The Wallasey Fire Brigade Whilst the First Volume Is Focused on the Police Force
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This book is the second of two volumes covering the Wallasey Police and Fire Brigade. It concentrates on the history of the Wallasey Fire Brigade whilst the first volume is focused on the Police Force. However there is much of Police interest in the second volume as many officers were also Firemen – the Fire Bobbies. The Museum of Policing in Cheshire is grateful to the author, Noel E. Smith for the extensive research he has undertaken in writing these books and for his permission to reproduce them here. Presentation of Fire Medals. Left to right: Alderman John Aston, Walter Meacock, Tom West, Sam Pemberton and Mr EE Buschenfeld Fire Service Rank Markings HELMETS, HANDCUFFS AND HOSES The Story of The Wallasey Police and Fire Brigade Part Two WALLASEY FIRE BRIGADE by Noel E Smith Published by the Author: "Sandheys" 164 Rake Lane, Wallasey CH45 1JP Tel: 0151 639 6923 Design and Origination: Ian Boumphrey Telffax:0151 6087611 e ‐mail : ian@yesterdayswirral. co. uk Printed by: Printfine Ltd Gibraltar Row Liverpool L3 7HJ Tel: 0 1 5 1 242 0000 Website: www.printfine.co.uk ISBN: 0‐9517762‐4‐X I Price £6.95 Early History of Firefighting Firefighters have existed for many years. In about 510 to 82 BE bands of slaves were used to fight fires. They were called Familia Publica who were stationed by the City Gates and along the walls. The first Firefighters would have used leather buckets but it was not until Emperor Augustus took measures after many buildings were destroyed by fire in Rome in AD 6 that he set about organizing the first highly trained Fire Brigade, the Corps of Vigiles. They were each responsible for an area of Rome, there being 14 areas in all. There were 1,000 men in each area under the command of a centurion. The men had to be prepared to serve for 26 years but they could leave after six. Small houses were built for them. Their duty was to patrol the streets of a night acting as a sort of policeman during the hours of darkness and they were equipped with an axe and bucket. These were the forerunners of the Police‐Firemen in this country many years later. The Vigiles would use water bags which were made of animal skins and could be thrown into the fire. They also cut down branches from the nearby trees and used them as beaters. With their long hooks, they were able to pull away burning material from the roofs and walls. They had Dolebrae or pick axes to break down doors and the like; blankets were dipped into water and thrown over the flames; ladders or scalae were used to rescue people from upper windows. They used a simple type of pump and were later equipped with large brass syringes known as 'squirts' which two men held while the third operated the plunger. The Corps were divided into 'cohorts' or companies which were comlmanded by a 'Syphonarius' who was in charge of the pumping appliance. Other titles were aquarrus' ‐ this was a water carrier who kept the pump or 'siphos' and 'uncinarius' ‐ a hook man. Ring forth ye bells With clarion sound WS Gilbert Long fire‐hooks were used to pull down the burning thatch to stop the fire spreading In this country a bell would be rung when there was a fire. The Fire Bell was used at Canterbury in AD 4. Church bells were also used to muster villagers to the fire which would ring the bells in reverse peal. Firefighting commenced in Britain during the reign of King Alfred and in Norman times there was a nightly curfew bell which when rung the inhabitants had to cover their fires. This was known as Couvre Feu from which we get the word 'curfew'. This law was not popular with householders and was repealed in the time of Henry I (AD 1100 ‐ 1135). They were, however still obliged to keep a bucket of water by the fire. The Great Fire of London was responsible for the loss of 3,000 lives in all, many being trapped on London Bridge as the fire spread from both ends. Sketch of the Great Fire of London Steps were taken to prevent fires and controls were introduced. The first wheeled Fire Engine was developed by Alan Plater as early as 1518. Buckets and squirts were the norm of the day for most parts of the country followed by the simple hand‐operated pump. A Fire Engine of sorts was paraded in the City of London's Lord Mayor's Show in 1548. In 1625, Roger Jones patented a Fire Appliance and a two‐man Manual Engine was produced in the following year. It did not have wheels so had to be carried like a stretcher with the aid of poles and shoulder