Sergeant John James Maneely has had a walk on role in several of the stories we have already told about life in old Great Marlow. So we thought it was time to feature the man himself centre stage.
As you have probably guessed from his name, Sergeant (later Superintendent) Maneely was born in Ireland [Co Tyrone, 1841. His wife Maria was Welsh.] So he was not, in common with most of our Bucks Constabulary police from days past, a Marlow man as such. But he certainly had a big role to play in the lives of many here!
At the time of his retirement in 1901 we are told that Maneely had served for 38 years up to that point. He came to Marlow from Burnham in 1881, having previously been stationed at Amersham.
Marlow may be a relatively small town but we mustn't assume that Maneely and his colleagues had anything like a peaceful time here. Maneely is frequently to be found rounding up the drunk and disorderly, the users of "disgraceful language", the domestic abusers and those "trespassing after game." Such was the bread and butter work of Marlow Police.
However Maneely had been less than a year in his role in Marlow when he narrowly escaped being stabbed by Mary Ann Grace. He was struggling with her to gain possession of a knife she had used to stab her husband in the head during an argument. He managed to overcome her and secure the weapon for evidence. Mary Ann recieved a year in prison for the attack on her husband - you can read about the incident in a post here
The Sergeant was involved in executing warrants and interviewing suspects. He also laid a trap or two to catch a criminal. For example, in 1881 he worked with bookseller, stationer and printer Robert Hayes Smith to catch the person responsible for stealing from the the shop till. One Sunday Robert had heard a sound at the shop door (the shop being closed). He realised afterwards it was the sound of someone checking to see if it was locked. However at the time he was not alarmed, and on seeing no one trying to come in, he actually unlocked the door as he realised his children would shortly be coming back from church. This was clearly a gift to a thief who had not gone far away, and when the children arrived home they found the street door wide open. On checking his till, Robert realised several coins were gone. He decided to quietly speak to Sergeant Maneely about the matter. They thought that the thief might try the same trick having got so easily away the first time. So Maneely agreed to hide in the shop the following Sunday, and Robert marked some coins and placed them in the till drawer. The door was left unlocked and the shop was also watched from the outside. Before Maneely arrived to assume his position, Robert saw the door pushed open but it was only 13 year old Elizabeth Price. Elizabeth said she had a message to deliver to one of Roberts daughters from "some person" who wanted to complain that the girl had interrupted the play of the message sender's children. The message didn't make much sense, and Elizabeth couldn't say who had sent it via her. It seems she then left the shop but sadly not for long. For Robert was surprised when Sergt Maneely called him to come to the sitting room where he had placed young Elizabeth under arrest. She had been observed to hang around the shop door, re enter, take a purse off the shop shelf and then remove the coins from the till. The marked coins were found on her. Robert was surprised at the youth of his thief and asked in court for her to be treated with mercy given her age. His pleas were only partially successful. The judges thought Elizabeth's actions showed much pre mediation and so she was sentenced to a month in prison with hard labour. The work would be suited to her age they assured Robert. They added that they could have given her a 3 month term.
A more bizarre watch was instigated by Sgt Maneely in 1886 when he set some constables to stake out Colonels Meadow (behind Borlase school). Reports had come to him of someone working their way around the perimeter breaking down and then carting off the fence. The constables caught our fence gatherer at work the following night - labourer Henry Stroud. He plead guilty - perhaps not surprising given he was found with the fence railings in his hands! He was charged with two similar offences and fined £1 plus costs for each.
A particularly sad case came to the Sergeants attention in the summer of 1887. Two "little boys" belonging to the Neighbour family decided to go fishing for minnows in a ditch that bordered The Croft (now Gyldernscroft) near the Alder Meadow (Marlow Cricket Club ground). They had been done so many times before. On this day the boys saw what they thought was a parcel dumped in the water. They fetched it out with a stick, and found it was actually a sacking wrapped bundle weighted down with a length of metal chain. On starting to open it, the poor little lads discover the partially decomposed body of a new born baby girl. They ran to get their parents who in turn fetched Maneely. The sergeant gathered up the "parcel" and carried his sad bundle back to the police station. The identity of the infant was never established.
It was not all hard work for Maneely in Marlow. He played cricket for the Bucks Constabulary team when they played the occasional fixture, against other police or works teams. Perhaps he found time to watch a match or two at Marlow also. Maneely was also a member of the Christian Policemans Association. In 1886, 16 year old daughter Annie entered one of the Associations regular Bible knowledge quizzes and earned a "highly commended" for her efforts. This was organised through the group's monthly journal where the questions were published. The answers were then sent in by post and scored by a vicar. Annie recieved her name in print as a result.
In 1890 Maneely was moved to Fenny Stratford, to fulfil the role vacated by the sudden death of his predecessor. He did not however remain there long as he was promoted to Superintendent and went to join the High Wycombe County Police in 1892. He replaced Superintendent Summers who was retiring - Summers had also served in Marlow. Maneely remained in Wycombe until his retirement in April 1901. Granted a "handsome pension" he also recieved gifts from his fellow police officers. This included an inscribed clock and silver cruet set as well as a "purse of gold". The local magistrates were sorry to see their efficient officer depart. He had they said been "most excellent" in his role and they could not imagine a better choice could have come their way for Superintendent. Maneely retired to East Sussex and died there in 1923 age 82.
NB. Maneely had a son also named John James. He was an electrical engineer who settled in Penshurst, Kent. (Husband to Jane nee Card, married 1900)
Written and researched by Kathryn Day.
Related Posts:
Crime and disorder in old Great Marlow: Early policing - crime fighting societies, parish constables, sheep stealing and the night watch here
The Old Police Station and Police Court History: here
General index of posts related to crime and policing: here
* More about Robert Hayes Smith here
To find every mention of an individual here, use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. As of June 2022 there are more than 4,000 people listed there.
Sources include:
Census 1881, 1891 : transcripts by Jane Pullinger from the original records.
On and Off Duty - February 1886 (International Christian Policemans Association,1886)
Grace and Card family research by Charlotte.
Bucks Herald 12 February 1881, 27th April 1901 as above.
Kellys Directory of Buckinghamshire... 1869 & 1883 (Kelly's Directories Ltd)
England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVHQ-PXM6 : 22 August 2020), John J Maneely, 1923.
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