![Letter reading:
"A POLICE CENTENARY
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES
Sir.- It may interest your readers to know that 1949 marks the second centenary of the first attempt to form a British police force. This was at Bow Street, where a public office had been opened in 1739 by Sir Thomas De Veil. In 1748 Henry Fielding, novelist, playwright, and barrister, was appointed to the office and was shortly joined by his blind half-brother John Fielding (later Sir John), who succeeded him, remaining at Bow Street until his death in 1780. Towards the end of 1749 the first Fielding created a small force of paid regular police recruited from the unpaid parish constables. They later were to develop into the once famous or infamous Bow Street Runners and the horse patrols.
In calling attention to this and in an effort to fill in the gaps in early police history, I wonder if any of your readers have stowed away in their attics and lumber rooms any items of interest regarding police history, particularly in regard to Bow Street, that they now have no further use for or interest in? These might well be old prints of Bow Street and the parish constables in Westminster; items of the old watchmen's or constables' clothing or equipment, such as lanthorns [sic], staves, warrants, rattles, &c.; books, newspapers, press cuttings, or even old letters which have some bearing on police history. In celebrating this second centenary, I have in mind the formation of a small museum at Bow Street which will be of great interest to visiting police officials from all over the world. Should any of your readers feel inclined to assist us in this not unworthy cause, we shall be most grateful,
Yours faithfully,
A. W. ROWLERSON, Chief Superintendent.
28, Bow Street, W.C.w, Sept. 17."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:jfhf44tj2dhltodlzdvcpgqh/bafkreicwabt34hniiyt3fc73w4uhfingqw2xnrkwjsct3vol2ri5vuifia)
Letter reading:
"A POLICE CENTENARY
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES
Sir.- It may interest your readers to know that 1949 marks the second centenary of the first attempt to form a British police force. This was at Bow Street, where a public office had been opened in 1739 by Sir Thomas De Veil. In 1748 Henry Fielding, novelist, playwright, and barrister, was appointed to the office and was shortly joined by his blind half-brother John Fielding (later Sir John), who succeeded him, remaining at Bow Street until his death in 1780. Towards the end of 1749 the first Fielding created a small force of paid regular police recruited from the unpaid parish constables. They later were to develop into the once famous or infamous Bow Street Runners and the horse patrols.
In calling attention to this and in an effort to fill in the gaps in early police history, I wonder if any of your readers have stowed away in their attics and lumber rooms any items of interest regarding police history, particularly in regard to Bow Street, that they now have no further use for or interest in? These might well be old prints of Bow Street and the parish constables in Westminster; items of the old watchmen's or constables' clothing or equipment, such as lanthorns [sic], staves, warrants, rattles, &c.; books, newspapers, press cuttings, or even old letters which have some bearing on police history. In celebrating this second centenary, I have in mind the formation of a small museum at Bow Street which will be of great interest to visiting police officials from all over the world. Should any of your readers feel inclined to assist us in this not unworthy cause, we shall be most grateful,
Yours faithfully,
A. W. ROWLERSON, Chief Superintendent.
28, Bow Street, W.C.w, Sept. 17."
We mark 12 April 1875 as the Crime Museum's 'birthday', when its first two curators were appointed. For the Police Museum side, it's 21 September 1949, when this letter from C/Supt Arthur Rowlerson was published in @thetimes.com, already envisaging both a museum & an archive. #ArchivePast #Archive30
![Black and white photograph of a group of men playing cricket in front of a historic building. The players are dressed in 1940s clothing (not sportswear) and are wearing gas masks on their faces. [The National Archives’ catalogue reference PRO 50/59.]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:z6w722wems5e4prbvuf6dggj/bafkreie4fwfewh776lhk77zv3i2mffrsc5gab624a5je646vacjslr4zpa)