straps. In 1652 the City of Exeter obtained a fire vehicle. The second Great Fire of London happened in September 1666 with colossal results. Well over 13,000 houses were burnt to the ground as well as 89 churches and 52 halls. St Paul's Cathedral, the Guildhall and other prominent buildings went up in flames. Countless thousands of folk were left homeless but casualties were few. The fire lasted for four days. It all started in a baker's shop in Pudding Lane while the baker, Mr Frayof, was asleep in bed he was awakened by a man knocking and shouting. The baker and his family managed to climb on to the roof and escape but their maid servant, who was too afraid to follow, perished being one of the first persons to die as a result of the fire. The good thing that came out of the fire was the fact it cleared away the diseases of the Great Plague that had ravaged London in 1665. In most English villages fires had to be put out by use of the humble bucket. A line of people would pass them along from the source of water ‐ a horse‐trough, pond or brook. Acts of 1707 and l7l4 required every parish to provide horse‐drawn engines, hoses and ladders. With all probability, the first Fire Engines were those of I707 (Hand‐in‐Hand), 1716 (Sun Fire Office) and 1720 (Westminster Fire Office). A Volunteer Fire Brigade was established at Chester in 1709 and a Fire Engine House was built for five hand‐operated pumps. A new one was built in 176l and soon there were thirty Firemen. Some old churches have interesting relics. For instance, at Worlingworth in Suffolk there is an ancient Fire Engine of 1760 and at Kislingbury Northamptonshire, there are eight fire buckets bearing the date 1743. Other churches have long fire‐hooks that could be borrowed for pulling down the burning thatch from the cottages in the village. Rewards were offered to the first Fire Engine to arrive at a fire. Scottish cities took measures in setting up fire regulations in the early 1800s establishing proper fire brigades. Normally brigades did not charge for attending a fire but Manchester Council allowed their brigade to make a charge of £15. In 1824, the insurance company fire brigades in Edinburgh came under central control forming the Edinburgh Fire Engine Establishment with James Braidwood in command. The men wore blue jackets and canvas trousers, leather helmets styled on the pattern of the New Zealanders and an additional leather flap hung over the back of the helmet to prevent falling matter injuring the Fireman. London Fire Brigade dates from 1833. Prior to that date, brigades were maintained by insurance companies to protect properties that were insured by them against fire. One of the first companies was that of the Hope Insurance Company whose Firemen dressed in red and blue with helmets made of leather for head protection. James Braidwood left his post in Scotland to become Superintendent of the newly formed London Brigade. Other brigades followed within five years. The blue clad men of the Sun Insurance Comp any were well‐known by their large badge of a face of a shining sun with the word 'Sun Fire Officer' above. This company is now the Sun Alliance Insurance Group. They had Liverpool offices in Bank Buildings and Craig's Court in 1807. Mr C Pole was agent for the office at7 Old Church Yard. The insurance companies would fix a badge and number of the policy on the wall of insured buildings. These were originally made of lead but were changed to copper or iron. Examples of these can be seen in Chester. Their brigades were equipped with handcarts, ladders, leather buckets and squirts. Merryweather produced hose and ladder carts which were hauled manually and used by the insurance companies. They carted a short extension ladder, a couple of squirts and about a dozen leather buckets. A later model carried a hydrant stand‐pipe and a reel of canvas hose. The oldest of these insurance Brigades was the Amicable Contributionship (Hand‐in‐Hand) which was founded in 1696. The Phoenix, Sun Fire Office and Royal Exchange Assurance Company combined to fight fires in 1791 and were joined in 1826 by the London Assurance. The Firemen were part‐timers but soon became fulltime. An 18th Century act ordered the churchwardens to maintain at least one engine in every parish, and ladders to aid escape. They were also ordered to fix stop blocks and fire plugs at convenient distances upon all the main pipes in the parish, to place a mark in the street where they could be found, and to have a key ready to open the plugs, so that water might be easily obtained in case of fire.