Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 10-23-2015 12:00 AM Detective Policing and the State in Nineteenth-century England: The Detective Department of the London Metropolitan Police, 1842-1878 Rachael Griffin The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Allyson N. May The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in History A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Doctor of Philosophy © Rachael Griffin 2015 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the European History Commons Recommended Citation Griffin, Rachael, "Detective Policing and the State in Nineteenth-century England: The Detective Department of the London Metropolitan Police, 1842-1878" (2015). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 3427. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/3427 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DETECTIVE POLICING AND THE STATE IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY ENGLAND: THE DETECTIVE DEPARTMENT OF THE LONDON METROPOLITAN POLICE, 1842-1878 Thesis format: Monograph by Rachael Griffin Graduate Program in History A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of History The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada © Rachael Griffin 2016 Abstract and Keywords This thesis evaluates the development of surveillance-based undercover policing in Victorian England through an examination of the first centralized police detective force in the country, the Detective Department of the London Metropolitan Police (1842-1878). It argues that the Detective Department overcame British fears that detective police were incompatible with individual liberty and parliamentary democracy, making the English detective a familiar and reliable public servant. The Detective Department, which worked from Scotland Yard, was formed in 1842 in response to criticism that the Metropolitan Police was unable to successfully investigate homicide. This was a surprising development in a country where property crime had always spurred developments in criminal justice. London’s newspapers played a key role in the creation of this detective force by creating a murder scare and demanding that the Metropolitan Police devote more specialized attention to complicated investigations, including homicide. The new detective force remained small to protect the police from accusations of spying. Since murders were infrequent, the new detectives devoted most of their attention to property crime, especially theft. During the 1860s and the economically depressed 1870s, detective priorities reflected a government crackdown on forgery and fraud, crimes that threatened the paper economy upon which Britain’s industrial and mercantile power rested. Detectives also regularly worked for the Home Office to help supplement limited investigative machinery in the counties. Scotland Yard detectives routinely travelled throughout England helping local magistrates investigate felonies ranging from homicide to arson. Scotland Yard’s close relationship with the Home Office was unique in England and resulted from London’s lack of municipal authority. For this reason, Metropolitan Police detectives often acted as agents of the British government, especially when they monitored foreign nationals and refugees that arrived in England following European revolutions in 1830 and 1848. Detectives’ non-felony work for the Home Office, which also included evaluating naturalization applications and performing extraditions, offers a new perspective on Victorian detectives and their cases that current historiography neglects. Keywords: detectives; police; England; newspapers; surveillance; white-collar crime; homicide; extradition; naturalization; spies. ii Dedication To my parents, for encouraging me, and to my grandfather, for teaching me the value of history. iii Acknowledgements There are a great many people to thank for their contributions to this project. Foremost is my wonderful supervisor, Allyson May. I could not have asked for a better mentor. I was her first doctoral student, though, I heartily hope, not her last. Her consistent interest and unwavering support gave me confidence when I had little and I will never forget her generosity towards me. I also learned a great deal from Amy Bell, who advised me at various stages, including during my comprehensive exams. I appreciate the seriousness (but also the fun) with which she approached my work and I am indebted to her presence in my doctoral life. Similar appreciation is due to Neville Thompson, my second reader, whose zest for history is infectious and whose encouraging words are always given in perfect time. My family deserves no less credit. My parents, Ann and Peter, and my siblings, Matthew and Hannah, have all been supportive, curious and, at times, understandably confused about the long process of writing a doctoral thesis. Nevertheless, they good-naturedly accepted the stacks of books I schlepped to their houses and the non-committal grunts they received in response to the question, “how’s the thesis?” Endless thanks are due to my graduate student colleagues. Our many shared experiences and their good humour and dedication inspired me and reinforced my commitment to this project. In particular, I would like to acknowledge Oliver Charbonneau, Tim Compeau, Michelle Hutchinson-Grondin, Dorotea Gucciardo, Steve Marti, Erin Pocock and Nicolas Virtue for their support. Danielle Demiantschuk, Claire Halstead, Stephen Grandpre and Agnes Herra deserve special thanks for reading and commenting on drafts at various stages. I must also thank our fantastic librarians, especially Elizabeth Mantz and David Murphy, for their help and friendship over the years and for letting me renew books more times than should ever be allowed. It took a village to write this thesis and I am grateful to everyone who had any part in helping it succeed. iv Table of Contents Abstract and Keywords ....................................................................................................... ii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ v List of Tables ................................................................................................................... viii List of Figures .................................................................................................................... ix List of Appendices .............................................................................................................. x Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... xi Preface............................................................................................................................... xii 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 The English Criminal Justice System ..................................................................... 1 1.2 Historiography ...................................................................................................... 13 1.3 Intentions............................................................................................................... 35 1.4 Outline................................................................................................................... 39 2 Investigating Murder .................................................................................................... 43 2.1 From Candlesticks to Cadavers? ........................................................................... 44 2.2 Murder: The Immediate Threat ............................................................................. 45 2.3 Coroners in a New Age of Policing ...................................................................... 50 2.4 Murder and the Birth of Detective Policing .......................................................... 61 2.5 The Backlash ......................................................................................................... 80 2.6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 84 3 A Detective Police for London: Personnel and Practice .............................................. 86 3.1 The First Detectives .............................................................................................. 87 3.2 Career Trajectories ................................................................................................ 94 v 3.2.1 Recruiting Detectives ................................................................................ 94 3.2.2 Years of Uniformed Service ................................................................... 106 3.2.3 Years of Detective Service.....................................................................