‘Bobbies’ Take To The Streets Of London

A blurry photo from the 1880s of early “Bobbies” in their top hats on duty in London

February 5, 1788 — Robert Peel, the man who created the world’s first modern police force, was born on this day. In the UK, police officers are still widely known as “Bobbies” in a reference to the founder of the force.

There was no professional police force in 18th Century London. Novelist Henry Fielding had set up the Bow Street Runners – a volunteer group of parish constables – and the Marine Police Force tried to fight crime in the docks. But that was it. And lawlessness was on the rise.

Rising politician Robert Peel knew something had to be done. He had been appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland in 1812 and soon established a Peace Preservation Force to keep order there. It later became known as the Royal Irish Constabulary.

Peel was appointed UK Home Secretary in 1822 and, encouraged by the success of his Irish venture, founded a civil police force in 1829 to keep law and order in London: the Metropolitan Police.

It was based in Whitehall Place with a back entrance in Great Scotland Yard – soon shortened to Scotland Yard. The force consisted of eight superintendents, 20 inspectors, 88 sergeants and 895 constables. They worked seven days a week for £1 a week, and were allowed five days holiday a year, although they were not paid when on holiday.

The constables became known as “Bobbies” or “Peelers” after their founder and, dressed in blue tail-coats and top hats, began to patrol the streets of London on September 29, 1829.

They were armed only with a wooden truncheon which was carried in a long pocket in the tail of their coats. The men were also issued with a pair of handcuffs and a wooden rattle to raise alarm if needed. By the 1880s the rattle had been replaced by a whistle.

Anyone wishing to enlist as a Bobby had to comply with strict rules. They had to be male, aged 20–27, at least 5′7″ (170cm) tall, fit, literate and have no history of wrongful behaviour. They were not allowed to vote in elections and had to have permission not only to get married, but also to simply share a meal with a civilian. They also had to wear their uniforms at all times, both on and off duty.

And all this for the pitiful £1 a week – the miserable pay set at a level so that none would feel “superior to the job”. If by any remote chance they did so, they could be reminded of the Nine Principles that Peel had established for their guidance. These included:

* Police use physical force to the extent necessary to secure observance of the law or to restore order only when the exercise of persuasion, advice and warning is found to be insufficient.

* The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it.

* Police must secure the willing co-operation of the public in voluntary observance of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the public.

Robert Peel was born in Bury, Lancashire in 1788, the son of a wealthy textile manufacturer. He went to Oxford University, studying classics and mathematics, and became a Member of Parliament at the age of 21.

He held a number of government posts before becoming Home Secretary in 1822 and Prime Minister in 1834. He served a second term as Prime Minister from 1841 to 1846.

Though best remembered as the “father” of modern policing, Peel was responsible for a number of important measures including the Factory Act of 1844, which limited the number of hours that women and children could work in factories.

Less laudatory, in 1842 he brought back income tax as a “temporary measure” so that he could cut duty on imports and exports. Introduced to raise cash for the Napoleonic wars it was abolished in 1816 but has remained ever since Peel’s day.

He is also known as the founder of the modern Conservative party, which has spawned leaders such as Margaret Thatcher and Boris Johnson.

Peel was not well liked, critics saying that he possessed few social graces and displayed a reserved, off-putting manner. Queen Victoria is said to have found him “a cold, unfeeling, disagreeable man” and they had many personal conflicts over the years.

He died aged 62 in July, 1850 after falling from his horse.

Published: January 31, 2022
Updated: February 5, 2022