X Isaac Habgood BLANCHARDDear ElaineThank you for your nicely worded request forinformation concerning Isaac you would besurprised how many enquires we get from people whonever say please or thank you, but first I have topoint out a few things. Sadly we do not have aphotograph, that is to say we may, there areliterally hundreds of photographs of officers, buttheir names were never recorded on the reverse ofthe photograph.The Cheshire Constabulary was formed in April1857; there are many thousands of records, theseare held by the Cheshire Record Office, Chester.As a retired Police officer and voluntary PoliceMuseum Researcher I am slowly extracting theserecords. Cheshire Police Officer Enrolment Recordsare held under Reference CJP7 Volumes 1-5. Thesefive volumes are very large and in poor condition,run from 1857- 22 March 1913; the informationwhich you seek concerning his service withCheshire Constabulary would therefore be recordedin Volume 3. The information concerning hisservice with Warrington Borough Police is retainedin CJP20/12/1 and CJP20/12/4.I say all this because I want to try and reassureyou that what I give you is as it appears in therespective volumes. However if you so wish, youcan of course have the records confirmed by theChester Records Office Archivist. But it would beremiss of me if I did not point out that TheRecord Office will charge you a minimum of £27 persearch per volume; therefore your total bill wouldbe £81, so please be aware. The Museum charges,for searching the three volumes are on a reducingscale i.e. dependant on the information recorded,the maximum amount payable is £10, whichrepresents good value. Your remittance is £5 andas we are working on a trust basis please forwardpayment by cheque made payable to "The Museum ofPolicing in Cheshire" and send it to The Curator,Mr. Peter Wroe, Museum of Policing in Cheshire,Warrington Police Station, Arpley Street,Warrington, Cheshire. WA1. 1LQ. The Museum iscurrently closed for several months due tobuilding alterations, but it does hold manyartefacts from Warrington Borough Police, whenthese alterations have been completed, I feel sureyou would enjoy a visit. So if you care to contactevery so often, we will let you know when it isfully operational again.If you also read the history of the CheshireConstabulary "To the Best of Our Skill andKnowledge" and a Short History of WarringtonBorough Police both of which are on the Museum WebSite under the drop down Index under History, Ifeel certain that a useful picture can be obtainedof life in the forces at the time, there was verylittle difference between a County and BoroughPolice Officer, my own opinion is that disciplinewas draconian and those who strayed outside therule's were fined way above what they earned ordismissed. Although it should be also said thatsome officers failed in their office as Constable.Also the restrictions on their private life, anofficer was not allowed to drink on or off dutyeven in his own home.I trust you will enjoy what follows and can I askyou when you get a moment would you send a quickmail so I can mark of your enquiry as completed.If you have any further questions please don'thesitate to contact me. Jim Talbot. Trustee andResearcher, Cheshire Museum of Policing.CHESHIRE CONSTABULARLY SERVICECollar Number/Rank. PC Isaac Habgood BLANCHARDBorn. 1857, Bower Chalk, Salisbury, Wilshire.Date of Entry. 23rd August 1880Date of Leaving. 16th July 1882Final Date of Leaving. 16th July 1882How Discharged. Resigned to join WarringtonBorough Police.Initial Posting. HQ Reserve, Chester.Other Postings and Dates. 4th September 1880Malpas Nantwich. Undated Nantwich Division, butresident in 1881 at 30 Herdman Street, Monks,Coppenhall, Cheshire.Miscellaneous Information. Previous OccupationGamekeeper. Religion Protestant, Height 5' 9", Age23, Eyes Grey, Hair Brown, Complexion Fresh, BuildProportional. Scar over right eyebrow. Certificateof Service with character marked "Good" given tohim 20th July 1882.Promotion. No promotion.Misconduct. 20th August 1881 Drunk in plainclothes at Crewe and absent from his District andduty at 11.30pm, Fined 10/- and reprimanded by theChief Constable.Weekly Pay. 23rd August 1880 23/11d, May 188124/6d, 11th February 1882 25/8d.Awards/Good Conduct/Other information. No GoodConduct reports recorded.WARRINGTON BOROUGH POLICE SERVICECollar Number/Rank. PC25 Isaac Habgood BLANCHARDBorn. 1858, Bower Chalk, Salisbury, Wilshire.Date of Entry. 8th February 1883Date of Leaving. 4th July 1882Final Date of Leaving. 4th July 1882How Discharged. Dismissed.Initial Posting. Borough of Warrington OnlyMiscellaneous Information. Trade or Calling. GameKeeper, Last employer. Broom Edge, Lymm, Height 5'9", Age on joining 25 years. Hair Dark Brown, EyesBlue, Complexion Light, Distinguishing Marks, Nil.Marital Status, Single, Children Nil. Member ofany Party or Society, No. Total Service 1 year 146days. Died Oct-Dec Quarter 1884. Resident in 1883at Broom Edge, Lymm.Promotion. No promotion.Misconduct. 28th February 1884 by Ins Spinks forneglect of duty in not working his beat properlyat 10.50pm and refusing to give any account ofwhere he had been and what he was doing, at thesame he being very abusive using very bad languageand on his going down to the Police Station it wasfound that he was drunk, he was desired to behavehimself and go home but as his conduct was violentand disorderly he was ultimately locked up as aprisoner at 12.30am and being brought before theMagistrates at 10am was fined 10/- and 3/6d costsand ordered to attend before the Watch Committee.Cautioned and warned if a similar offence he wouldbe dismissed, promised to behave correctly in thefuture.17th June 1884 by Ins Spinks for quarrelling withPC Baxendale at 9.35pm yesterday and afterwardsshaking him a violent blow with his fist on theside of his head whilst he Baxendale had his backto him, it appears some old grievance existsbetween them it does nor seem that Baxendalereturned the blow, both men were sober butBaxendale was very excited. 17th June 1884 thismatter was disposed off by the men shaking handsand being good friends in front of the ChiefConstable.2nd July 1884 by Ins Berry and PC Halstead forassaulting William Connor and Robert Lythgoe at11.55pm Monday 30th at the bottom of James Streetwhilst of duty and in plain clothes, by strikingthem about the head and face with his fists andstick and again by Ins Berry on the 3rd of Julyfor frequent irregularities and misconduct duringthe last 12 months such as immorality with severalloose girls and common prostitutes, 3td July 1884before the Watch Committee when he was at oncedismissed from the service.Weekly Pay. 12/02/1883 25/-, 18/10/1883 26/-.Awards/Good Conduct/Other information. No GoodConduct reports recorded