X William BRITTONDear Jacqueline,Thank you for your nicely worded request forinformation concerning William, 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 so from the Museums perspectivethey remain unidentifiable.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 would therefore be recorded inVolume 2. The information regarding his marriageis retained in CJP24/2, 1847-1966. And with regardto his pension CJP20/2/1, 1857-1965.Further, there are 33 Volumes each containingapproximately 400 pages of General Orders, theseare basically the everyday events of the CheshireConstabulary and date from April 1857 to 1946,these are also normally held at the Record Officein Chester under reference CJP4, however they arepresently held by the Museum. Each Volume ishandwritten and although they can be scanned theycannot be searched to extract the information asthe character recognition software just does notrecognise handwriting. They are therefore beingtranscribed into a searchable word document, whichis a very long and slow process, only the yearsfrom 1857 to 1884 are complete and any informationbetween these years will appear within yourreport. However in this particular case therecords have been searched right up to theretirement of William.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 bill should youwish to have all the above mentioned Volumessearched would amount to several hundreds ofpounds, so please be aware. The cost of yourreport is £12, and given the above information Ifeel certain that you will agree that thisrepresents value for money.Would you kindly forward payment by cheque madepayable to the 'Museum of Policing in Cheshire'and send it to The Curator, Mr. Peter Wroe, Museumof Policing in Cheshire, Warrington PoliceStation, Arpley Street, Warrington, Cheshire. WA1.1LQ.If you also read the history of the CheshireConstabulary by going to the web site, INDEX dropdown menu, HISTORY and look for "To the Best ofOur Skill and Knowledge" I feel certain that auseful picture can be obtained of life in theforce at the time, my own opinion is thatdiscipline was draconian and those who strayedoutside the rule's were fined way above what theyearned or dismissed. Also the restrictions ontheir private life, an officer was not allowed todrink on or off duty even in his own home. It allcomes down to the fact that up until the 1960'severy Chief Constable of Cheshire was an exmilitary officer and they of course brought withthem the military codes of practice.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 complete,this is important as whilst we are not funded bythe Cheshire Constabulary, they are still our'masters' so to speak and I have to account forthe information I send out. If you have anycomments good or bad and you wish to make themplease do so?If you have any further questions please don'thesitate to contact me.Jim TalbotTrustee and Researcher, Cheshire Museum ofPolicing.Collar Number/Rank. 311 Superintendent WilliamBRITTONBorn. 1849 Claughanagh, Fermanagh, Ireland.Date of Entry. 28th May 1872Date of Leaving. 13th March 1873 Resigned, thereason for his resignation is not recorded.Re-appointed. 28th June 1873Final Date of Leaving. 31st October 1897How Discharged. To pension.Initial Posting. HQ Reserve Division, Chester.Other Postings and Dates. June 1872 Wirral. July1873 Hyde. April 1876 Wirral. April 1877 Hyde.12th June 1885 Wirral. 16th January 1886 ReserveHead Quarters Chester. 1st July 1891 Hazel Grove.15th May 1894 Altrincham.Miscellaneous Information. Subject has 2 yearsprior service with Royal Irish ConstabularyReligion Protestant, Irish, Height 6' 1", Age 22,Eyes Grey, Hair Brown, Complexion Fresh, Build,Proportional. 27th March 1873 Certificate ofService sent to Sub Inspector, Enniskillen. 15thNovember 1897 Certificate of Service sent to himwith character marked as "Exemplary".Royal Irish Constabulary Record. Number 34694,William BRITTON.Age when appointed. 19 years.Height. 