The Home Office and the Provincial Police in England and Wales—1856–1870

Abstract

The relationship between the Home Office and the provincial police forces between 1856 and 1870 is of importance for two reasons. First it is one of the most significant aspects of police history—itself a strangely neglected aspect of British history. Secondly, it illustrates the effectiveness of two of the main administrative innovations of the nineteenth century, namely, inspection and the Exchequer grant. The Home Office was small enough—less than forty when the Act came into operation—not to need an elaborate organisation for the discharge of police business. Business was handled at three levels: Police Department, Under-Secretary (Permanent and/or Parliamentary) and Secretary of State. The Home Secretary saw the force of this, refused the Cheshire application on both points, and set a precedent which was followed. Lieutenant-Colonel John Woodford, had been Chief Constable of the Lancashire Constabulary since its foundation. They divided England and Wales between them, but decided almost at once that the third Inspector was needed.