Barling & Wakering Heritage - Wakering Police Officers 1840 to Present Day

Wakering Police Officers (Work in Progress)

Since the formation of Essex Constabulary in 1840

I wish to thank Becky Wash the Curator for Essex Police Museum and her assistant Bryan Turner for providing me with a list of all serving Police Officers in Great and Little Wakering since the formation of Essex County Constabulary in 1840 up until the end of World War II.

Essex Constabulary and Southend-on-Sea Borough Constabulary amalgamated in 1969 to become Essex and Southend-on-Sea Joint Constabulary, which was renamed as Essex Police in 1974. In 1977 Laurie Street was appointed Section Sergeant at Shoeburyness Police Station with overall responsibility for the Wakering beat. He held this position until he retired in 1988.

I will be adding to this information in order to bring it up to date. In my research, I have had the privilege of meeting up with and talking to ex-serving members of the force namely, Inspector Dudley Balls, Police Sergeant Laurence Street, Police Sergeant Fred Feathers, PC Colin Stockwell, PC Ken Corbett, PC Malcolm Young and PC Paul Wilgress. I have also spoken to Tony Blake who served as a detached beat officer at Stambridge Police Station for 28 years until 1991.

I have spoken to Jack Chapman the grandson of PC John Chapman who was the first officer to be based at Little Wakering Police Office in 1903 and he will hopefully update my information on him soon.

I have recently had the pleasure and privilege of meeting Kay Marshall, widow of the late PC John Marshall who was one of the first officers to live in the new police houses in High Street, Great Wakering. Read her memoirs here.

Essex Constabulary cast iron sign

Made at Maldon Ironworks

Photo courtesy of

Essex Police Museum Photo Gallery

Great Wakering Police Prior to 1951 the Police House was situated on the left (walking towards the church) just past the existing Co-operative Supermarket (probably where ‘Rag Mama Rag’ shop, 14 High Street, is today). In 1951 two new semi-detached houses were built in High Street, Great Wakering and PC Ken Griffiths was the first officer to move in to number 288, followed by PC John Marshall in to number 290. Circa 1969, four pairs of Semi-detached houses were built in Southend Road to accommodate incoming County Officers to take over the running of the Southend-on-Sea Borough Force. A superintendent, Chief inspector and others lived there in Police accommodation. They are still known as Police houses but are no longer Police owned. During the 2nd World War, a War Reserve Constable named LAYZELL lived at 304 high Street (not a Police house). War Reserves were similar to special constables but got paid. They did not wear a Helmet but a 'Peeked Cap' but apart from that they had the same powers as a Police Constable. There was a rumour that Layzell had previously been a Metropolitan Police Inspector and took up the post of War Reserve when he retired. He was reputed to be something of a tyrant and very officious.
Year	Name	Collar Number	Notes
September 2008	PCSO Julia Lamb	73473	Police Community Support Officer for Wakering, supporting PC Steve Thomas.
April 2006	PC Steve Thomas	441	Neighbourhood Constable for Wakering, based at Rochford Police Station.
	PC John WOODCOCK		Had a large pointed moustache.
1970	PC Colin STOCKWELL	711	Resigned on 25th January 1989 after 29 years service to pursue ‘another life’ in property renovation and maintenance. He came to Great Wakering from Rochford where he was the Area Car driver covering Hockley, Hawkwell, Hullbridge, Stambridge, Canewdon, Paglesham, Wallasea Island, Great Wakering, Little Wakering, Barling and Foulness Island. MOD Police were employed on Foulness Island for security, but the parish was policed by Essex Constabulary. Colin had a stroke on 13th January 1999 which affected his speech. His beloved wife Sandra died of Cancer.
1964	PC John LINE		Died in 2010.
1957	PC John BLAKIE	475	Served 25 years at Great Wakering. Moved into one of the newly built Police Houses in the High Street in 1957. John was living in Leigh-on-Sea when he died on the 4th December 2010 aged 79 years. He left his widowed wife Jean. He was cremated on Monday 20th December 2010 at 3.00pm, at Southend Crematorium. John served from 1956 to 1982 at Braintree, Brentwood, & Great Wakering.
1951	PC John MARSHALL		Served at Great Wakering from 1951 to 1955. He and his wife Kay moved into one of two brand new Police Houses at 290 High Street, Great Wakering. PC Ken Griffiths was already living in the other house. John died suddenly of a brain haemorrhage in 1984 and his widowed wife Kay has fond memories of her life as a policeman's wife in Great Wakering. I was privileged to meet her at her home on 27th January 2012 where she shared some of those memories with me.
1945	PC Ken (Leslie) GRIFFITHS	336	Peter Griffiths, Ken’ son, has given a very brief history of his father’s life which can be seen here.
1942	PC Frank TALBOT	750
1940	PC Edward SOUTHGATE	540
1939	PC Percy HUTTON	510
1938	PC John HOOPER	359
1937	PC George HOLLIDAY	550
1935	Sergeant George NEWMAN	81
1931	PC John PRIDDIS	488
1928	PC Frank SIMMONDS	475
1926	PC Albert GROUT	323
1923	PC Herbert SCOTT	465
1919	PC George ODDEY	231
1918	PC Arthur CRISP	113	Awarded Merit badge in 1915 for Meritorious conduct. Died 1937.
1917	PC Arthur PAYNE	318
1914	Sergeant Frederick PERRY	225
1914	PC Frederick PERKINS	374
1907	PC Ernest DRAIN	288
1900	PC Charles LAW	140
1900	PC Frederick CROSS	192
1889	PC Albert BAKER	32
1888	Sergeant William CLIFT	230	Retired 1908. Died 1938.
1887	PC Herbert WARD	73
1887	Superintendent George PHILLIBROWN	257
1880s	PC Anthony JOYCE	106
1859	PC Benjamin REYNOLDS	124	Died 1935.
1840	Inspector Abraham HINDS	19
1840	PC Johnathen AUSTIN	84
Little Wakering Police There was a painted finger board which carried the inscription ‘COUNTY POLICE’ and pointed towards the centre of the road opposite what was the Post Office which was situated in the front room of Mrs Dawkin's house who was the Post mistress.
1938	PC Arthur GARDINER	497
1934	PC Charles LEE	140
1926	Sergeant Arthur MOTT	102
1919	PC Frank HARVEY	427
1903	PC John CHAPMAN	151