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Researching police officer death Manchester 1918


LeadFarmer

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Anyone know any links for searching newspaper articles etc for historical news?

I'd like to find out more details of a police officer relative of mine who died on duty on 1st January 1918 whilst serving in Salford Greater Manchester Police

 

Robert Walter Croston Chapman 

Police Constable

Died 1st January 1918. Aged 42 

Salford Borough Police

He was discovered unconscious in the roadway in Bury New Road, near to the Greek Church where he had been patrolling. He had sustained head injuries which subsequently proved fatal.

 

 

PC Robert Walter Croston Chapman .jpg

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4 hours ago, LeadFarmer said:

Anyone know any links for searching newspaper articles etc for historical news?

I'd like to find out more details of a police officer relative of mine who died on duty on 1st January 1918 whilst serving in Salford Greater Manchester Police

 

Robert Walter Croston Chapman 

Police Constable

Died 1st January 1918. Aged 42 

Salford Borough Police

He was discovered unconscious in the roadway in Bury New Road, near to the Greek Church where he had been patrolling. He had sustained head injuries which subsequently proved fatal.

 

 

PC Robert Walter Croston Chapman .jpg

Manchester Evening News 08 January 1918

Sheffield 1A.JPG

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Wow, thats brilliant, i really appreciate you finding this for me.

PC Chapman was my grandfathers uncle. My grandfather also became a police officer in Rotherham, then Sheffield and then South Yorkshire Police until he retired in 1976.

Its nice to be able to find something out about PC Chapman, as all my grandfather knew was he had died 'coming off duty'. 

Thanks again.

 

I now need to find a census for that year to see what house number Park Street he lived at. I see that Park Street is still there in Higher Broughton, Salford

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Brilliant syrup, thank you, I am very grateful. Are those documents available to purchase from the relevant council?

I have been in touch with Greater Manchester Police museum who have provided his service information...

 

Chapman

Collar No. 85

Born. 4 December 1874

Age on joining. 22

Height. 5'9

Physical description. Chest 36", dark brown hair, grey eyes, fresh complexion.

Trade. Moulder

Protestant

Single

Born. Salford

Joined as probationer. 19th April 1897

Appointment confirmed. 18th october 1897

Disciplinaries. 

1898. Neglecting to work beat from 3.15 - 3.35 am

1900. Failing to discover the door insecure of a lock up shop at 8.35pm

1902. Failing to discover a gas light burning in the upstairs front room of the Pendleton Co-Operative Society, lock up shop.

1904. Disobedience of order by not [...] a thermometer at the shop. 

1910. Absenting himself from drill parade at Broughton at 2.45pm also for neglecting to call at the police office. 

 

Date and cause of retirement. Died, Widow and children 1.1.1918. Granted a gratuity of £152-1-8, equal to one months pay for every completed year of approved service. 

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 I should imagine that you can get copies of all these from the relevant Register office but they will only be the same as these it would be easier to copy and print these. Here are some more for you to look at, Birth, 1881 & 1891 Census and Marriage. ( There seems to be a difference in birth years i'm thinking this could be down to the transcriber. )

Chapman 1.JPG

Chapman 2.JPG

Chapman 3.JPG

Chapman 4.JPG

Chapman 5.JPG

Chapman 6.JPG

Chapman 7.JPG

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Some good reading for me there syrup, thanks for taking the time to find those documents.

I do know that Robert Chapmans mother - Margery Green, was married previously, obviously to a Chapman, but I believe this husband died. She then took in a lodger, (Thomas Green?), and ended up marrying him (as per your document) and having further children.

The family story goes that his mother Marjery Green (or possibly one of her daughters) whilst a child lived in Alnwick Northumberland, and whilst trying to use the village water pump a finely dressed gentleman on horseback approached. She asked the gent if he could help work the pump for her, which he did. As she walked away she was told by locals that the gent was non other than the Duke of Northumberland and how dare she make him pump water for her 😀

Apparently the pump is still there today..

 

 

 

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