What I enjoy most about this blog is, that I have contacted so many different people and shared some historic interests. A bit like the old days, when we had pen pals.
I have spoken too and gained so much information from retired police officers, relatives of officers and now and again I come across someone who just loves history, especially social history.
The photograph below, I have the authority to use from Sherborne School Archivist, Rachel HASSALL, her job means she has a passion for the past, our history and especially for the town of Sherborne.
When emailing me about the photograph she said: ” I scanned it from a collection of glass plate negatives recently found in the muniment room at the Abbey. We think it may have been taken by the Sherborne photographer Adam Gosney”.
There were a few Sherborne photographers, but Adam GOSNEY is probably the best well known of them all.
My grandfather had a great connection to Sherborne as well, as he lived in the “old” police station as a child when his father was in charge as the Divisional Superintendent, then later he returned to Sherborne in 1934 also as a constable and again lived in the station till 1939. My father, being born in 1933 also grew up in the station, but by the time I came along and lived in Sherborne in 1969 it had been well and truly demolished , the consensus is, it was about 1965.
Rachel was researching an interesting case of possible mistaken identity in Sherborne in 1877, so contacted me for information on the officer in the case a PC HUTCHINGS. Rachel will look into that further case after I gave her the details of the constable, but in response she has very kindly let me use some Sherborne photos from the past.
Any photographs in the 19th century are hard to come across and focus in on, but this has to be one of the best in a natural setting. The long exposure time was always a problem in those days, so anyone blurred means they have not kept still enough for the long aperture, so many have, in this one. How old do you think the photograph is looking at everything and everyone around ?
Unfortunately with no date or information on the time you have to become a bit of a detective.
The constable’s badge number would be a help, but it is not visible on his breast or his helmet in the photograph, but I thought I recognised him from another photograph.
Rachel knew more about the location and wrote:
“From what I can tell it was taken by the Sherborne photographer Adam Gosney (1844-1921), who apparently took up photography while working as a house servant at Sherborne School where he took photographs for the boys. By 1871 Gosney had a shop and studio in Long Street (at what is now Dorset Lettings) and in 1873 he opened a shop and studio in Half Moon Street, next to the Plume of Feathers, from where he operated until his death in 1921. Gosney took a number of photographs of the Conduit during his career.
The photograph was reproduced by Katherine Barker in her book, Sherborne Camera (Dovecote Press, 1990). She dates it as having been taken between 1889 and 1893 and says ‘the Conduit House has just been moved back to its present position although the gas company has not yet moved the lamp post which remains ‘stranded’ in the road… the railings were finally removed in 1872 and an animal drinking trough placed on the side nearest the road in 1882… Sawtell’s the butchers is on the Long Street corner… and beyond is Adams Clockmakers shop.’
As you know, by 1851 the Conduit was hired by the local Constabulary as a shelter for their men on the beat and a lock-up for malefactors (a pound for drunks). I don’t know whether you can substantiate this but apparently by 1854 the School Governors began to increase the rent for the Conduit, which may have hastened the building in 1858 of the first separate police station in the Digby Road. The fountain on the east side of the Conduit was one of only five pumps in the town and was connected to the Newell spring and provided an important supply of clean water.
In 1873, the Conduit was restored and the railings and bricks from the doorways were removed (there aren’t any railings in this photo) and in 1882 a drinking trough for horses was added on the east side of the Conduit.
So, I went through all my old photographs as I thought I had seen him before and I think he is obvious on this one. I always thought these were Sherborne officers in the 19th century’, because of the background and that the first Sgt in Sherborne was not needed till 1899, where as, most if not all of the other main stations had a Sgt earlier. I also had a photo of my great-grandfather and his family in a similar location at the bottom of this post. But anyway this is the one I was sure must have been in the yard of the “old” Sherborne station, outside the cell windows.
There are some interesting and obvious things about this photograph.
Well they certainly look relaxed, compared to our local bobbies these days.
1: What are the brown marks over the left hand corner and officer’s face: answer: a rusty paper clip which was caused by damp and its age behind left in a shed.
2: There is a plain clothes officer, was he a detective ?
answer: I believe not, as it is very unlikely. He is probably a constable designated to watch for possible offenders/ travelling criminals at the train station.
3: The constables all have number plates/badges, over their left breast, but depending upon the clarity of the photo, some numbers cannot be seen clearly. They also have their badge id numbers on their helmet plates, but they are always virtually impossible to read.
So after doing some research I noted the following:
Superintendent George FLORANCE was at Sherborne from 1876 till retirement, 24th April 1891.
Front row left: Probably PC 55 Richard BAVERSTOCK, posted to Sherborne from 1st Feb 1890, stayed there till 15th Aug 1891.
Front row right: PC 6 Charles LUCAS, posted on 12th Oct 1889 to Sherborne Division as the Longburton constable and then in the same Division the Yetminster constable till 30 Nov 1895.
Back Row first left: Possibly PC 1 Alfred JAMES, with paper clip mark. He was the Nether Compton constable from 1st March 1890 till the 21st Jun 1891.
Back row, 2nd: maybe PC 86 William SYMES
Back row 3rd: Next is the plain clothes constable, but details not known at the moment.
Back row 4th: This appears to be PC 53 George SHORT who was at Sherborne from the 6th Aug 1887, until he retired on 24th Apr 1891. The same day as the Supt FLORANCE.
Back row end: PC 34 Marwood PHILLIPS, the Yetminster constable from 1st Mar 1890 to the 2nd Jan 1892.
So I am pretty sure the CONDUIT CONSTABLE is PC 53 George SHORT. George was in a select few that joined on formation and managed to complete 34 years of service, without being sacked. In those days cider/alcoholic drink was a problem, but at times cleaner than water, George did have a few problems with clean water, but never enough to ruin his judgement.
Photograph taken in 1911 of my ancestors, in pretty much the same location ! From left to right.
Vic SWATRIDGE about 10 years old
Arthur SWATRIDGE (Supt)
Cecil SWATRIDGE about 15
Great grandma, Ada SWATRIDGE
Harold SWATRIDGE about 5