5' 10".Native Country. Fermanagh.Religion. Protestant.By who recommended. Sub Inspector ArchibaldKIRKLAND.Trade or Calling. Labourer.Date of appointment. 10th August 1868.Posting with date. Reserve Division Wicklow 2ndDecember 1868.Resigned. 23rd August 1870.Reason for resignation. "To go home"(Cheshire Constabulary continued).Age on retirement 47 years 5 months.Total service 25 years 51 days.Died. 18th October 1924 aged 74 years 5 months.The Generations NetworkPromotion. May 1878promoted Acting Sergeant. November 1878 promotedSergeant. 12th June 1885 promoted Inspector. 1stJuly 1891 promoted Superintendent.Misconduct. None recorded.Comment. Being responsible for the compilation ofthe 15000+ records of Cheshire officers in adatabase, which includes their misconduct reportsit, is easy for me to establish that William wasan exception to rule in not having disciplineoffences recorded against him. In particular theperiod 1878-1881 when Captain John WilliamARROWSMITH was Chief Constable, there were veryfew officers that did not feel the wrath of hispettiness. He was also not adverse to nepotismemploying his two sons in senior positions withinthe Cheshire Constabulary, and when seniorofficers retired he thought nothing of bringing inhis ex military friends and appointing those againto senior positions. I could go on but in myopinion, for what it is worth, ARROWSMITH wasnothing short of an 'autocratic bully', and showedscant regard for his officers, their welfare andthat of their families.Weekly Pay. May 1872 20/-. September 1872 21/-.June 1873 21/-. August 1873 23/4d. May 187525/8d. October 1876 26/10d. December 1877 28/-Merit Badge. June 1878 29/2d. August 1879 31/6d.November 1879 33/10d.Annual Pay. 12th June 1885 Inspector at £90. 25thJuly 1885 £100. 25th June 1886 £105. 26th December1886 £110. 1st July 1891 Superintendent at £160.1st July 1893 £180. 1st July 1895 £200. 10th April1897 £210.Annual pay on retirement £210.0s.0d.Discharged on pension of £130.4s.0d pa.Total time on pension 26 years 352 days.Total pension received £3515. 8s. 0d.Awards. 19th December 1877, PC Britton Number 7Division (Hyde) is awarded the Merit Badge and payof 2d per diem together with two days extraspecial duty allowance for Gallant Conduct inpursuing and arresting after receiving three shotsfrom a Revolver, a man charged with Felony atHyde.Comment. I tried numerous sources including TheTimes Newspaper Archives to see if I could obtainfurther information on this incident. The Timesshows on the 25th December 1887 "Shooting aPoliceman"- "At the Hyde (Cheshire) Police CourtYesterday Samuel Henry Brierley was charged withshooting Police Constable Button (this isincorrect, because there is no Constable Buttonand it is obvious from the records that itConstable Britton) The policeman arrested him onTuesday on a charge of Forgery. On his way to thestation he sprang from the policeman and tried toshoot himself with a revolver, which he produced,but being prevented, he fired at the officer, butmissed him, and ran away. Being pursued he turnedand fired again, wounding the officer in the leg,and escaped, but was apprehended at Oldham thenext day. On Friday he was committed to theAssizes on a charge of Forgery and Embezzlement,and yesterday he was committed for the attemptMurder".Marriage RecordOfficer. William BRITTONOccupation. Sergeant of PoliceAge. 25 years.Condition. Bachelor.Place of residence at Marriage. Hyde, Cheshire.Date of Marriage. 