Hi,
I'm wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction of Shropshire Police Constable records from mid Victorian era (1850's - 1870's). I've recently found that my 3x great grandfather Edwin Onions sometimes spelled O'nions was a police constable in Shifnal, possibly neighbouring villages during the period of 1850's - early 1870's. Edwin and his family left for Wigan around 1873.
Edwin's wife was Jane Onions, from Waterford in Ireland, the 1871 census has them as living in Shifnal.
I appreciate that my information above is brief but would anyone be able to advise where I can go to research him or police employment records which would still have been the early days of the police force.
Regards
Dan
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Hello Dan
In the 1980's the late Douglas J. Elliott wrote a book 'Policing Shropshire 1836-1967' ISBN 0 947731 01 6 which is long out of print but does come up on the second market from time to time. Whilst the book rarely mentions individual police officers, during the research for the book he compiled a card index of every police officer in Shropshire during the period of his research. The card index can only be searched by making a personal visit to Shropshire Archives in Shrewsbury but if you don't live locally the staff may be willing to look up one particular individual if you can provide enough information to identify him like his name and dates that you know he was at Shifnal.
An alternative possible source of information, although less detailed, may be found in the Shropshire Quarter Sessions Records if your relative had to give evidence in the trial of a prisoner he had dealt with. These records can now be searched on the Find my Past (subscription) web site. If he moved to Shifnal from elsewhere then these records might give a clue but be aware that there may well be more than one person with that name.
You may like to contact Shifnal Local History Group to see if they have any information.
Mike