Historical Police Records

[Tikva]

I did manage to obtain some information about Thomas Keen's police record, which you can see in the attached image.  However, there is a lot of information missing, and some of it is unclear whether or not it is a question or an answer.  I hope that makes sense.

I do know that the Thomas Keen who was a Policeman was the father of my 2 x great grandmother Emma Keen, as it is recorded on her Marriage record as his occupation.

[andyb9999]

I own the bible presented to police constable Thomas KEEN of Purton on 4th Feb 1852

Oh WOW!  That is incredible!  I have found information about him being presented that and a Prayer book, but to have the actual bible!  Are you also a descendant of his?

No i am not a descendant I just bought a bible and searched the handwritten note and found you guys on here so joined rootschat to share my find sadly I only have the Bible not the prayer book

[Andy J2022]

His police service record is interesting, if a bit ambiguous as you mention. In particular, his date of entry makes it  possible that he could have been in the Army in April 1841 and left in time to join the Police a year later. Do you have his marriage certificate? This is likely to contain a reference to his occupation and hence whether the Pte Thomas Keene 1539  in the 30th Foot was most likely the father of your 2 x great grandmother.

[hanes teulu]

His police service record is interesting, if a bit ambiguous as you mention. In particular, his date of entry makes it  possible that he could have been in the Army in April 1841 and left in time to join the Police a year later. Do you have his marriage certificate? This is likely to contain a reference to his occupation and hence whether the Pte Thomas Keene 1539  in the 30th Foot was most likely the father of your 2 x great grandmother.

See reply #24

[Andy J2022]

I don't see the point you are making. Are you saying that the Thomas Keen who married in Dover  in June 1840 is not the correct person?

Added. Ok I do understand. Thomas was a shoemaker at the time of his wedding, so not in the Army.

[Tikva]

On Thomas' Police Record it says:

"Wife born at Rodborough.  Previous trade or employment Private 90th Regiment of Foot.  Army or Naval Reserve?"

So maybe he was at sea? 

I was somewhat surprised by the reference to the 90th Regiment of Foot as this was a Scottish Regiment  with the full title of 90th Regiment of Foot (Perthshire Volunteers) (Light Infantry). There was a Private Thomas Keene (number 1539) recorded in the 1841 Worldwide Index, where he is shown as being at the 90th Foot Regimental depot in Tralee, Ireland, but I am inclined to think, based on what we know so far, this is not the correct man.

The newspaper article from the Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette dated 7th Dec 1848 (shown above in posting #4) says that Constable Thomas Keene, had been a constable in the village of Purton for 8 years by the time of the news article, meaning that, unless the article was wrong, he can't also have been in the Army in Ireland in around April to June 1841. However the clincher would be if the register of his marriage in June 1840 showed whether he was still a soldier, or was by then already a policeman.

There is also the question of why, if the 1841 Worldwide Index entry is the correct person, he was in a Scottish Regiment's depot in Ireland if he came from Kent or Wiltshire, and how he came to marry a girl from Kent in 1840. The earliest that he might have joined the Army was 1834 when he was 18, so there was plenty of time for him to do his 5 years' colour service with the regiment (the 90th Foot was then stationed in Ceylon) and then leave the Army in time to marry in Kent in 1840 and also join the police around the same time and start his job in Purton. This would also accord with the reference in his police record to him being an Army reservist since he would have had 7 years of reserve commitment after completing his 5 years of regular service.

The 1841 British Army Worldwide Index is a modern compilation by Kevin Asplin, created from muster rolls and pay lists between April and June 1841 held by the National Archives and so it is a snapshot in time which roughly corresponds to the 1841 census. The muster rolls were originally compiled on a monthly basis by each regiment or depot and would only include men who were present at the time (so excluding any reservists or those on furlough or detachment). If you were able to get to TNA at Kew it would be possible to check the muster rolls for the period 1834 -1841 for further traces of Private Thomas Keene 1539. which would show when he enlisted and when he left the Army. Unfortunately there is no easy way of knowing, based on his regimental number alone, when he enlisted.

My apologies for not responding to this sooner.  Your in depth knowledge of this is clearly quite extensive, and I'm not quite sure what to make of it all.  Unfortunately, given that I live in New Zealand I am unable to visit The National Archives.  I do wonder if Thomas Keen/e might have embellished his previous employment when applying to be a Policeman.  It would be interesting to find out what processes they followed back then for checking an applicants references.

[andyb9999]

I own the bible presented to police constable Thomas KEEN of Purton on 4th Feb 1852

Oh WOW!  That is incredible!  I have found information about him being presented that and a Prayer book, but to have the actual bible!  Are you also a descendant of his?

Hi trying to contact you but I can’t message you as I have only just joined the forum

[youngtug]

 Wiltshire Gazette on 19th December 1839. It read:
WANTED FOR THE CONSTABULARY FORCE
in the COUNTY OF WILTS.
CONSTABLES.
Their pay to be 17/6d. per week, with clothing.
To be under forty years of age.
To stand five feet six inches without shoes.
To read and write and keep accounts.
To be free from any bodily complaint, of strong constitution
and generally intelligent.
The form of certificate of character to be signed by one or
more respectable persons, who have had personal knowledge
of the candidate during the last five years at least, either singly
or collectively, may be had by personal application to
Captain Meredith at the Magistrates' Office at Devizes
on Tuesdays and Friday, until on 31st December instant,
between the hours of ten and three o'clock.'

From ; https://narpo-wilts.org.uk/files/History-Wilts-Const.pdf