PC882 Joseph PHIPPS City of London Police

[bigjarofwasps]

Joseph Daniel PHIPPS

Born circ 1846 Middlesex St George (in the Tower of London). Registered at Marylebone. 

The son of Isaac (2nd Btn Grenadier Guards 1826-1848) and Charlotte (Noakes). Isaac and Charlotte married in 1833.

Isaac died on the 14th December 1848 (see attached newspaper article).

Charlotte remarried in 1851 to William KNIGHT. Joseph is on the 1851 & 1861 censuses as Joseph KNIGHT. They lived at White Horse Yard, St Stephens, London. Joseph had four siblings. 

Joins City of London Police c1871 collar number 882.

Posted Bishopsgate Police Station.

26th April 1868 Marries Sarah RITCHARDS aged 26 (Joseph is 23) 
His address 26 James's Walk Clerkenwell Green (which still exists)
Sarah's address ? Road Clapton.
Joseph's occupation Porter.
Joseph's father Isaac PHIPPS occupation Guardsman. 

26 is a stones throw from where Clerkenwell Prison once stood. 
Fenian's bombed it on the 13th December 1867, was Joseph living there then?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerkenwell_explosion


2 April 1871 census - has him living at 11 New Union Street, St. Giles Without Cripplegate. [City Police Officer]. With his wife Sarah and young child. Also listed is Charles RICHARDS, sarah's brother. 

4th August 1871 PHIPPS is mentioned in the London Daily Chronicle and Clerkenwell News -
....treatement recieved that night. He had been ill ever since and unable to do duty, indeed, could not raise his arm. Joseph PHIPPS 882, saw the assault spoken of WRIGHT and DAVIES, corroborated all they said. William KERRIDGE 871 said from information..........

23rd October 1874 PHIPPS is mentioned in a newspaper report from The Morning Post - 
....or dead?? she came to her senses she gave instructions to the police to apprehend the prisoner and that night Jospeh PHIPPS 882 took him into custody, slightly under the influence of drink. When he told that he was charged with kicking his wife, he................

15th September 1879 he gives evidence at the Old Bailey, relating to coining offences at the Raven Public House 185-187 Bishopsgate Street, (4 minute walk from 182 Bishopsgate, the police station.) 

https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse. ... #highlight

26th April 1880 he gives evidence at a murder trial which centered around the Railway Tavern, 15 Liverpool Street (4 minute walk from Bishopsgate Station).

https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse. ... #highlight
3 April 1881 census - 31 Huntingdon Buildings, Bethnal Green. [City Police Constable].

1884: Joseph Phipps 20 Block B, Peabody Buildings, Whitechapel. [Electoral Register, St. Mary Whitechapel. 1884]. 

21st September 1884 PHIPPS is mentioned in the Lloyd's Weekly newspaper -
....Taylor in the emply of Mr PLATT were summoned for wantone driving with their horse and omnibuses on Cornhill. Police Constable 882 said at midnight on Friday the 12th instance, he saw the defendants driving thier horses and ominbuses in Cornhill at full.....

22nd November 1886 he gives evidence again at the Old Bailey, this time relating to an incident of theft at the Sir John Flagstaff public house 45-46 Houndsditch & Cutler Street, (4 minute walk from Bishopsgate Station. Also note within a few minutes walk of his 1891 address at King's Block.)

https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse. ... #highlight

20th February 1887 PHIPPS is mentioned in the Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper-
....attempting to commit suicide on the 23rd January by cutting his throat with a razor, the evidence of Police Constable Joseph PHIPPS. It appeared that on the 23rd January last he was called to 28 Aldergate Street and that that a man had attempted.......

16th October 1887 Joseph & Sarah have a son called William Joseph born March 1883 and a daughter called Sybil Grace, born 1880. Baptised at St Botolph, their address is given as 5 King's Block. 

1888: 44 Prince's Block, Petticoat Square, Portsoken Ward. [City of London. Register of Freemen being liverymen from The British Library]. 

1890: 5 King's Block, Artizans' Street. Portsoken Ward. [City of London. Electoral Register from The British Library 

9th March 1890 - PHIPPS is mentioned in the newspaper The People Newspaper 
...pieces, and at a Police Court with being drunk and assaulting thirds wits so much injured that he shortly after Police Constable PHIPPS 882. She had been tens wards died times convicted and the alderman said he hardly two serious accidents have happened..

1890 Electoral Registers - 5 King's block, Artizans' street, London

5 April 1891 census - 8 Kings Block, St Botolph Aldgate. [Policeman].

1901 now retired and living in Bromley 

1911 living in Marylebone. Place of birth given as Tower of London. Occupation Night Watchman. Married and aged 65. 
No service papers exist with the City of London Police relating to PHIPPS. Only 60% of all their records survive. 

Death: 18-11-1933, Hendon, Middx.



No service papers exist with the City of London Police relating to PHIPPS. Only 60% of all their records survive.

Edited August 4, 2019 by bigjarofwasps

[bigjarofwasps]

It has been suggested to me that the original 1911 census, actually gives "The Tower of London" as his place of birth? Is anyone in a position to confirm that for me?

Would this unusual place of birth perhaps suggest that he was the son of a soldier?

Is there anyway of exploring this further? Which regiment was stationed in the Tower in 1845, I assume some Guards Regiment? 

[bigjarofwasps]

Assuming that it is in fact Tower of London and not Tower of Renton. Which might explain why I can't find such a place. He is certainly listed as being born in St George Middlesex on the other censuses so this would seem to make more sense?

