Have you ever been filling in an application for a new job and had to decide who you should ask to
give a character reference? To apply to join Northumberland Constabulary in 1930, you were
required to give the names of five persons who would testify that you were a “sober, honest and
good-tempered person, who would be likely to make an efficient police officer”
One of our Archives Assistants found his grandfather’s file [the gentleman is now deceased] in our records from Northumberland Constabulary. All prospective applicants were asked to attend the Chief Constable’s Office in Morpeth, where they were tested on dictation (spelling) and arithmetic. Some of the arithmetic
questions certainly look difficult to us now because they involve pounds, shillings, and pence.
Things seem to have been very efficient in the past, when there were not any large HR departments
– this candidate did his tests on the 7th June 1930, and was invited to take up his new appointment
five days later, on 12th June where he was allocated his collar number and became PC 148.
The next document in the file is a year later in 1931 when PC 148 is back at Morpeth for his
probationer’s course. He was tested on knowledge of the law, geography & general knowledge and
finally some more arithmetic. Here are a couple of sample questions for you to try:
1. A person reads 1/5 of a book in one day, 1/3 the next and ¼ on the third day. What fraction of the
book remains to be read?
2. A person takes 110 steps every minute, each step is 2 ½ feet long. How long will it take to walk the
16 miles from Rothbury to Morpeth?
In 1936 the records show that PC 148 wished to get married, and therefore submitted a report to his
Superintendent. The Supt subsequently sent a report to his opposite number across in Gateshead,
asking if enquiries could be made as to the character and antecedents of the young woman and
whether “she was considered to be a suitable person to become the wife of a police constable.”
Fortunately, the reply confirmed that the lady was “of good character and her parents and
associates were all very respectable people.”
After the couple married, PC 148 was posted to Lynemouth where he set about getting to grips with the local thieves. In 1940 he received a Chief Constable’s Commendation for the investigation into crimes of shop-breaking and larceny which resulted in six arrests and both crimes being detected. He was also commended by the Ashington Justices in 1941 for the part he played in handling a case of indecent assault at Newbiggin which resulted in the conviction of a Cresswell man.
The next record in the file shows that in 1946 PC 148 was at a joint training school for Newcastle
City, Northumberland, and Tynemouth Borough. This was refresher course number 11. He passed
the course and the remarks from the Inspector described him as “keen and steady.”
In April 1947, the Chief’s office sent a report to the Chief Inspector at Morpeth, requesting him to arrange for PC 148 to receive instruction on the riding of a motorcycle and the driving of a car. So, this officer had to wait 17 years for his driving course!
PC 148 was transferred to Kirkwhelpington sometime in 1947. In the October of that year, there is a
memorandum to remind the officer to cease the practice of soliciting lifts from local Magistrates
when proceeding to court as it “may lead to adverse comment in certain circumstances”
In part two of this blog, we will follow PC 148 in the second half of his career, and we will give the
answers to the sample questions.
Northumberland Archives hold police records for the county but please note that they are subject to a 100 year closure period. Permission to publish this blog was granted by Northumbria Police.