Genealogy Blog

It may seem like a random subject with which to begin a genealogy blog, but everything has to begin somewhere, so I’ll dedicate this article to my Great Great Grandfather Thomas Mules, who left the leafy Devon countryside and a bootmaker’s apprenticeship, for the smoky streets of London, lured by the prospect of employment with the fledgling Metropolitan Police Force.
The practice of recruiting from rural parts appears to have been common, perhaps the country lads were in better health than their urban cousins.
In any case Thomas rose to the rank of Inspector by 1881, then fell back on his shoemaking skills during his retirement. Thus our family arrived in London, ironically we now spend most of our leisure time fleeing back to Devon!

A fair abundance of resources exist for those of us researching our Police Ancestors. For those with a specific interest in the Met, I would recommend:

• The History of the Metropolitan Police.
• The National Archives Research Guide on Metrapolitan Police Service Records.
• The Family History page of History by the Yard which includes a useful guide to Warrant numbers.

The Police History Society acts as a focal point for those interested in researching Police History in general, and has a useful links and resources section, including links to other forces websites.

Jackie Marsh.