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Visitors to website
Recent 'Police
Historian' projects carried out for:
National History Museum, St, Fagans, Cardiff.... Ironbridge
Gorge Museum, Telford..... Talent South / 'Sky' History Channel.
January 2011 - I now run the South Wales Police Museum,
Police Headquarters,
Bridgend
PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE ANY OLD POLICE HELMETS,
BADGES, HANDCUFFS, WHISTLES, PHOTOS, MEDALS ETC. I WILL MAKE YOU A FAIR AND HONEST OFFER FOR ITEMS WHICH CAN
BE ADDED TO THE COLLECTION.
Welcome.
Please enjoy your journey through my collection. My name is Ross
Mather. I live in Bridgend, South Wales U.K. I retired from South Wales Police after 30 years
service in the South Wales and Manchester areas. My police helmet collection (approximately 110 helmets) has been
built up during that time. My other collecting interest is Welsh police force insignia. Most
badges and old police forces in Wales are but distant memories. The names reflect the police
forces that used to exist many years ago in the older Welsh counties, towns and boroughs. Now, there are only four current
police forces in Wales. The rest ? - all resigned to the history books. Currently in my collection, there are over
200 different items of insignia, mainly from the older Welsh police forces. Some items date back to the
19th Century.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THOSE OF YOU
WHO HAVE DONATED HELMETS & MEMORABILIA TO THIS COLLECTION. EVERY ITEM WILL BE PRESERVED FOR POSTERITY
AND USED ON A REGULAR BASIS FOR HISTORICAL DISPLAYS OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. I am researching Welsh police history, and am keenly searching for any items that I could use
especially photographs. CAN YOU HELP ME PLEASE? In time I hope to publish an informative historical
record and reference book about the police forces of Wales. Most
of the police helmets you will see here are of former Borough and City police forces which no longer
exist, swallowed up in amagamation after amalgamation. There are a number of County police force helmets, mainly dating
from the 1950's and 1960's. Some date back into the late Victorian period c.1890. You will see many older Welsh police helmets. My ultimate
quest is to recover and preserve as many police helmets as I can, so that in the future, anyone
will have a single point of reference to these historical items, which in the main no longer exist. Without
doubt, this will become significant and historically important collection and one that needs to be preserved for the
future. There are plans for Museum exhibitions in 2010. CAN YOU HELP BY ADDING A POLICE HELMET, PHOTOGRAPH OR BADGE
TO THE COLLECTION? PLEASE CONTACT
ME AND HELP PRESERVE THESE ITEMS FOR THE FUTURE. THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT COLLECTIONS
OF ITS KIND. The
vast majority of older helmets have been lost forever, due to the fact that most were handed back in and destroyed
at force level. Surviving helmets were often discarded after the badge was removed i.e. by insignia
collectors. From personal experience I know it is easier to display a frame full of badges, rather than display
them on the original helmets. If you have a police helmet, or military helmet, it is very
important to give careful thought to the environment and atmoshphere in which it is kept. An attic or
garage would seem the obvious choice to store a box in some convenient corner... a decision
that you may well live to regret. Extremes in temperature, especially in an attic, or in a damp garage, the
possibility of 'creepy crawlies' which enjoy eating the helmet materials, all of thes
can quickly reduce grandad's police helmet into something a far cry from what it might have
been when you initially stored it away. You can't replace the past. I hope that you enjoy viewing
the collection. My website has created for no other reason than to give others an opportunity to see these
historical items. *Click on photo to enlarge* |
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| Sir Robert Peel |
The evolution of law enforcement
and policing in England and Wales goes back to Anglo-Saxon times. It is a complex subject, and many a website could
be dedicated to that subject alone. Suffice to say that in 1829, Sir Robert Peel passed
the Metropolitan Police Act, and from that time, London had its very first organised police force. One important provision
of the Bill was that the police force was to wear a standard uniform, consisting of blue swallow tailed coat and
blue trousers for wear during the winter period, changing to white trousers for the summer. At this time the headwear was a tall top hat. Made from beaver, it was strengthened with leather
side pieces, and a thick leather crown. On the inside was a wire and cane strengthening ring, which gave strength and ridgidity
to the hat. 1863 New style
helmet trialed, based on the military 'Prussian' helmet. 1865 New style helmet adopted. 1867 The Inspectors
of Constabulary report showed that there were 237 police forces established in England and Wales. Each Chief Constable would
have had his own idea on the type and style of uniform and would have been free to experiment with helmet and uniform for
their respective force.
The historian or collector will come across various
shapes in helmet design, such as the Coxcomb, the Rose top, and the Ball top, and these have continued up until the present
day. Throughout England and Wales regional preferences have remained for many years. There were several variations in materials...i.e. Luton and Salisbury had hats made from plaited straw,
and during summer months, some forces such as Swansea, Southend and Peterborough wore a white coloured helmet (see photo). Senior
officers helmets tended to be more ornate, with additional metal or silver fittings.
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| "This apple looks a bit sus to me Mike!!!" |
Constable Mike Gunter, Gwent Constabulary
(right) and myself Constable Ross Mather, South Wales Constabulary (left) during an I.P.A. / town twinning exchange visit in
Austria.
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| Victorian period Glamorgan Constabulary helmet |
Close up photograph of the Glamorgan Constabulary
helmet in the 1890's. The helmet design remained the same up until 1963, when Glamorgan changed to a rose top design
helmet.
