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John Barker, photographer, of 20 Fitzwilliam Street, Sheffield


Steve457

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I have recently acquired this carte de visit depicting Police Constable 383 of the Sheffield City Police.  He is posing with his police helmet at his left-hand elbow, bearing a Victorian crown helmet plate of a pattern believed to have been used between 1865 and 1893.  An internet search for the photographer has so far revealed a number of photographers operating from this address over the years, but not the photographer given on the card, John Barker, Portrait & Landscape Photographer, of 20 Fitzwilliam Street, Sheffield.  Looking at Google Street View it is quite clear that Fitzwilliam Street has been redeveloped and the buildings are late 20th century.

Is anybody able to give me any more information on this photographer and the dates that he operated from this address please?

Does anyone know who Pc 383 was and whereabout in the city he was stationed please?

                                                                                                    

 

 

 

Pc 383 Sheffield City Police.jpg

Pc 383 [reverse].jpg

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The premises at 20 Fitzwilliam Street had been used by artist George Hodgson, but by in the late 1870's were occupied by Hum and Bishopp, photographers. Their partnership was dissolved in November 1879 and David Hum ran the studios until at least 1882. By 1890 F.A. Wilkinson was running his photography studio there, but in July 1893 had not paid his rent and his property was auctioned off "by virtue of Her Majesty's writ".  In February 1894 John Barker advertised that he had taken over from Wilkinson, and all pictures that Wilkinson had already been paid for, could be collected. By 1901 the studio was being run by John Dixon Tyson, who remained there until his death, aged 33, on 12th February 1906.

Samuel Flint was born on 27th February 1873 in Tideswell to father Alfred, a limestone quarryman. After briefly working in the quarry, Samuel joined the Sheffield police (Central District, number 383) in May 1894 and spent most of his uniformed career in that District. In March 1896 he stopped a runaway horse outside the Twelve O'Clock Inn at Attercliffe, and in October that year a Grimesthorpe fight occupied him.  In 1897 he dealt with an overladen horse in Upwell Street and a house fire at Catherine Street, Burngreave.  In 1898 it was an unruly bus queue waiting in the rain at Grimesthorpe, then in 1899 another overladen horse, this time at Spital Hill.

Samuel was promoted to the Detective Department in May 1899, and his plain clothes career was in the Brightside Division. One of his cases was a cyanide poisoning in 1900.  At the 1901 census he was living at 50 Gray Street, Pitsmoor, with his wife Florence.  In 1907 the Detective Department was re-organised and Detective Constable Flint (number 393 now) was promoted to Detective Sergeant.

In November 1908 he took an examination for promotion to Inspector and scored 908 points out of a possible 1,150. He had to wait until 18th July 1912 to achieve the rank of Inspector.  However his next promotion took place very quickly and in October 1912 he became Chief Divisional Inspector for the Brightside Division. In July 1918 he was promoted to Superintendent. At the 1911 Census he was living at 18 Cranworth Street, and the household included his younger brother Charles, also a policeman.

In 1923 Samuel was entitled to retire, but the Watch Committee found him fit for further service and approved a pension of at least £353 when he decided to take it.  In September 1928 Whitehall decreed a reduction in police numbers due to the success of the police telephone box scheme, and two superintendents had to go. Flint was one of them, and compulsory retirement was proposed.  Councillor Jackson proposed a motion of disapproval and unsuccessfully asked the Committee to reconsider.  However Samuel was forced to retire in 1929. By 1939 he was living at 39 Mountfield Road.  He died at 95 Mount View Road on 6th September 1946 and left in his will £2,760 18s 5d.

His brother Charles was also a successful policeman - he joined the force in 1909 and also became a detective. In May 1934 he became a superintendent and was in charge of the famous Plummer murder case. Charles retired in November 1937.

 

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Edmund...... .......wow!  Thank you so much for your response!  Not only do I now know a bit more about the photographer, but a whole more about the subject, the latter being my main focus in this case.  Thank you so much.

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