Metropolitan Police Tribute to Met police Pc 83N George Cole murdered 1882

[219PG]

On the 30/11/2012 at Abney Park cemetery, Metropolitan police officers from Hackney joined members of the local community to pay tribute to an officer who was killed on duty 130 years ago.

Hackney’s Borough Commander Matthew Horne laid a wreath and addressed the gathering.

A two minute silence was observed in memory of PC Cole and other fallen officers. Councillor Sophie Linden and Hackney’s Reverend Niall Weir were also present and both addressed the service.

George Cole was born in Bristol in 1854 and joined the Met on 17th January 1881, aged 25. He had previously served six years in the Army’s 46 Regiment, which was not an untypical career path for many policemen in the Victorian era.

He married Elizabeth Chidgley in May 1882. She died in 1911 and is buried in the same grave.
During Cole’s early career he lived at 26 Roseberry Place. This is now the area of the new Dalston Junction Station.

PC83 George Cole of ‘N’ Division was murdered on Friday 1st December 1882 after apprehending a young thief, who was trying to break into a chapel in Dalston. His prisoner escaped by firing a pistol at him, resulting in his immediate and untimely death.

The murderer fled the scene, leaving behind a chisel with the word ‘rock’ scratched on it. The investigating officer, PS Cobb, eventually discovered the owner of the tool to be Thomas Orrock, 21.
PS Cobb later found a mark on a tree on Tottenham Marshes where Orrock had been conducting target practice. The officer dug a bullet out of the tree and this appeared to be the same weight and type as those recovered from PC Cole’s body.

A gun maker from Whitechapel testified that the bullet from Tottenham Marshes and the two from the scene were all fired from the same pin cartridges used by the gun, which had been bought by Orrock.

This case was probably the earliest recorded use of ballistics evidence by the Metropolitan Police.

Thomas Orrock was sentenced to death at the Old Bailey in September 1884. He was hanged on Monday 6th October 1884, at Newgate, alongside another convicted murderer, Thomas Harris, 48, who had killed his wife in Kendall Rise, London.

The ceremony would not have been possible without the excellent work of Keith Foster. Keith, a police historical researcher, went to great lengths to find George Cole’s grave. In Keith’s spare time he assists in conducting research for the Police Roll of Honour Trust. During his research he came across the story of PC Cole, which led him to undertake the huge task of locating his grave. This took several months and was finally located amongst the tangled and overgrown rows of memorials at Abney Park.

The headstone, which Keith restored, was still intact and legible and was revealed for the first time in decades thanks to Keith Foster’s efforts.

[Guest pikemedals]

well done to keith foster and thank you to 219pg for posting a sad part of the metropolitan history paul

[Guest pikemedals]

pc tyler is at the same cemetery

[Mervyn Mitton]

Yes - I can only agree with Paul's comments. A sad event - but thanks to those involved the history has been revived. Mervyn

[Guest pikemedals]

i can remember sergeant alan king bring murdered.back in the 1991 in walhamstow.a well liked officer from chingford police station

[Guest pikemedals]

police sergeant king memorial

[Guest pikemedals]

the murderer of king went on to stab two more officers.sergeant king memorial was vandalized a good few years ago.it was replace with a new one paul