol (although not exclusively in the Dean Street area by any means). So while the evidence definitely doesn't support a long tradition of paired policing in Dean Street, there was certainly a time when at least sometimes it was needed.
Sometimes those passing the police station and court in a less than sober manner caught the attention of those inside. At least one man who sang a bit loudly outside was arrested and bought straight before the magistrates for a telling off. Labourers William Laurie and Albert Wingrave probably felt a little less merry after their arrest for drunken behaviour outside the Police Station in 1907. They were fined 10s each plus costs. They received a night in the cells too. And in 1912, Florence Collier of Trinity Court had the misfortune of being overhead using bad language at her children, by the police within the station. She was summoned but it was decided to be lenient to her and dismiss her with a caution. She probably swore that little bit more quietly in future!
In 1883 suspected sheep rustler James Howard mounted a daring escape from custody in the police station. This deserves a post of its own, which will follow in future.
*Did you know?
Marlow man Charles Carter acted as architect for Beaconsfield police station (opened 1870) through his position as the county surveyor. Charles was also responsible as architect for what is now the Masonic Centre, the new Blacksmiths Arms at Handy Cross, and the Primitive Methodist Chapel (now Liston Hall) amongst many more projects.
Above, the Police Court sign. The brickwork visible around it is in the English Bond pattern, not particularly fashionable at the time though it came back into fashion in later Victorian times. It was likely chosen for its strength.
*We are working to confirm the exact date the building came into use as a police station. The police were established in Trinity Lane by 1861, but they may well have been there from 1859 based on descriptions of the interior of the building then in use. The former parish lock up in the base of the Town Hall was convenient for the old petty sessions held adjacent. A man to look after that lock up was sought in 1856 - wage of 15 shillings a week with a uniform of hat and coat provided. An earlier "cage house" was also located near the Crown. In 1852 the old lock up was described as a "filthy hole" with no convenience or adequate means of ventilation. It was however not impossible to escape from, as happened on several occasions. Jesse May, arrested for robbery with 3 others, found his way out in 1853 through a gap in the "railings" said to measure just over 25cm by 21cm which does not seem entirely credible. But whatever the hole size, he did escape and was not apprehended again for 5 months.
Victorian Sergeant John James Maneely biography here
History of Gun Lane here
Parish Beadle Pocock here
Crime and disorder in old Marlow here
A full list of Marlow crime related posts can be found under the General History option on the top drop down menu.
Use the A-Z person index to find every mention of your ancestor - there is over 6,000 former Marlow residents currently listed as of July 2022.
This post researched and written by Kathryn Day. Further research by Charlotte Day.
References
County Compendium, Diary, Statistical Chronicle and Magisterial and Official Directory 1879. Ed - Sir John Richard Somers Vine.
Accounts and papers volume 25, Great Britain Houses of Parliament, 1849.
The Builder, December 10th 1870, digitised by Google.
Berkshire Chronicle 22 October 1859.
Bucks Herald 22 October 1859 - thanks to Mathew Peterson.
Dickens Dictionary of The Thames 1856 edition.
Bucks Chronicle and Bucks Gazette 1 July 1865
South Bucks Free Press 30 June 1865, South Bucks Standard 18 May 1900 & 25 January 1912. Windsor and Eton Express 9 October 1869, Bucks Herald 09 June 1866 & 5 July 1884, Windsor, Maidenhead and Eton Journal 15 May 1876, Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News 31 Jan 1852 : all at the British Library Archive.
Kelly's Directory 1883, 1903, Kelly's Directories Ltd.
Dozens of petty session case narratives, too many to list individually!
©Marlow Ancestors. .
