Scottish police forces
Police forces for Scottish counties, cities and towns were set up in the nineteenth century. In 1975 most were abolished when the present eight regional police forces were set up. For further details on the history of Scottish policing and police forces go to the Knowledge Base entry on this by clicking here. In the nineteenth century the policy of many forces was to recruit policemen from outside the burgh or county served by the force. Glasgow City Constabulary, Scotland's largest police force in the nineteenth century, recruited a large number of its constables from the Highlands of Scotland and from Ireland. Nineteenth century forces had a very high turnover (Glasgow recruited up to 10% of its force each year). This was, in part, due to frequent dismissals for offences relating to alcohol or assault, and possibly due to relatively low wage rates. The wives of policemen had been employed, at least casually, to look after women prisoners from the mid-1800s and from about the time of the First World War women constables were recruited.

Police Registers
Police personnel registers are an exceptionally good form of staff record on several counts. Firstly it is rare to find staff registers for any public or private body dating back as far as some police registers. Secondly, from the mid-19th century they typically contain a great deal of personal information about each policeman or policewoman. Registers from the first half of the 19th century are rare, and many of those which do survive are rudimentary forms of appointments books or registers of dismissals and other disciplinary action taken. In the second half of the 19th century personnel registers adopted a more standard format. This was due, in part, to growth in size and sophistication of police forces, but probably more to the creation and changes to the police pension, especially after the Police Scotland Act 1890, the Police (Pensions) Acts 1921 and 1948, and regulations thereafter. A 1904 police manual for Lanarkshire, (Glasgow City Archives, SR22/83/8) records that 'The Constables register, and the entries therein, authenticated by the signature or initials of the Chief Constables, shall be evidence of the service and conduct of each member of the force'. The register was used to calculate the length of service and any deductions for pension purposes. Sect 4(5) of the Police (Scotland) Act 1890 laid down that policemen were liable to deductions of service for absences due to sickness and any leave other than ordinary annual leave, and suspensions or other disciplinary action due to misconduct or neglect of duty.

Content
For each policeman or policewoman the registers typically contain the name; age at joining; former occupation; marital status and number of children; domestic address; place of birth (and sometimes date of birth); date of appointment and subsequent dates of any promotions, demotions and increases in salary; and brief details of conduct resulting in rewards or conduct resulting in fines, suspensions, etc. Typically one column records medals and money awarded for good conduct (e.g. arresting particular types of criminal, stopping runaway horses and other livestock) while another column records disciplinary action, in many cases relating to alcohol - the most common description being 'worse of liquor'. Police personnel registers record action taken against constables who assaulted members of the public, which, to some extent, runs counter to the popular view of the police in the past, dispensing summary justice with a cuff round the ear or a kick up the pants. In the 1930s police forces began moving over to card or file systems and registers in book form began to be closed at this time. A closure rule of 75 years normally applies to police personnel registers. They are usually manuscript.

Location and use of police personnel registers
Police personnel registers are the primary source of information on the careers of police personnel, and are therefore most used by police historians, genealogists (who know or suspect that their ancestors were in a Scottish police force) and those who have acquired the medal, badge, piece of equipment or some other artefact or a policeman or policewoman. However, police personnel registers have much greater potential than those investigating individual policemen. Because the policy of many forces was to recruit from outside the burgh or county served by the force the registers are a source for the study of migration and emigration. In particular the Glasgow City Police recruited a large number of its constables from the Highlands of Scotland and from Ireland. In the late 19th century, the force had a very high turnover (recruiting up to a hundred new constables each year). This was, in part, due to frequent dismissals for assault or alcohol-related offences and possibly to relatively low wage rates. Therefore the registers are beginning to be used more by social and economic historians, because of the quality of information about migrants. In addition, many genealogists may be unaware that an ancestor was in the police service for a relatively short time, and, where police personnel registers have been indexed, it is worthwhile searching a database to police registers.

To trace the location of surviving police registers for a particular force go to the Knowledge Base entry on Tracing Police Records.

TOP

1. Is there a complete list or index of Scottish policemen and policewomen?

2. How can I find the service record of an individual policeman or policewoman?

3. If I know someone was a policeman or policewoman but not which force served on, how do I find out which force?

4. Why might I be unable to trace a service record of a policeman?

5. Do police registers include information about special constables?

6. Do police personnel registers contain information about a former chief constable or senior officer of a force?

7. Where a register records a policeman or policewomen as receiving the Kings Police Medal, what does this signify?