X Harold MATHERS.Dear DavidThank you for your nicely worded request forinformation concerning your father Harold youwould be surprised how many enquires we get frompeople who never say please or thank you, butfirst I have to point out a few things. Sadly wedo not have a photograph, that is to say we may,there are literally hundreds of photographs ofofficers, but their names were never recorded onthe reverse of the photograph.The Cheshire Constabulary was formed in April1857; there are many thousands of records, theseare held by the Cheshire Record Office, Chester. Ias a retired Police officer and voluntary PoliceMuseum Researcher 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; sadly post this datesuccessive civilian administrations withinCheshire Constabulary have only retained the mostminimal amount of information concerning anofficer's service. The information regarding hismarriages is retained in CJP24/2, 1847-1966. Andwith regard to his pension CJP20/2/1, 1857-1965.The only information held on your father is thathe was PC309 Harold Mathers. Entered the CheshireConstabulary on the 9th May 1926 and served untilhis retirement to pension on the 13th June 1954.Annual pay on retirement £507. 5s. 4d. Annualpension £304. 7s. 2d. Age on retirement 50 years 5months. Total service 28 years 5 days, Died 13thDecember 1962. 1st January 1963 widow Amy NeildMathers to receive weekly pension of 25/6d. Yourfather appears to have completed most of hisservice within the Division of Wirral, althoughthe actual area is not recorded. He was awardedthe Police Exemplary Service Medal in 1951. Wealso hold the marriage details of your parents,but I presume that you already have these. I amtruly sorry that this is all the information thathas been retained, however if you have anything,including his birth date and place or anythingthat you may wish to add to your fathers servicerecord I will gladly update his record.If you also read the history of the CheshireConstabulary "To the Best of Our Skill andKnowledge" which is on the Museum Web Site, on theleft hand drop down menu marked 'History' I feelcertain that a useful picture can be obtained oflife in the force at the time, my own opinion isthat discipline was draconian and those whostrayed outside the rule's were fined way abovewhat they earned or dismissed. Also therestrictions on their private life, an officer wasnot allowed to drink on or off duty even in hisown home. It all comes down to the fact that upuntil the 1960's every Chief Constable of Cheshirewas an ex military officer and they of coursebrought with them the military codes of practice.The Police Museum, situated in Warrington,Cheshire is open to the public Mondays and Fridaysvia prior appointment with the Curator, Mr. PeterWroe, Museum of Policing in Cheshire, WarringtonPolice Station, Arpley Street, Warrington,Cheshire. WA1. 1LQ or directly onIf you have any further questions please don'thesitate to contact me. Jim Talbot. Trustee andResearcher, Cheshire Museum of Policing.