The Shanghai River Police were established by Sir Robert HART,b 1935 Ireland,educated Queen's Belfast.Appointed Interpreter Consular Service in China then to Vice Consulate NingPo as Supernumery Interpreter,then British Consulate Canton,1863 Appointed Inspector General of Customs then Inspector General, Imperial Maritime Customs Service,this had been founded in 1854 and in 1907 became the Chinese Maritime Customs,ending in 1949.
In 1868 Hart asked his London Agent to recruit Seven men from the Thames Division,Metropoltan Police (London) for marine police duties in Shanghai.
By 1869 only six men had been recruited, Abbot,Farthing,Ferguson,Harris,Howell and Miller.Howell rose to be the Inspector commanding this small force,Miller left to become a Chief Lighthouse Keeper and died in post.Whilst the Shanghai Municipal Police were answerable to the Municipality Board of Directors,the Shanghai River police were answerable to the Inspectorate General of Customs.Shanghai.Sir Robert Hart retired in 1907.
A badge of the SRP,comparable to that which spawned this thread,was sold on eBay in May 2008 for GBP1561.00,accompanying it was an epaulette badge in white metal comprising a capital R and a capital P either side of an attached to an anchor.
May be of interest,I have the details of these men.- 1314