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The Metropolitan Police 1829.pptx

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EDEXCEL GCSE HISTORY · PAPER 1 · CRIME & PUNISHMENT

The Metropolitan Police, 1829

c1700-c1900

Chapter 3: Crime and punishment in Britain, c1700-c1900, c1700-c1900

Lesson 4 of 4

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EDEXCEL GCSE HISTORY · PAPER 1 · CRIME & PUNISHMENT

Learning Objectives

Chapter 3: Crime and punishment in Britain, c1700-c1900, c1700-c1900

Lesson 4 of 4

Describe law enforcement before 1829, including watchmen and the Bow Street Runners.

Explain why the Metropolitan Police was set up in 1829.

Explain how policing developed after 1829, and why the police were at first unpopular.

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EDEXCEL GCSE HISTORY · PAPER 1 · CRIME & PUNISHMENT

Setting the Scene

Chapter 3: Crime and punishment in Britain, c1700-c1900, c1700-c1900

Lesson 4 of 4

In 1700 there was still no professional police force. Towns relied on unpaid parish constables and night watchmen, who were often old, poorly paid and easily bribed. As London grew into the largest city in the world, it became clear that this system could not cope.

1749

Henry Fielding sets up the Bow Street Runners in London.

1805

The Bow Street Horse Patrol guards the roads around London.

1829

Robert Peel's Metropolitan Police Act creates the Metropolitan Police.

1842

The Metropolitan Police sets up a Detective Department.

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EDEXCEL GCSE HISTORY · PAPER 1 · CRIME & PUNISHMENT

Law Enforcement Before 1829

Chapter 3: Crime and punishment in Britain, c1700-c1900, c1700-c1900

Lesson 4 of 4

A patchy system that relied on individuals rather than an organised force.

Watchmen

Night watchmen patrolled towns, but were often old, badly paid and mocked as "Charleys".

Constables

Parish constables were ordinary men who served for a year, usually unpaid and untrained.

Thief-takers

Private individuals who caught criminals for rewards - some, like Jonathan Wild, were criminals themselves.

Bow Street Runners

Set up in 1749 by magistrate Henry Fielding and his half-brother John: a small, paid team who investigated crimes and caught criminals.

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EDEXCEL GCSE HISTORY · PAPER 1 · CRIME & PUNISHMENT

Why Was the Metropolitan Police Set Up?

Chapter 3: Crime and punishment in Britain, c1700-c1900, c1700-c1900

Lesson 4 of 4

Several pressures came together in the 1820s.

A growing city

London's population had grown enormously, and the old system could not cope.

Rising crime

Crime appeared to be rising, and the Bloody Code was not stopping it.

Fear of unrest

Riots and protests made the government want better control of the streets.

Bow Street's success

The Runners showed that a paid, organised force could work.

Robert Peel

As Home Secretary, Peel persuaded Parliament to act.

Prevention

Peel wanted to prevent crime by having police visible on the streets.

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EDEXCEL GCSE HISTORY · PAPER 1 · CRIME & PUNISHMENT

The First Police Officers

Chapter 3: Crime and punishment in Britain, c1700-c1900, c1700-c1900

Lesson 4 of 4

A "Peeler" of the 1830s.

Nineteenth-century illustration; public domain copies on Wikimedia Commons.

The Metropolitan Police began in 1829 with around 3,200 constables. They were deliberately made to look different from soldiers, to reassure a public that feared a military-style force.

THE FIRST "PEELERS"

Uniform

A blue tailcoat and top hat, not a red army coat.

Equipment

A wooden truncheon and a rattle to call for help.

Beats

Constables walked set routes, or beats, around the clock.

Discipline

Strict rules - many early recruits were sacked for drunkenness.

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EDEXCEL GCSE HISTORY · PAPER 1 · CRIME & PUNISHMENT

Opposition to the New Police

Chapter 3: Crime and punishment in Britain, c1700-c1900, c1700-c1900

Lesson 4 of 4

Not everyone welcomed the "Peelers" or "Bobbies".

Cost

People resented paying for the police through local taxes.

Liberty

Many feared the police would be used to spy on people, like the police in France.

Early problems

Many early recruits were dismissed, often for drunkenness.

Gaining trust

Over time, the police's focus on preventing crime and keeping order helped them gain acceptance.

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EDEXCEL GCSE HISTORY · PAPER 1 · CRIME & PUNISHMENT

How Policing Spread

Chapter 3: Crime and punishment in Britain, c1700-c1900, c1700-c1900

Lesson 4 of 4

The Metropolitan Police became a model for the whole country.

1829

Metropolitan Police set up in London.

1839

Counties were allowed, but not forced, to set up police forces.

1842

The Met set up a Detective Department to investigate crimes.

1856

The County and Borough Police Act made police forces compulsory across the country.

1878

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was formed.

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EDEXCEL GCSE HISTORY · PAPER 1 · CRIME & PUNISHMENT

Key Terms

Chapter 3: Crime and punishment in Britain, c1700-c1900, c1700-c1900

Lesson 4 of 4

Watchman

A man paid to patrol a town at night, often old and ineffective.

Parish constable

An unpaid local man who kept order for a year.

Thief-taker

A private individual who caught criminals for rewards.

Bow Street Runners

A small paid force set up by Henry Fielding in London in 1749.

Metropolitan Police

London's professional police force, set up by Robert Peel in 1829.

Peelers / Bobbies

Nicknames for the first police officers, after Robert Peel.

CID

The Criminal Investigation Department, formed in 1878.

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EDEXCEL GCSE HISTORY · PAPER 1 · CRIME & PUNISHMENT

Summary & Exam Focus

Before 1829, law enforcement relied on watchmen, constables and thief-takers.

The Bow Street Runners (1749) showed that paid officers could work.

Robert Peel created the Metropolitan Police in 1829 to prevent crime.

By 1856 every area had to have a police force.

EXAM FOCUS

Explain why the Metropolitan Police was set up in 1829. (12 marks)

Explain several factors - London's growth, crime, fear of unrest, Peel - and link each one to the decision.

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