X PatronGerald Cavendish GrosvenorDuke of Westminster, KG, CB, OBE, TD, DLOur ref: JT56/2012Basil WILKINSONDear Michael,Thank you for your enquiry I understand you had aproblem with sending it in via the website, I havereported this to the webmaster. From the verybeginning I have to say that I don't think I canhelp you and to explain the reasons why. TheCheshire Constabulary was formed in 1857 and upuntil 1899 was responsible for the policing ofHyde in fact Hyde was the actual Divisional HQ inBeeley Street. It remained part of CheshireConstabulary until 1899 when the Borough of Hydeformed its own Police Force and this remained as aBorough Force until 1947 when it again became partof Cheshire Constabulary, sadly for whateverreason only those officers' records that wereserving at the time came across with them on theamalgamation. It is not for the want of trying bythis Museum to find where the remainder of therecords went, every avenue that we have exploredcame up negative, and this is the reason why HydeBorough Police personal records are non-existent.However, when I started to compile the CheshireConstabulary officers database in 2002, which nowstands at 15000+ records I also recorded everyscrap of paper that was within the archives onwhich an officers name appeared irrespective ofwhether I thought he may or may not be a CheshireOfficer in the hope that at some point in timefurther information may become available to saywhich force he belonged to. One of these scraps ofpaper contained the name PC Basil ThomasWILKINSON; born 31st July 1888, place unknown,address 290 Mottram Road, Godley, Cheshire. I havealso written next to his entry "Force unknown, butmember of the Mounted Section" and unfortunatelythis is all the piece of scrap stated. I am alsonow aware that he was definitely not a Cheshireofficer as only within the last two weeks we haveentered all the officers' name that joined between1911 and 1921.I had thought because you appear to have verylittle information and the fact that I had a dateof birth (31st July 1888) I would have been ableto do a little further family research for you butI have to admit this must one of the most elusivepersons I have come across. I did come across anarticle which you may have seen yourself but justin case you have not I have taken it fromhttp://hydonian.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Policeand have attached it. Within the article itmentions a Wilkinson of Hyde Borough Police, butdoes not give any forenames, it could be thatthere was more than one officer named Wilkinsonwithin the force, but you should be aware thatHyde Borough was a very small police force, I donot what its strength was in the 1920/30s.If you care to send me, if you know of course inwhich area he may have been born, his wife's name,anything about his military service in WW1anything at all really that I can dig at.I have also attached a group photograph takencirca 1935 of Hyde Borough Officers, again I havetaken this from internet and therefore itsreproduction is poor. Assuming that Basil did joinin 1913 and he completed his full service forpension which was in those days 25 years he couldwell be on the photograph.Ok Michael I will leave it with you.Jim TalbotTrustee and Researcher, Cheshire Museum ofPolicing.Museum of Policing in Cheshire,Warrington Police Station, Arpley Street,Warrington. WA1 1LQTel : 01606 36 3848/5803www.museumofpolicingincheshire.org.uk/