22nd February 1876Place Married. St. Thomas Church, Hyde, Cheshire.Fathers Name. George BRITTON.Fathers Occupation. Farmer, Fermanagh, Ireland.Spouse. Selina WILDGOOSE.Occupation. Weaver.Age. 17 years.Condition. Spinster.Place of residence. Hyde, CheshireFathers Name. John WILDGOOSEFathers Occupation. Labourer, Derbyshire.Other information. Where the reference BSI appearsin the Museum database this applies to a websiteknown as the Black Sheep Index(www.blacksheepindex.co.uk) this is a site thatcarries newspaper articles concerning PoliceOfficers. On occasions the officer's full name isnot given, but we have tried to make a matchagainst what the Museum Records show. In the caseof William it shows the following entries 1892Gives Evidence, 1894 Tribute To, 1896 GivesEvidence, 1896 Report Of, 1897 Gives Evidence,1897 Career Of, 1897 Retirement Of, 1897 PensionOf. There are charges involved to obtain thesenewspaper cuttings direct from the owner of thewebsite. It is emphasized that the Museum does notknow the contents of these cuttings and takes noresponsibility for them. The Museum is onlyshowing this as an aid that there is furtherinformation from another source. If you decidethat you would like any of these items whenrequesting them please make reference to thisMuseum, whilst you will not obtain them anycheaper, it may help speed up the process.Within the Museums database it also shows a PC198Thomas BRITTON, born 1852 Enniskillen, Fermanagh,Ireland. He joined the Cheshire Constabulary onthe 27th May 1876 and resigned 22nd July 1878.Previous Occupation, Labourer. ReligionProtestant, Irish, Height 6' 2", Age 24. EyesGrey, Hair Light Brown, Complexion Fresh, BuildProportional. Certificate of Service withcharacter marked "Good" sent to him on the 26thFebruary 1878. His service was carried out withinthe Wirral Division of Cheshire. Unfortunately itdoes not record within the records if Thomas isrelated to William.Census information. If we take the belowinformation and in particular deal with Selina,everything appears as it should be1871 census transcription details for: Low Vale,DisleyNational Archive Reference:RG number: RG10 Piece: 3647 Folio: 83Page: 24Reg. District:HayfieldSub District:HayfieldParish:DisleyEnum. District:23Ecclesiastical District:City/Municipal Borough:Address:Low Vale, DisleyCounty:DerbyshireNameRelationConditionSexAgeBirthYearOccupationWhere BornWILDGOOSE, JohnHead M621809DerbyshireWILDGOOSE, CatherineWife F491822IrelandWILDGOOSE, Jane EDaughter F211850DerbyshireWILDGOOSE, Elizabeth ADaughter F131858DerbyshireWILDGOOSE, SelinaDaughter F111860DerbyshireWILDGOOSE, Phebe FannyDaughter F91862DerbyshireWILDGOOSE, ClaraDaughter F51866DerbyshireSMALL, SamuelNephew M61865DerbyshireThe 1871 England Census does not show any trace ofWilliam and I presume he is still resident inIreland.The 1881 Census now shows that William and Selinahave married (1876) and their first child Samuelbeing born in 1880, again all appears as it shouldbe1881 census transcription details for: 20, PoliceStation, Beeley St, HydeNational Archive Reference:RG number: RG11 Piece: 3468 Folio: 49Page: 35Reg. District:StockportSub District:HydeParish:HydeEnum. District:Ecclesiastical District:City/Municipal Borough:Address:20, Police Station, Beeley St, HydeCounty:CheshireNameRelationConditionSexAgeBirthYearOccupation ,DisabilityWhere BornBRITTON, WilliamHeadMarried M311850Sergeant Of PoliceFermanaghIrelandBRITTON, SelinaWifeMarried F191862HousekeeperCarisbrookDerbyshireBRITTON, SamuelSonSingle M11880HydeCheshireMILLER,PrisonerMarried F231858TrampStayleyThe Census Returns for 1891 show a completelydifferent picture. Two further children have beenborn, Annie in 1885 and Clara in 1887, Samuel theson is not recorded (see later) Selina anddaughter Clara are now living with Selina's motherin Dukinfield. William is living in Hoole Chesterwith daughter Annie. This is the last time Williamappears on any Census in England. It perhaps showsthat after the birth of Clara in 1887, William andSelina's marriage may have broken down.1891 census transcription details for: 43,Brunswick Street, DukinfieldNational Archive Reference:RG number: RG12 Piece: 3289 Folio: 34Page: 23Reg. District:Ashton Under LyneSub District:DukinfieldParish:DukinfieldEnum. District:8Ecclesiastical District:St JohnsCity/Municipal Borough:Address:43, Brunswick Street, DukinfieldCounty:LancashireNameRelationConditionSexAgeBirthYearOccupation ,DisabilityWhere BornWILDGOOSE, CatherineHeadWidow