Wakefield Family History Sharing
Extracts from
Walkers History of Wakefield
2nd edition 1939 (privately printed)
Chief Constables 1745 - 1848
Towards the end of the first half of the 1800's much dissatisfaction was felt in the streets of Wakefield in consequende of the inadequate government by the Streets' Commisioners. These men published no accounts as to how money was raised and even more upsetting how the money was spent. As a result of this streets were neglected, dirty and unsafe for people. Another cause for consern was that townsmen had no choice in the selection of these Commissioners who filled up vacancies upon death or removal at their own pleasure. 1847 saw a committee raised to prepare an Act for the better governing of the town. A public meeting held on April 21st in the Court House saw resolutions made for better paving in the street, draining, lighting and sanitary regulations and more especially the ineficient state of the police. This meeting resulted in an application for a Charter of Incorporation being forthwith made to the Queen in Council. The Queen had instructed the Privy Council that a petition being taken into consideration and as a result Wakefield was granted the Charter on March 15 1848. The Charter granted for a Mayor, 8 Alderman and 24 Councillers. The first election took place nine days later and resulted in George William Harrison being elected the first Mayor of the Borough and as a result the first borough police force came into being. Street Commissioners, however, still retained control of the streets and sanitary administration of the town until the Public Health Act of 1853.
| Year | Chief Constable | Year | Chief Constable |
| 1745 | William Naylor | 1797 | William Whitaker |
| 1746 | William Beatson | 1798 | William Whitaker |
| 1747 | William Beatson | 1799 | John Barker |
| 1748 | William Beatson | 1800 | John Barker |
| 1749 | William Nevison | 1801 | William Walton |
| 1750 | Joseph Willis | 1802 | Richard Earnshaw |
| 1751 | John Milnes, junior | 1803 | Joseph Tolson |
| 1752 | Robert Tidswell | 1804 | Michael Bentley |
| 1753 | Francis Norton | 1805 | Thomas Rishworth |
| 1754 | William Parker | 1806 | William J Kendall |
| 1755 | George Charnock | 1807 | William Burrell |
| 1756 | Matthew Burgin | 1808 | John Holdsworth |
| 1757 | Richard Wright | 1809 | Thomas Johnson |
| 1758 | John Buxton | 1810 | James Teale |
| 1759 | Jeremiah Naylor | 1811 | James Teale |
| 1760 | Samuel Zouch | 1812 | John Soulby |
| 1761 | Samuel Steer | 1813 | Robert Rayner |
| 1762 | Joseph Shepherd | 1814 | Harpet Soulby |
| 1763 | Giles Rickaby | 1815 | William Spicer |
| 1764 | Francis Maude | 1816 | William Barff |
| 1765 | Richard Tennant | 1817 | Joshua Swallow |
| 1766 | Westley Hatfield | 1818 | Jeremiah Todd Naylor |
| 1767 | Westley Hatfield | 1819 | Thomas Johnson |
| 1768 | Thomas Moyle | 1820 | Thomas Shaw |
| 1769 | Richard Stovin | 1821 | George Westerman |
| 1770 | Timothy Heald | 1822 | George Addey |
| 1771 | Edward Ridsdale | 1823 | James Rusher |
| 1772 | Daniel Maude | 1824 | Johnathan Barthrop |
| 1773 | Thomas Hardy | 1825 | Thomas White |
| 1774 | Matthew Craven | 1826 | John Barron Billam |
| 1775 | William Pindar | 1827 | William Holdsworth |
| 1776 | Joseph Hargreaves | 1828 | Laurence Hitchon |
| 1777 | John Bayldon | 1829 | Thomas Barff |
| 1778 | Francis Maude | 1830 | Joseph Gosnay |
| 1779 | Robert Lumb | 1831 | Joseph Holdsworth |
| 1780 | John Earnshaw | 1832 | George Craven |
| 1781 | John Naylor | 1833 | George Craven |
| 1782 | Charles Spencer | 1834 | Richard Dunn |
| 1783 | Joseph Walker | 1835 | John Barff |
| 1784 | Charles Rickaby | 1836 | George Green |
| 1785 | Benjamin Heywood | 1837 | Thomas Tootal |
| 1786 | Thomas Lang | 1838 | Richard Burrell |
| 1787 | Thomas Lang | 1839 | William Hansell |
| 1788 | Thomas Hardy | 1840 | James Thompson |
| 1789 | Richard Tennant, junior | 1841 | James Thompson |
| 1790 | Jeremiah Naylor | 1842 | James Thompson |
| 1791 | George Oxley | 1843 | Thomas Haigh |
| 1792 | William Steer | 1844 | Thomas Haigh |
| 1793 | Henry Andrews | 1845 | John Flatman |
| 1794 | Benjamin Kennett | 1846 | John Flatman |
| 1795 | Andrew Peterson | 1847 | Samuel H Armitage |
| 1796 | John Ridsdale | 1848 | John Flatman |
The Chief or High Constable was elected on the first day of October each year from amongs the principal inhabitants of the town. After his election he attended the Moot Hall where he was sworn in by the Steward of the Manor. This was followed by a rather substantial luncheon at the Manor House Inn. When Mr William Holdsworth was elected to the office he gave a dinner at which a round of beef weighting 8 stones was roasted in one piece and a pine-apple weighing 7 1/2lb, obtained from the pinery of Sir John Lister-Kaye, Denby Grange was served with grapes and melons.
The Constables had great authority and the staff he carried, according to J W Walker, was no empty symbol. The duties of the Chief Constable included : execution of Magistrates' warrants, apprehension of prisoners, relief of vagrants and of returning them to other towns, the upkeep of the ducking stool, pillory and pinfold, the saver and the butts in the Ings and to ensure the pinder, bellman and the waits all carried out their duties.
In 1870 a notification arrived from the Home Office that a separate Commission of the Peace had been granted to Wakefield and the Lord Chancellor forwarded a list of new Justices : Samuel Holdsworth, Edward Alexander Mackie, Joseph Rhodes, William Hartley Lee, William Statter, Joseph Tolson White, Isaac Briggs, Samuel Bruce, Alfred William Stansfield, William Henry Bedford Tomlinson and Richard Holdsworth.
Wakefield as the civil and political centre of the West Riding had seen over the years various many uproarious scenes following 1832. To read fully the events read 'Wakefield its History and People' by J W Walker OBE FSA