Don Hale

Account by popular sports writer Don Hale of two ancestors, James Wood (senior) who was a city watchman in Manchester 1825 -1833 and James Wood (junior) who was a Manchester policeman rising from constable to superintendent 1890 to 1914. It also includes some general background on the history of policing in Britain from Charles II's time up through Peel's reforms, some background on social conditions in Manchester (generally bad), an appendix on the cost of living in 190 and another of extracts from a 'self-Help for Police" book of 1898, notably sample incident reports (as we would all tem) not only for crimes but for case such as the sudden illness of a cab horse. Aside from the introductory material, much of it is direct transcripts of the original Watch Book from 1825 -1833 partly kept by te first James Wood and from a collection of newspaper clippings and career records for the second James Wood. This makes it rather scrappy but at the same time vividly real.… (meer)