Interestingly in the 1871 census it appears that he's living in Union Street with his wife Sarah and young child. But of particular interest is that the census also states that a chap called Charles RICHARDS as also resident there and listed as his brother? Perhaps Joseph's mother was widowed or remarried? If he was born in the Tower of London, I wonder whether his father was a soldier? Perhaps he died during some far off Victorian period campaign leaving his mother a widow? 

Certainly something else for me to look into?

[bigjarofwasps]

Few more pieces of the jigsaw have come to light. Charles RITCHARDS is in fact Sarah's brother.

Joseph and Sarah got married on the 26th April 1868 as St James's Church Clapton (Hackney).

Joseph is aged 23 and his occupation is Porter his address looks like 26 James's Walk Clerkenwell Green. 

Sarah is aged 26 and her occupation is Service her address is unreadable Road Clapton.

But................ the really interesting thing is Joseph's fathers occupation is "Guardsman"!!

So he may well have been born in the Tower of London after all. He would have  born in 1845 and his father was still serving in 1868. There is a good chance that Isaac fought in the Crimean War? 

*** 26 St James's Walk is a stones throw from where Clerkenwell Prison once stood, which was attacked by Fenians on the 13th December 1867, was Joseph living there at the time??***

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerkenwell_explosion

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2019 by bigjarofwasps

[bigjarofwasps]

EVENING STANDARD 14th DEC 1848................

[bigjarofwasps]

Joseph & Jack.................

Interesting points to note. PHIPPS lived at 8 King's Block in 1891. Was he living there in September 1888? The Ripper is purported to have fled Mitre Square his footsteps being following in that direction before being lost, via King's Block. It is alleged he left graffiti there, that was subsequently photograph by the City Police. 

Was PHIPPS involved in crowd control or securing the Mitre Square scene, we'll never know. But one thing that we can say with some level of certainty is that given that he served with the City Police from at least 1871 to at least 1891 or indeed 1897. He would without a doubt have had Mitre Square as part of his beat at some point?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2019 by bigjarofwasps

[Alan Baird]

What a story and to have found the newspaper article on the death of his father in 1848...…...that was a great piece of work.

Your City Police Constable Joseph Daniel Phipps is certainly a very interesting man.

  

[bigjarofwasps]

Joseph and the Clerkenwell Bomb.

26 St James's Walk, Clerkenwell Green.
 

[bigjarofwasps]

Unfortunately, it appears that because Isaac died in service, his papers haven't be retained. However given the nature of his illness, I suspect that he contracted it during the Canadian Campaign on 1836-37. 

I have however been able to ascertain a bit more about the family...

Family tree Phipp  - the name under which Isaac's death was registered. According to the tree, Joseph's mother was Charlotte Noakes who married Isaac in 1833. She remarried to William Knight just before the 1851 census. Joseph is in the 1861 census as Joseph Knight, 13. His mother is Charlotte Knight born Essex, Ongar. They lived at White Horse Yard, St Stephens, London. Four siblings for Joseph are listed.

Joseph's birth was registered as 'Phipp,' Q2 Marylebone 47.

Joseph died: 18-11-1933, Hendon, Middx.

 

[bigjarofwasps]

Have found a few more tantalizing pieces of information.....

1888: 44 Prince's Block, Petticoat Square, Portsoken Ward. [City of London. Register of Freemen being liverymen from The British Library]

This is curious as according to the baptism entry they were living at 5 King's Block in 1887 and then 1890: 5 King's Block, Artizans' Street. Portsoken Ward. [City of London. Electoral Register 1890 from The British Library]. So unless they moved out briefly perhaps? Prince's Block and King's Block are next to each other with Queen's Block between them.

There's also this 1884: 20 Block B, Peabody Buildings, Whitechapel. Registered only under the name of Joseph Phipps (as opposed to Joseph Daniel Phipps) so it is not a definite that this is the correct entry [Electoral Register, St. Mary Whitechapel]. Not entirely sure about this information as there appears to be two Joseph PHIPPS living in Whitechapel in the 1881 census, so it's possible this is one of them?

[bigjarofwasps]

Linking in with Alan Baird's below thread

Would be interested to hear from anyone who has done any research into the Clerkenwell bomb and what the press reported about it at the time.

 

 

[bigjarofwasps]

St James’s Walk 13th February 2020.

[bigjarofwasps]

Stumbled across this, I strongly suspect this to be PHIPPS, given the location and date. 

 

THE POLICE COURTS

... years of age, was summoned for riding his bicycle to the common danger of the public in Bishopsgate Street Within. Police Constable 882 said on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 10, he was at the corner of Leadenhall and Bishopsgate Street, and saw the defendant ...

 

Published: Wednesday 05 November 1890 
Newspaper: Daily News (London) 

[Alan Baird]

Police Constable 882 Joseph Phipps joins the City of London Police in 1871.

Police Constable 881 Edward Watkins joins the City of London Police on the 15th of May in 1871.

Their collar numbers also confirm they joined at the same period.

Police Constable 881 Edward Watkins on completing his 25 years service, retires on pension, on the 28th of May in 1896.

Therefore it is reasonable to suspect that Police Constable 882 Joseph Phipps also retired at the same period, maybe just slightly later, at the very most.

The criteria for temporarily employing more Policemen for the Jubilee and Coronation Parades through London,  appears to be that the City of London and Metropolitan Police would re-hire their pensioned colleagues first for these events.

All in all, these two Police Constables must have known each other quite well.