Police Constable 195 Samuel Bowkett

Samuel Bowkett joined Gloucestershire Constabulary on 20th January 1860 and retired on 23rd October 1886. We are very lucky to have some of his pocket notebooks in our archive which gives a great insight into what life was like for officers of the time.

Officers at Northleach Police Station 1860.
(Gloucestershire Police Archive URN 11)

Samuel was born in Newent in 1830 and was 30 when he joined the police.

Research has shown that he served in Cheltenham, Dymock, Wotton under Edge and Winterbourne. He retired in after 26 years and 9 months service. He was 56 years old and incapacitated by chronic rheumatism.

He was married twice in 1855 to Selvia and in 1899 to Emily. He had 2 daughters Ellen and Mary with his first wife. In 1908 Samuel died and was buried in Cheltenham

The pocket books of the time show the sorts of duties that were undertaken by the officers.

foot patrol around the area
escorting prisoners to prison
checking beer houses to see that they were obeying licencing laws
checking that doors and windows on shops and houses were locked at night
meeting the trains to see who was coming and who was leaving
attending court
serving summons
executing warrants
checking who was staying at the lodging houses
checking the crops and the animals in the fields
attending local events such as steeple chases
attending church services
guarding prisoners in the station
attending regular drill sessions at the main police station in the area
delivering letters between police stations
regularly calling on all the local shop keepers
attending sales and auctions
and they investigated crime

Looking through the pocket book dated 15th March to 15th June 1869 we found some local cases that Police Constable 195 Bowkett was involved in.

Thomas Williams theft of shoes

The entry in Constable Bowkett’s pocket book about giving evidence at the Quarter Sessions.

The report into the case from the Stroud Journal 20th March 1869 talks of the prisoner taking the boots and shoes that he had stolen out of his pocket.

The entry in the prison record for Thomas Williams.

Mary Ann Selman theft of a shawl.

The entry in Constable Bowkett’s pocket book about guarding the prisoner when on night duty.

The entry in the prison record for Mary Ann Selman.

We know that later in his career Police Constable Bowkett was stationed at Dymock and dealt with the murder of a child.

Abia Ibell child murder.

The Stroud Journal 6th May 1876 tells the story of Abia Ibell who was unmarried killing and murdering her new-born male child at Hockington Farm Dymock.

Police Constable Bowkett’s involvement in the case was reported as removing the body of the child from the water closet.

The entry in the prison record for Abia Ibell.