One of my relatives, William Batchelor was born in 1924 in Barby, Northamptonshire.

In the 1851 Census, William,aged 27, was a labourer in Barby. However on 23rd January 1954 he married Harriet Langdon, a Somerset girl, and I then found him in Marylebone in London where he was a policeman with the Metropolitan Police.

His minor claim to fame is being on the Metropolitan Police Roll of Honour as dying on 17th May 1869 from injuries received while on duty a few years earlier.

What made him more interesting to me was what I turned up while researching him.

In the Roll of Honour a large number of the deaths were by drowning, as of course most Londoners 150 years ago were unable to swim. One poor fellow however had particularly bad luck as he was drowned when a stray cow he was attempting to catch knocked him into the River Brent. As was a policeman who was fatally injured when he was thrown from his horse after 15 hours on duty.

And for those British who complain about the current National Health Service you may be interested about the policeman who died after the amputation of his thumb and another after an operation on his fractured wrist. And spare a thought for the fellow who died after swallowing his false teeth when he ran to assist in an arrest.

I have found a number of what were called Daily Police Orders reports regarding my ancestor and some excerpts are shown below

The first is on 12th April 1866 when William Batchelor resigned. Not because of that but because of the Dismissals, Compulsory Resignations and Removals from service. Naughty boys and this was just one day.

Dismissals
P.C. 145 Barker; Neglecting to patrol his beat for two hours, and found walking in an idle and slovenly manner; pay to 11th.
P.C. 355 White; drunk and inside a Beer-house when in duty; pay to 11th

Resignation Compulsory
P.C. 289 Rodwell ; receiving drink from landlord of a Public-house, and not paying for same; pay to 11th

Removal
P.C.50 Viash; from 3rd to 4th Class; not patrolling his beat for 80 minutes 10th, and found in a garden with a prostitute; also late when parading for duty, 11th; pay as 3rd Class to 11th

It seems to me PC Viash got off lightly compared to his pals.

Resignations
P.C. Batchelor Certificate No 2; pay to 9th

And on 12th July 1869 after he died the Police Orders of the day state:

Pension to Widow and Children of Late P.C. Batchelor. The Secretary of State has, upon the recommendation of the Commissioner, been pleased to grant a pension to the widow and compassionate allowance to the under-mentioned seven children of late P.C. Batchelor, D Division, who died from the effects of injuries received while on duty:-

Mrs. Harriet Batchelor £15 per annum

Charles Batchelor                 )
Henrietta Batchelor               )
Harriet Batchelor                   )
George Batchelor                  )    £2 10s per annum each until they attain the age of 15
Joseph Batchelor                  )
James Langdon Batchelor    )
William Henry Batchelor       )

What they didn’t know was that Harriet was pregnant and Mary Jane was born a few months later. So his injuries hadn’t limited his physical activities completely!