The old chipping campden police station
Made in collaboration with The Chipping Campden History Society
Research and collect information on 9 cases of fantastic people, read multiple funny excuses used as an attempt of being free from their crimes and over all intriguing stories of the people of Chipping Campden and the police station.
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Please Note: Almost All information a writing on this site comes directly from the Chipping Campden History Society who you can find in the link directly below.
People
History
Overall Basic History:
Sir Robert Peel’s 1839 Constabulary Act allowed counties to start up police forces paid out of the rates, and Gloucestershire wasted no time in agreeing to form a County Force, appointing the first Chief Constable in November of that year.
At first there were only Superintendents and Constables, but Sergeants were introduced as the Force got larger. In 1844 Superintendent William Sale Evans was in charge at Campden, working from the first Police Station on the corner of Cidermill Lane near where the school is now.
‘The Superintendents of the Gloucestershire Constabulary will so arrange the duty at the different stations in their Districts that each man will have a whole night’s rest in the week except anything extraordinary shall occur. 8th July 1856’
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New Police Station:
The Police Station and Magistrates Court in Chipping Campden was built on the site of two houses and gardens at a cost of £2500(around 250,000 pounds today).The date and inscription on the front reads ‘County Police Station 1871’.
The new building contained housing for the Superintendent of Police and the Sergeant and their families as well as three cells(which remain the same today),offices and a Court Room.
The builder was Emmanuel Tomes, who also was the owner of Westington Quarry.
At this time Superintendent William Monk was in charge. He was followed by Superintendent John Matthews, who was listed at the Station in the 1881 Census together with Sergeant Edward Bunker, and their respective families.
Superintendents of Police clearly had some standing in the community.
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Re-organisation:
In 1910 the Force was reorganized into 11 Divisions, but Campden still retained it's status as ‘A’ Division covering the North Cotswolds.
Supt. Edward Albert Bunker followed his father into the service, and took charge in Campden in 1920, until his retirement in 1932, when he was followed by Supt. Frederick John Williams, and then Supt. Frederick Wearing.
With the build-up to World War ll the requirement for backup resources became more important and plans were made to increase the strength of the Special Constabulary. Campden was in C2 Division, with ‘the importance necessarily attached to a frontier post ……. The special problems of liaison with adjoining constabularies have strongly influenced the details and work for local Specials…’
(The War Record Book)
Dying Down:
The County Divisions were gradually amalgamated over the years, and the Divisional Headquarters were firstly moved to Cirencester in 1962 and then to Cheltenham. The last Superintendent in Campden was Supt Baker.
In the mid-1950s a house was purchased in Aston Road for the Inspector and his family. The stable at the Police Station was converted into a modern garage block with rooms above for single men’s quarters, but they were in fact never occupied, the constables preferring to continue lodging locally.
In 1966 the Police Station was renovated, with a flat upstairs for the Sergeant and his family, and changed arrangements for the Courts and Magistrates’ retiring rooms.
In 1968 the police sub-divisional headquarters was relocated to Stow-on-the-Wold Station, and Inspector Eric Markham moved there, leaving Sgt. Des Gay in charge of Campden Police Station, where he remained until his retirement in 1981.
Since the Police Station closed in 1999 Sgt Mike Bundy has been the Sergeant in charge of the area, working from Moreton-in-Marsh Station.
In 2001 a Police Information Point was set up at Malvern Strollers, where Rural Beat Officer PC Christopher Skinner, calls to collect messages and enquiries.
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Women Join The Bench:
In 1915, a new Magistrate was needed to replace Brigadier Jacson, and Dr Dewhurst said
‘if possible a gentleman who was a sportsman and a man of energy who would take the lead in social and spiritual life’.
In 1931 Miss G B Sheppey heard her first case as a magistrate. The first woman magistrate at this court.
Mrs Frances Spurgin, Magistrate from 1943-1970, played a prominent role in magisterial affairs both in Britain and overseas, becoming Vice-President of the Magistrates Association of England and Wales, and the only woman President of the International Association of Juvenile Court Magistrates.
The Magistrates Court was held at Campden for the last time on 25 September 1991.
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Excuses to The magistrates
Funny Excuses For Silly Crime:
Charles Henry Wilcox
10 Feb 1920 - charged with stealing a fowl from Mr W. H. Bricknell, Landlord of the Baker’s Arms Public House. Wilcox did not appear and a warrant was issued for his Arrest.
Charles Henry Wilcox
17 Apr 1920 - brought up in custody to answer the charge of stealing a fowl. He was asked by the chairman of the Magistrates why he did not appear on 7th February to which he replied “I could not attend because I was in Oxford Prison serving one month for stealing a fowl in Chipping Norton”
Wilcox was given a one month prison sentence.
