County Police Constable 74 "A" Frederick Ellis - Liverpool Police

[Deelibob]

Another Liverpool Group for perusal.

Frederick Ellis joined the Liverpool City Police c. 1898 and was posted to "A" Division (City Centre) His patch covered amongst other things the Markets and commodities areas where traffic was heavy and constant.

On the 7th of August 1901 he stopped, at great personal risk, a runaway horse attached to a cart in Lime Street. For this act he was awarded the Silver General Medal of the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society.

On the 21st July 1902, a horse drawn Taxi cab containing three ladies was seen careering along Elliot Street at great peril Constable Ellis leapt at the reins and eventually brought the cab to a halt and the ladies were rescued. For this Act he was awarded the first clasp to his medal.

On 9th June 1910 a horse drawn Shandry was out of control, galloping driverless along Lime Street and was a great danger to the public. Constable Ellis ran towards the startled animal grabbing the reins he was dragged along until the exhausted beast came to a halt without injury to any person. This was rewarded with a second clasp.

On the 4th January 1913 a pair of horses attached to a delivery van took fright and careered along the busy thoroughfare of St Johns Lane, Constable Ellis ran towards the horses and grabbed the tackle linking both animals and he was dragged for some considerable distance before the van was brought to a stop, again no one was injured.

No doubt the plucky Officer would have continued in his equine pursuits but for the outbreak of WW1 when he joined the Army,where he was severely injured, so injured in fact he never returned to the Police. He was awarded a British War Medal/Victory Medal and a wound badge to accompany his 3 clasp LS&HS Silver Medal.

[Craig]

A very brave man. I don't know if its a myth but I was told that in the Met you got a Commisioners commendation for stopping a runaway horse.

[219PG]

During the 19th century the streets of Liverpool & London were crowded with horse drawn vehicles and it was not uncommon for police to deal with runaway horses. In London the Met Police regs even gave instructions how to deal with runaway horses which gave such pearls of wisdom as 'run in the same direction as the horse'.

A search of the Met Police Roll of honour gives evidence as to how dangerous an event it was !!. For Pc Ellis to have dealt with four separate such incidents and lived to tell the tale is truly amazing and he deserved his medal & clasps.

Can you tell me what is says on the clasp & what regiment he joined in the army?

The following are entries from the Metropolitan Police Roll of honour

10/09/1879 - Pc William Twinn aged 23 years - Fatally injured while attempting to stop a runaway horse & cart.

11/02/1885 - Pc Albert Thompson aged 33 years - Fatally injured while on point duty trying to stop a horse & cart.

24/06/1891 - Pc George Cole aged 33 years - Fatally injured when run over trying to stop runaway horses & a van.

07/04/1919 - Pc Frederick William Lambert aged 40 years - Fatally injured attempting to stop a runaway horse & trap

[Deelibob]

Hi,

Frederick served as 308744 Gunner in the West Lancashire Royal Garrison Artillery. He enlisted 18:1:15 and was discharged 8:7:1919. I have his War(wound) Badge issue Document and his badge is numbered B.323877.

The LS&HS clasps are plain silver and bear wording. "Second Service 21st July 1902" "Third Service 9th June 1910" and "Fourth Service 4th Jan 1913" In addition Constable Ellis was awarded a Merit Badge by the Watch Committee, which is worn on the right sleeve( Below service stripes if entitled.) I do not have a photo of Con. Ellis but have a photo of another officer who was awarded a LS&HS medal and bars for stopping horses. His Medal and merit badge can be clearly seen.

Liverpool had many officers killed in the attempt to stop horses and at least one killed, Con. Prosser, (also on Lime Street)1940's

I note from a book on Kings Police Medal Winners that some Metropolitan officers were honoured with a KPM for stopping runaway horses.

Regards

Peter

[219PG]

Thanks Peter - very interesting to see your Liverpool City collection !!

Alex

[219PG]

Peter

You were right - of apparently 226 KPM's awarded to Met police officers up to 1940, 41 (18%) were for dealing with runaway horses

Alex

[Deelibob]

Alex,

I recently requested information on a PC Henry Smith and was supplied with that information by your good self and others. I have today had his Pension Details through the post. He was born 9th March 1846 at Sussex and joined Met at Notting Hill 11th Oct. 1875.

The reason for my posting under the present thread is, he was pensioned aged 52 on first December 1898 with 23 years and 47 days service. This may have been due to an injury to his back on 4:12:86 which kept him from duty until 24th December 1886 ( What a day to resume) The injury was caused by a horse falling on him and may well have been during a runaway horse scenario. He lived in Alma Villa, Locksbottom, Farnborough, Kent.

[219PG]

Peter

By a strange coincidence I know Locksbottom very well as it's only 5 mins away from where I live.

Although in Farnborough Kent it is now part of the London Borough of Bromley and has been part of the Metropolitan Police District since 1864. It is rumoured that Sir Robert Peel was lobbied to build a station there by friends because of problems with highwaymen. It was originally on R Division but in 1865 it was transferred to P Division (Camberwell). In 1867 two buildings were purchased by the Met police at Locksbottom to become Farnborough police station and it remained in the Met until 1987.

I notice that Pc Smith retired from the Met while on P Division and he was living at Locksbottom. Because of the rural nature of the area I am sure he would have been stationed at Farnborough police station.

As for the horse related injury, it might have been a runaway scenario but more likely as a result of an accident on mounted patrol.

As you can see from the below entries from the Met Roll of honour these type of accidents were common.

PC George Hall
Died 4 July 1846, aged 21
Fatally injured when thrown from his horse after 15 hours on duty.

PC Malachi Shannon
Died 28 June 1856, aged 34
Fatally injured when accidentally thrown from his horse on patrol

PC William Fuller
Died 19 April 1859, aged 43
Killed taking a police horse to the station when it reared and fell.

Insp William Hard
Died 11 June 1862, aged 43
Died from a fractured skull caused by a fall from his horse on duty.

Sgt Henry Collins
Died 21 November 1866, aged 38
Fatally injured apparently having been thrown from his horse at night.

Sgt George Robins
Died 11 October 1870, aged 46
Killed when kicked by his horse while practicing mounted drill.

PC Richard Cook
Died 14 October 1878, aged 28
Fatally injured when his horse fell on him while on mounted patrol.

Insp Joseph Hughes
Died 27 November 1882, aged 37
Killed when thrown from his horse while returning from court

PC Robert McGaw
Died 10 February 1887, aged 29
Died from a fractured skull after being kicked by his police horse.

Alex

[219PG]

Farnborough Police Station 1867 - 1987

[Deelibob]

Alex,

Thanks so much, a nice picture to add to the file of my first Met Medal.

Peter

[219PG]

Staying on the topic of police dealing with runaway horses - This 1880's illustration depicts a mounted Met Police constable attempting to rescue a women on a runaway horse in Rotten Row, Hyde Park, London.