We were presented with a very intriguing mystery when Brian Davey presented his research on the life and career of Henry Tooms, a Superintendent in 1861, of the then new Lincolnshire Constabulary.
Born to an unpaid constable in Donnigton, Tooms reached the height of his career in Epworth after having gained experience, good reputation and popularity in both Hull and Horncastle. Along the way, we learned how Lincolnshire policing became a professionalised force from 1857 largely through the efforts of the Chief Constable PB Bickard whose insistence on rules and discipline shaped a force of dedicated professionals in return for a previously unheard of 1 week’s paid holiday and pensions.
Tooms himself, appeared to be something of a pioneer detective in rooting out and arresting criminals to clear the streets of crime, drunkenness and unsavoury behaviours. We in the audience were taken in by the image of early policing in Victorian Britain and shocked to hear of Tooms’ disappearance – at which point we had to break for tea!
I’m not going to spoil the end of this story for you – you’ll have to listen to it yourself one day – but before Brian ended his talk we had learned more about Victorian justice, hard labour and transportation.
It proved to be a very interesting evening from an entertaining and accomplished speaker.
Brian Davey on the left with GCDCS Chairman Alan Nicholson