Thomas Hall
22 May 1926 - charged with stealing firewood was asked why he had committed this crime replied “I needed the money to buy bread and cheese and cigarettes”. He was bound over to be of good behaviour sum of £5 and ordered to pay costs of 15s- 6d.
Fredrick Edward Butler
23 Oct 1926 - charged with being drunk and disorderly replied “I was not drunk but I had pulled and planted 1,000 lettuce plants that day and because of this, all the bending down had made me giddy”.
Fined 10s.
Lionel Ellis
9 June 1939 - when charged with cruelty to a cat that had taken a fish from his van said “I went to recover my fish unfortunately for the cat my boot got there first”. Fined £5.
Mark Knot
18 May 1940 - charged with speeding while towing a horse box. She said “I was trying to get to Stratford races with the horse he was entered in the last race” The chairman asked the outcome.
PC Crump said that she made it in time and the horse won.
She was fined 30s and her license endorsed.
Kids will be kids
Cecil Beckitt 13, Archie Haydon 13 and Percy McDonald Ellis 15
6 July 1918 - charged with playing hockey in the High Street, having been previously cautioned. No conviction on payment of 1s. each towards costs.
Three rowdy youths
2 May 1928 - charged with disturbing the peace, Reginald Keitley and Stanley Nicholls each fined £1.
Charles Nicholls fined £2 as the ring leader.
John Edward Brotheridge
4 August 1928 - aged eleven, charged with feloniously and maliciously setting fire to a hay stack. Case dismissed through leniency of the Court.
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James Keyte and Charles Palmer
5 October 1929 - both aged eight charged with killing chickens. The magistrates decide that as they had both been thrashed by their parents, this would be punishment enough.
The Magistrates congratulated the parents as they had done their best in the circumstances.
Arthur Mayo, Fred Buckland, Ernest Clifford, Jack Bruce and Ernest Smith
10 February 1930 - each fined 5s for playing football in Aston Road.
Thomas Merriman
7 November 1931 - fined 10s for throwing a firework.
15 year old boy
19 June 1937 - charged with driving a van under age, case dismissed with 4s costs. Samuel Phipps, a grocer fined £2 with £1 costs for allowing the offence. Mr Phipps said that he thought the boy was old enough.
A twelve year old American Boy27 August 1938
27 August 1938 charged with driving with no licence and no insurance. Two policemen, who were alerted by his young looks stopped him on Westington Hill. They both said they were impressed with his driving ability. In answer to the charge he said that he came to England from Cleveland, Ohio, where he owned his own car. Case dismissed. His aunt, Pauline Fenn who was in the car with him was fined £10 and banned from driving for one year.
Family matters
24 December 1920
William Thomas Travill, former Drill Instructor with Campden “K” Company Gloucestershire Regiment Guilty of bigamously marrying Edith Mary Plested.
23 July 1921
William Thomas Travill ordered to pay Edith Mary Plested 10s per week.
9 April 1921
Margaret Taylor and Lily Taylor of Paul’s Pike charged with brawling in a public place. Although the evidence was conclusive the magistrates discharged them both “As this was a family matter”.
1 December 1930
Victor Matthews is sentenced for the tenth time to a months imprisonment for non-payment of maintenance.
8 July 1933
Madge Davis awarded a separation order, with 10s per week payment, from her husband Victor.
18 November 1933
Charles Ladbrook charged with default of an affliction order being £2-7s-6d in arrears. He is told by the Chairman to pay up or go to prison.
20 October 1934 Charles Ladbrook brought up in custody for default on affliction order to the sum of £4-18s. He was ordered to pay £1 per week until the deficit was paid off or go to prison.
5 October 1935
Charles Ladbrook £5-15s in arrears to Cynthia Hayes given a two month suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay £1 a week.
19 October 1935
Charles Ladbrook applies for a variation order on the Maintenance Order made against him on 7th December 1932.
The bench agrees to reduce the order to 5/- per week but he must also pay an extra 5/- per week until the arrears are paid off.
The Steps
These are the steps at the back of the 'police station' today. They were used as the entrance to the court room above the police station because they couldn't have criminals walking through the police living quarters or offices filled with private documents and off duty officers. The phrase "Have you been up the steps?" became commonly uttered among petty criminals and normal civilians of Chipping Campden.
Many characters such as Charlie Seitz and 'Slap' were well known for heading up the stairs on many occasions for silly crimes such as simple disorderly conduct and being aggressive when drunk. These steps are no longer used as the door has been locked for a very long time now and the entrance inside the building is fully open to the public as it is no longer being used by police.
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