A
Constable's Duties:
The
constable's duties were varied. As well as apprehending rogues
and criminals, they were
responsible
for moving vagrants on, raising the hue and cry and whipping
offenders.
The main records which survive are the constables' accounts
which list the amounts paid
and claimed
and details of the claim.
During the
19th century, local council watch committees were authorised
to set up police forces and,
in 1849, the Wolverhampton
Borough Police Force was established. The headquarters were
based at
Garrick Street and included a number of cells.
The records of
the Wolverhampton Police are held at Wolverhampton Archives.
The most useful records are the
registers of convictions c. 1850 - 1918 that list prisoners,
their conviction, and usually a physical description.
Convicted
criminals could be sent to a House of Correction or County
Gaol.
A House of Correction was opened in Wolverhampton in
1745 but was closed in 1821.
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