F691822Ireland RoscommonBRITTON, SelinaDaughterMarried F301861Weaver CottonCressbrookDerbyshireBRITTON, ClaraGranddaughter F41887HooleCheshireWOOD, WilliamSon In LawMarried M311860Colliery Lamp ManWelshpoolMontgomeryshireWOOD, ClaraDaughterMarried F251866CressbrookDerbyshireWOOD, AlbertGrandson M31888ManchesterLancashireWOOD, Fredk WGrandson M11890DukinfieldCheshireWOOD,BeatriceGranddaughter F0 (1M)1891DukinfieldCheshire1891 census transcription details for: 10, PhilipStreet, Hoole, ChesterNational Archive Reference:RG number: RG12 Piece: 2866 Folio: 135Page: 17Reg. District:ChesterSub District:Chester CathedralParish:HooleEnum. District:17Ecclesiastical District:All SaintsCity/Municipal Borough:ChesterAddress:10, Philip Street, Hoole, ChesterCounty:CheshireNameRelationConditionSexAgeBirthYearOccupation ,DisabilityWhere BornWATSON, ThomasHeadMarried M461845Army PensionerIrelandWATSON, SarahWifeMarried F281863IrelandWATSON, Thomas GSon M0 (1M)1891ChesterCheshireBRITTON, WilliamBrother In LawMarried M421849Inspector Of PoliceIrelandBRITTON, AnnieNiece F61885HydeCheshireI carried out numerous searches for Selina Brittonin both the 1901 and 1911 Census, all to no avail.I then searched with variations in the spelling ofher surname and found no trace of her in the 1901Census. However, in 1911, resident at 22 HodgsonStreet, Ashton-Under-Lyne, Lancashire RichardClay, Married 67 years, born 1844, St. MartinShropshire, Colliery Manager and Selina BRETTON,Married, aged 49 years born 1862, Cessbrock,Derbyshire, House Keeper. No other individual isrecorded as being resident. Searching the DeathIndexes I found only one Selina BRITTON, dying inOct, Nov, Dec Quarter of 1929 aged 70 years, inthe district of Ashton, Volume 8d, page 787.We now move to Ireland the 1901 Census showsWilliam as Married and a retired Superintendent ofpolice, resident with his daughters Annie andClara at 1 Sedan Terrace, Enniskillen, Fermanagh.The 1911 Census for Ireland only records William,as a retired Police Officer, Married, resident at2 Trillick, Lisbofin, Fermanagh as a boarder inthe home John Armstrong, 57 years, single, bornFermanagh and John's sister Mary Armstrong 61years, born Fermanagh. One can only assume by 1911both Annie and Clara had either married orreturned to England.Returning to Samuel the son, I have noted on the1891 Census that he was 13 years old and a boarderonboard the School Sailing Ship "Indefatigable"which was moored in the River Mersey off RockFerry. I have not been able to trace him on the1901 Census, but he appears on the 1911 Census asa Corporal with the 3rd Battalion of the KingsRoyal Rifle Corps, stationed in Dagshai, India, heis recorded as being married.Superintendent William BRITTON achieved thehighest possible rank within the police service atthat time. It was not possible for him to achievethe rank of Chief Constable, because the WatchCommittee's (present day Police Authorities)throughout the Country only placed the 'Gentry' orex 'Military Officers' as Chief Constables, noneof which had any previous police experiencewhatsoever, I suppose this is the 'class system'in all its glory.Being the officer in charge of AltrinchamDivision, which consisted of Altrincham, Ashley,Ashton upon Mersey, Baguley, Bowden, Broadheath,Broomedge, Dunham Massey, Hale, Marston,Mobberley, Partington, Rostherene, Sale, Tabley,Timperley, Toft and Wincham he no doubt had atremendous workload from within the policeservice, pressures from the everyday policing ofthe area which at the time was subject to a greatnumber of Industrial Disputes and general unrestwithin the Cotton Industry.In conclusion I have previously received anenquiry from a Jane Williams who resides inManchester concerning William, whilst I gave herwhat information was available at that time, thereis a great deal more information in your reportwhich I will obviously now have to update Janewith. Jane has given her permission if you wish tocontact her via email at