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| Glamorgan Constables (Pontypridd) c. 1914 |
ABOVE: Constable
B.83 Edward Grace (joined 6.3.1909) and Constable B.210 John Evans (joined 13.4.1912). Photographed at Pontypridd
about 1913 or 1914.
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| Glamorganshire Constable (Bridgend) c.1890 |
ABOVE: Metropolitan 'rose
top' style helmet worn late 19th century by Glamorgan. Photo taken at Bridgend. BELOW: A photograph of a Glamorgan Constable at Aberdare, showing his late
19th century uniform kepi and badge. (See example of that Victorian badge on 'Police Badges of Wales' page).
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| Glamorganshire Constable (Aberdare) c. 1890 |
RIGHT. Victorian period c. 1895.
Officers carrying a 'hangar'. This is a weapon based on the Naval cutlass. The Sergeant is wearing 2 medals
- the Khedives' Star - Egypt campaign 1882 -91 and another medal which I think is the Egypt Medal
- Egypt campaign 1882 -1889.
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| Glamorgan Constabulary c.1910 |
ABOVE. Group of officers one of whom
at the rear far left has a 'spur' arm badge which denotes that he is also a Mounted officer. Believed to have been
taken outside Pontypridd Police Station.
BELOW.
A photograph I believe to be one of the Glamorgan Constabulary 'Cowbridge Sub-Division'. The Chain
of Office shows the symbol for the Borough of Cowbridge. Probably taken in the 1930's.
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| Glamorgan Constabulary (Cowbridge) c.1930 |
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| Merthyr Tydfil or 'A' Division, Glamorgan Constabulary c.1904 |
BELOW Neath Borough Police was
a small police force
that ceased to exist after 1947. It
was amalgamated to in that year
to become 'N' Division of the Glamorgan
Constabulary.
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| Neath Borough Police 1925 |
ABOVE.
A photograph of the Neath Borough Police taken
in 1925. This is probably the full Borough force at that time.
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| PC 'B' 22 Cardiff City Police c.1920 |
ABOVE Police Constable no B 22 Cardiff. 'B' Division would
have him stationed at Canton or Grangetown.
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| Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Police c.1910 |
MANY MORE PHOTOS OF POLICE HELMETS & POLICE INSIGNIA ON THE
NEXT PAGES. USE NAVIGATION BAR (TOP LEFT) ON THIS PAGE.
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| Some of my helmet collection |
| Swansea County Borough Police |
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| Senior officer's helmet c. 1890 |
| Swansea County Borough Police |
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| Senior officer's helmet c.1890 |
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| Glamorgan Constabulary senior officers helmet. |
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| Silver fittings. Probably a Superintendents helmet |
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| Glamorganshire (Aberdare) Constable c.1875 |
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| First pattern Glamorganshire Constabulary helmet plate c.1875 |
ABOVE 2 photos :
CDV photograph c 1875 showing the first style Glamorganshire Constabulary helmet with brim and comb, introduced
to replace the 'stove pipe' hat. Below that, an example of the first pattern helmet plate worn on that helmet, fitted
with the Constable's number. BELOW : Pre-1902 Cabinet
photograph of a Glamorgan Constable in the Merthyr Division. In 1908 Merthyr Tydfil became a police force in its own
right.
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| Glamorganshire Constabulary 'A' or Merthyr Division. c.1895 |
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| Glamorgan Constable 254 Jenkins, Pontypridd |
ABOVE: Police Constable
Frederick William Jenkins. Joined Glamorgan Constabulary 17.6.1905. Posted to Pontypridd 5.8.1905. Promoted 1st Class
Constable (one stripe) 16. 6.1906.
BELOW. Photograph
of the ex-servicemen of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Police who fought in the Great War 1914-1919. Inset photographs are
of the six men from that force who were killed in action.
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| Merthyr Tydfil Borough Police |
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| Glamorgan Constabulary 'armed' officers |
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| 3 different style Swansea Borough Police helmets c.1890 - 1969 |
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| Merthyr Division, Glamorgan Constabulary |
ABOVE: Group photograph
(also shown in closer detail lower left) of 'A' or Merthyr Division, Glamorgan Constabulary. Pictured top
right hand corner is the Divisional Commander Superintendent Anthony Gill. Quite likely to be a full photo of the whole
Division prior to the 1908 formation of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Police.
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| Glamorgan Constabulary mounted officers helmet |
A standard
uniform police helmet. When required for ceremonial duties, ball top removed and plume device was fitted.
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| Montgomeryshire Constabulary c.1890 |
Victorian period group of Montgomeryshire Constabulary
officers.
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| Glamorgan Constabulary Sergeant (Senghenydd Colliery) |
This Sergeant was stationed at Senghenydd
Colliery, near Caerphilly. c.1930.
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| Cardiganshire Constabulary helmet c. 1930 |
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| Merthyr Tydfil Borough Police senior officer c. 1910 |
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HAVE YOU
ANY OLD BRITISH POLICE HELMETS OR POLICE MEMORABILIA YOU MAY WISH TO DONATE / SELL - PLEASE E-MAIL
ME
HELMETS, CAPS, BADGES, PHOTGRAPHS, WHISTLES, HANDCUFFS, TRUNCHEONS
ETC....ANYTHING FROM A BUTTON TO A FULL UNIFORM. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GET IN TOUCH.
http://www.britishpolicehelmet.co.uk/google0f84b9f1ceb5418b.html
© The British Police Helmet
2006
All rights reserved
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