Mervyn Mitton

Tony and 1314 - another thankyou for this additional information. Luckily I didn't put the small WW2 group of 4 away from the LSGC - with his rank of Captain it makes good set. I will let you know if I ever locate the missing award. Mervyn

Ian - a very nice pistol in exceptional condition. Do you have a date for it ? Somewhere around the 1850's I would have thought. For everyone's benefit I will briefly enlarge on pistols and muskets in the regular Police. Named weapons are exceptionally rare - usually they were borrowed, or had them on loan from the Military. However, some Forces did purchase their own and had them named. Cheshire was one such and Ian has probably the largest collection of their named swords and pistols - hopefully, he will be able to show more. Most Police Stations had an arms rack for swords - which could be issued in emergency by the Duty Officer. Similarly, pistols came to be kept at larger Stations, again for emergency issue - constables did not have firearms training in those days. The practise continues today and revolvers are usually kept in the Front Office safe. Most people are under the impression that firearms have never been carried - wrong. Until the 1930's it was laid down in Regulations that a constable on a lonely - or, dangerous beat - could request a firearm be issued for his patrol. Swords were regularly issued to Constable's on lonely night patrols. They were particularly carried when cemetries had to be guarded to stop the ' Resurection Men' digging up newly buried corpses to sell to medical students. Putting these named pistols into perspective - at one time I had the largest collection from different Forces - 12 ! Police swords - we found under three hundred still in existence.... Some time back - under this sub-forum, I did post a number of police swords of varying pattern.

Kevin - all of this material from Alnwick is more then just an interesting collection of local material. We are watching a Country gearing-up it's citizens to fight the first possible major invasion since 1066 ! This pattern of events for preparing a Special Constabulary was being repeated throughout the Country. When the 1st. WW broke-out, the Regular Police were encouraged to join the Army - they were a disciplined body of men and we desperately needed to build-up the Army. However, their absence caused great problems with most of the younger men gone and this 'mobilisation' of civilians into the Specials was the first response. Later the War Reserve Constables were organised more along the lines of the traditional police. However, not all regulars joined - and as always, they were the ones in charge. Martial Law was not declared and therefore, the Police remained in control of all civil matters. When they talk of the 'Army would make them move' - only if Martial Law was to be declared - which it would have been in the event of a landing. These types of organisations were being repeated everywhere - and each set of instructions is unique in that local citizens are named and local landmarks talked about. I feel that these should be in a local Museum - or, if you don't want to part with them - then they should be copied and placed on record. I would also recommend that you write a series of articles for the local papers, based on these reports - after all the people mentioned are all local and their descendents would be interested.

Hi - Noor. Go to British and Commonwealth Police - there is a section on Special Constabulary that Brian has posted. You will find all your answers for this medal there.

Single note for French Occupied Territories

I have cleared that it is OK to put banknotes under this Forum - hopefully you will find them of interest. One of the problems with a shop is that items come-in and if you don't have an immediate need, then they get put away and forgotten. This is exactly what happened with this bundle of notes - they must have been at the back of a cupboard for over twelve years. Now, I must admit to an ulterior motive by posting them here - I don't have any knowledge on old notes and intend to put them on our GMIC sale section. Perhaps, if anyone knows, you can give a fair price I could ask ? Interestingly, the oldest I found was 1908 - there are also ones for 1910, 1914, 1915, 1918 and many from the Republic - 1920,1921, 1922 and 1923. This was when the highest inflation ever recorded happened and there is one small note for 2,000,000,000. Some are only printed on one side and have shopping lists on the reverse ! There are quite a few posts as I have tried to show both sides - most have dates ( remember Hugh's advice - Ctrl and + to enlarge - Ctrl and - to reduce). The last picture shows the size of the bundle - well over 50 - many are small ones hidden inside. Mervyn

This interesting document came to light in a drawer reserved for medal papers - now we are searching to find the medals .... This document took two weeks from his death to be sent - however, they had probably sent a telegram. What is interesting is that it is hand signed by the Minister of Defence - Louis Botha. One of the more famous Boer, Boer War Generals and a highly respected man within South Africa.

Rick could well be right - but it seems a lot of work. Perhaps, Brian , yours is just a rare one where he discovered he had never claimed for the 1887 ?

The Hartlepool shelling caused great indignation throughout the Country - we never thought anyone would dare attack us. The medal is worth about £200. I think I still have one left in the badge cupboard. Brian was only saying recently, how surprised he was when this thread on the Special Constabulary took off so well. Certainly the range of collectors and their comments have been of a high order and there is great interest in the Specials - particularly from Specials - serving and retired. When my book first came-out, it was Specials who sent me copies to sign - the Regulars bought, but did not have the same historical interest. Kevin has been fortunate to locate this archive and I have been very interested to read the formality of the instructions - but then, one has to remember that this is all a very new concept. Northumberland was not densley populated and that shows at the small numbers created for each Parish - note how the Parish is still the central point - as it was in the past. Looking at these groupings, I don't think they were intended to do anymore than help locals move to safer areas in case of an attack - but again, local residents are the first to detect 'strangers' and that goes back to Saxon times and the Headboroughs and Tythingmen. We must continue to add to Brian's posting and in the future this will be an important reference section.

Dan - you can't receive IM's - please contact me on cathay@iafrica.com Mervyn

Being a Royal Dukedom and an Uncle to Queen Victoria, that must be a possibility Paul.