South Wales decorated truncheons

[Ross Mather]

Some decorated police truncheons in my collection. The first orange coloured one, is Newport Harbour Commission. The second - Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal. Third and fourth photos.......two Taff Vale Railway Police truncheons....number 5 and number 6 and in between those two.....a South Wales Railway Police truncheon.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Ross - I was delighted to see your post - sometime since you have .......

(My sincere apologies for not replying to your email - I'm afraid I do overlook things these days - I have an excuse, 77 this week !)

All of the truncheons you show are rare - and must be in limited numbers. I have seen a number of different Harbour Police

formed in this way. Do you know how many men they had ?

I have never heard of the Canal Company you mention - how did you identify it - is there some smaller lettering ? I had 5 or 6

different Canal Companies - all very rare - and yours is similar in appearance to the one on page 50 of my book. Yours is

probably the only of the Company left ?

What was the history of the Taff Valley Line - it sounds as if it may have been one of the Company lines to transport ore and

coal ? All three of these would fetch high prices at a railway auction.

I look forward to some extra details and we must hope you will now continue to post more of these Welsh rarities. Mervyn

[Ross Mather]

Hello Mervyn. The Newport Harbour Commission truncheon and the Canal truncheon were purchased several years ago from an elderly chap in Monmouthshire. Thet had originally been in the family of a former employee of Newport Docks. The two were together and he informed me that they have been together as a pair for many years, as a result of many amalgamations of the canal companies / railway companies / dock companies.....the truncheons became obsolete and disused. I cannot give 100% authenticity to the Canal one being from the Abergavenny and Mon Canal, but the amalgamations would have involved that canal and the Newport Harbour (Docks). No reason to dispute item being historically connected as I was told. Canal truncheons being so rare, I have no reason to believe it came from anywhere else.

The Taff Vale Railway (TVR) was a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway. It was as much a passenger railway as it was fireght / coal. Much of the TVR is still used for freight and passenger services. The South Wales Railway Company (SWR) only existed between 1845 - 1862....so in my mind is by far rarer than the TVR truncheons. I am still collecting truncheons, but tend to just look for anything Welsh......not easy to find as you will know.

I do have a couple of tipstaffs of which I will post photographs. I would greatly value your expert opinion on them.

Best wishes..............Ross

[Mervyn Mitton]

So much of our policing history has been lost - or, covered over by later layers of different companies. I think Ross, that you

are doing a great job in helping to preserve these rare Welsh items. I hope you are thinking of a book to cover this area ?

We have had that excellent research volume by the Scotsman - I can't think of his name, but he brought all of that Countries

police history to the forefront. I was very sorry to hear that he had died.

I - and many other members of GMIC, will look foorward to your further posts on Welsh historical items. The tipstaffs sound

particularly interesting. I haven't forgotten that I put that Victorian Worcester helmet away for your collection. After the

postal frenzy over Christmas , drop me an IM with your address and I will send it off.

One of our members - 'Spasm' - recently showed an interesting picture of Bristol Constabulary carrying old maces - do you

know anything about these ? Best wishes Mervyn

[Ross Mather]

Thank you Mervyn. I will post some more photographs. Welsh memorabilia is so difficult to find....as you know only too well. It has been suggested several times that I do a book.....and would love to do one specialising in my old force of Glamorgan. One day maybe....I certainly have more than enough material to work with. I would still be interested in anything that you may have from Wales.....but would think that the Swansea truncheon which II purchased was probably one of the last. Helmets....yes, still very much interested in anything from 19th century / early 20th. I will take a look and see if I can give any information on the maces.

Best wishes............Ross