This ” Conference Point” photograph could be the oldest and most well known from the Dorset Constabulary era. If you look closely it has been dated , 26th June 1865. The photograph in those days would have had a long exposure time, so some officers who kept still, are clearer than others. The ones standing, naturally found it harder to stay still for possibly 10 minutes ! I bet some of them were wiggling their toes in their boots after a few minutes.
On this date in 1865 there were 12 senior officers, the Chief Constable, his 10 Divisional Superintendents and a Sgt Major. Their names are quite easy to find because of the exact date.
But starting at the beginning, let’s go back to 1856 when the following officers were the Constabulary hierarchy.
Chief Constable Samuel SYMES COX, HQ
1st Class Superintendent and his Division.
John HAMMOND STURMINSTER NEWTON.
2nd Class Superintendents
George BAYNTON WIMBORNE,
Patrick MACHALE BEAMINSTER
3rd Class Superintendents
George HUNT CERNE
Robert EVERETT DORCHESTER
James BLAKE SHERBORNE
4th Class Superintendents
Thomas EELES WAREHAM
Jeremiah WATTS BLANDFORD
Richard HARE SHAFTESBURY
George PLUMMER HQ
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By 1865 when the photograph was taken on 26th June, PLUMMER had managed to overtake MACHALE in seniority as he was the admin Supt. No doubt being the Chief’s right hand man his importance had got up greatly. He was promoted by two classes and after the photograph a year later in 1866 he had risen from bottom to the top, 4th to 1st Class. The benefits of being in the Chief’s Office.
Here is a list of the officers that will be in the photograph and their class in 1865.
1st John HAMMOND no change aged 45
1st George BAYNTON no change aged 46
2nd George PLUMMER no change aged 42
2nd Patrick MACHALE no change aged 45
2nd Thomas EELES no change aged 48
2nd Jeramiah WATTS no change aged 41
3rd Richard HARE no change aged 36 3rd Edward LEWIS of SHERBORNE aged 42 3rd William BROWN of CERNE aged 40 3rd George UNDERWOOD of DORCHESTER aged 37
OK, I am no expert on analysing photographs, but this is what my brain has concluded after trying to think logically.
The Chief Constable is an ex Army officer and like anyone in charge would probably have organised his men in a military way.
The police service worked on military lines for over a century in Dorset and no doubt in other Constabularies, so unless the photographer had other ideas that is what I am basing most of my conclusions.
Naturally those at the top of the Constabulary should be sat down.
I will number them from left top right , 1 – 12 ,rather than those who are sitting or standing.
NUMBER 8
The Chief Constable, SYMES COX is number 8 , 100 per cent correct as he is identified in the books.
So based on that, his senior Superintendents, HAMMOND, BAYNTON and PLUMMER are sitting in the chairs, so they are numbers 2 , 5 and 11.
NUMBER 5
HAMMOND is the Deputy Chief Constable in 1866 so logically he is number 5.
NUMBER 2
Why has number 2 got a different uniform on ? It looks white or cream, very odd for a police officer !
Very strange, but it helps to think logically on other lines, he must be the Admin Supt as all the other Divisional Supt’s who would all have to be in uniform all the time and the Admin Supt would hardly leave his office let alone the station, so he is the odd one out. Money was always an issue, the Admin Supt was the holder of the purse strings so probably sacrificed his uniform costs to feed his family instead.
Initially the Chief Constable paid the Admin Supt’s salary out of his own pocket to make sure he got a quality right hand man.
The Admin Supt certainly did not need a horse and feed so also did not need as much money to subsidise his living like the rest.
So PLUMMER must be number 2.
NUMBER 11
Logically, but not necessarily correct number 11 must be BAYNTON, because he is the other most senior officer.
NUMBER 3
I have now found out that number 3 is Thomas EELES after communicating with his great great grand daughter Ruth LANCASTER.
NUMBER 12
Patrick MACHALE is then the next most senior officer.
After communicating with Dorothy HUOTARI a Canadian Lady, via Ancestry, we have established that Patrick MACHALEs her 3x great grandfather. We agreed n that MACHALE is more than likely number 12, just based on his physical description . MACHALE was described as an Irishman, being 5 ft 9 and a half inches tall , 20 years earlier.
The two officers standing against the wall seemed more prominent as they were not what I would call as in the background, although posing in an odd stance.
I had already decided that MACHALE was more than likely number 12 based on the fact that about 5 years after this photograph the Dorchester Supt Richard HARE was described in the papers as the biggest policeman in the Constabulary, basically anyone taller than 6 ft (sorry I don’t really do metres , but I know I am 6 ft 4 and I know that equates to 1.92 metres) was very tall in those days.
NUMBER 1
Here comes some maths, I hope I can write this so it clear.
So I believe HARE is number 1.
If I was in Dorchester I would go down and measure the wall next to him as it still exists but is now part of an internal office. If you count the red bricks from Hare’s knee to the top of his head, there are 20. and below his knee there are some bricks which are slightly larger, which is easier to make out on the opposite side painted white. If those bricks and cement pointing measures 3 inches each then that’s 5 Feet.
By measuring the white brick area below his knee it works out as roughly 16 inches or more, so that makes Supt HARE 6 feet 4 inches or 6 ft, 5″.
Now look at number 12 , he is two bricks smaller, which would make him about 5 foot 10 and if you look at the pointing above his head, closer to 5 ft 9 inches.
All the others standing seem to be taller and the only one close to that height is number 9, but he looks like one of the younger ones.
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So far I believe the officers to be:
1: Richard HARE
2: George PLUMMER
3: Thomas EELES
5: John HAMMOND
8: Samuel SYMES-COX
9: Samuel VICKERY Sgt Major
11: George BAYNTON
12: William MACHALE
That leaves four Superintendents that I have not been identified.
Numbers, 4, 6, 7 and 10 in the photograph.
2nd class Jeramiah WATTS no change aged 41
3rd class Edward LEWIS of Sherborne aged 42
3rd class William BROWN of Cerne aged 40
3rd class George UNDERWOOD of Dorchester aged 37