Advanced Genealogy
Police
If there was a policeman in your family, there is a chance that the force that employed him holds records and will allow you to search them. The PRO holds service records for the London Metropolitan Police between 1829 and 1933, although these are not exhaustive.
Perhaps more interestingly, if one of your ancestors was criminal – and the discovery of juicy titbits like this is the reason why many of us become interested in Family History in the first place – it is possible to find a great deal of information about him or her. Some records are held at the PRO; others by local records offices. The PRO has those of the major courts; the Old Bailey, the assize courts. Local archives can throw up more interesting information because they hold the records of magistrate’s courts and quarter sessions, which were concerned with more commonplace crimes, such as fornication. The quarter sessions dealt with a host of material: questioning applicants for poor relief, discovering the identity of the fathers of illegitimate children and administrative tasks, such as granting licences to publicans. Their records are not always easy to read, but sometimes the material they contain is gold dust.
In terms of other occupations, the PRO is home to records that can help to give you a picture of your ancestor’s career. The railways were one of your biggest employers in the country, and when they were nationalised in 1948 the companies records came under central control, these are now at the PRO. Each company kept its own records, so the extent of the information can differ. But you may be able to find staff registers, accident records and details of salaries and promotions. Of course, you will need to know the railway company your ancestor worked for and the type of work they did. The PRO also has records concerning merchant seamen and apprenticeships.