An act of parliament in 1856 made it compulsory for every county to have a police force. The force in Northumberland came into being in 1857. It was initially under the control of a Police Committee formed by the Quarter Sessions which included two Justices from each Petty Sessions division of the county. A small booklet was issued containing rules for the government of the new force.
The booklet stated that the Chief Constable needed to be recommended to the Secretary of State by the magistrates in whom the appointment was vested. It was imperative that he was a person of good character and conduct. The Superintendent and Inspector must not exceed 40 years of age and be at least 5 feet 7 inches tall without shoes. It was essential for them to be a man of general intelligence and be able to read, write well and keep accounts. They also needed to be certified by a medical practitioner to be free from bodily complaint and have a strong constitution. The same rules applied to the appointment of a Sergeant and Constable.
The Sergeant and Constable were to be provided with the following articles of clothing and equipment in addition to their pay:
| Year 1 1 Greatcoat with cap and badge 1 coat with badge 2 pairs of trousers 1 pair of boots 1 pair of shoes 1 hat 1 stock |
| Year 2 1 coat with badge 1 pair of trousers 1 pair of boots 1 pair of shoes 1 hat |
The clothing supply for the third year was the same as for the first year and the fourth year was the same as the second year, and so on for successive periods. The constables were also issued with a pair of handcuffs and a small cutlass. The cutlass was only to be worn at night or at times when attending a riot or serious disturbance.
The table below shows the pay scales of the officers in pounds and shillings.
| CHIEF CONSTABLE | SUPERINTENDENT | INSPECTOR | SERGEANT | CONSTABLE |
| £250-£500 per annum | £75-£150 per annum | £65-£120 per annum | 19s-25s per week | 15s-21s per week |
When it came to the appointment of constables, men were unable to join if they were a Gamekeeper, Wood Ranger, Bailiff or Sherrifs Bailiff. They were also forbidden to keep a public house or have any interests in any house that sold beer, wine or spirituous liquors.
Do you have the 1860s and 1870s Northumberland police personnel records. Police headquarters are absolutely certain that the were transferred to Northumberland Archives, but I suspect this was before Woodhorn. I have not managed to find them in the online catalogue.
Hello, yes we do have the files for that period.