The Cheshire Constabulary came into being on 20 April 1857, when the force was established following the County and Borough Police Act of 1856, which obliged the justices to establish a paid police force for each county. Some counties such as Lancashire had already formed forces following the County Police Act of 1839.

The initial establishment of the force was comprised of one chief constable, nine superintendents, two inspectors, 15 sergeants and 143 constables. The starting pay of a constable was 18/-d per week, which today would have a spending worth of less than £40.

Sir Robert Peel, on forming the Metropolitan Police in 1829, seemed keen to ensure that the new police were not perceived as a military force. A military ethos was, however, often reflected in early policing by the appointment of former military officers as chief constables and also many of the recruits who were former soldiers.

The early uniform of blue, however, did not follow military style and the stovepipe top hat was in part intended to convey to the public an image of a civilian in uniform. The introduction of helmets from the 1860s onwards, and in Cheshire particularly the shako hat, marked a departure as both were clearly styled on military headgear of the era.

The first issue of uniform to the Cheshire force included, for sergeants and constables: two frock coats, two pairs of trousers, one hat and one stock. The stock was a piece of leather likened to a collar about 4in wide and worn around the neck beneath the tunic – the purpose of this piece of equipment was to give protection against ‘garrotting’, which was quite a common form of criminal assault in those times.

It would seem that at first the new chief constable had a motley collection of men to mould into a disciplined force and records from the time suggest that discipline was rigorously enforced, as shown by the many instances of dismissal that resulted in a high turnover of personnel. Training was very much ‘on the job’, with organised training coming much later towards the end of the 19th century. Drunkenness on duty appears to have been a particular problem and a frequent reason for dismissal.

Study of the conduct register of this period proves at least one thing: if the policeman had little ‘brain’, he at least had ‘brawn’ and courage. A great majority of the discipline charges indicated the tendency when drunk for some officers to take on ‘all comers’, as in the case of Constable James Bloyand in 1862, who is recorded as being drunk on duty and engaging in a wrestling bout in a field in the presence of 40 or 50 persons; following which he was dismissed.

The harsh conditions endured by officers in the early days is shown in the official order book of the Hyde Division for 1858, which contains an order for a sergeant and nine constables to march overnight to Chester, some 40 miles on indifferent roads, to perform duty the following day at the Royal Agricultural Society’s show.

Another hardship faced by officers was the restrictions placed on their private lives and these were quite draconian. With poor pay and conditions, which included only one rest day a month, it is no wonder that many left the force voluntarily after only a short period of service. Even in their off-duty time, officers were not allowed to leave their place of duty without the written permission of the superintendent and this would often only be granted in extreme circumstances.

Men in the county force were frequently transferred between divisions, which was clearly disruptive, particularly to those with families, and very often these postings would only be for a matter of months, before they were on the move again. Records show that most officers were transferred on numerous occasions during their service. Men joining borough and city forces obviously remained in that area throughout their service. The main reason for the continual upheaval of county officers appears to have been a perception amongst the hierarchy that if they were left in a particular area for too long they may become too familiar with the local inhabitants, which in turn may lead to allegations of favouritism towards particular groups or individuals.

In the case of the rural policeman, his wife played an important role in supporting her husband, often having to deal with persons calling at their cottage to report matters when the officer was absent. In the early days, policemen’s wives also rendered assistance as police matrons to look after the welfare and needs of females who were detained in custody.

As policing progressed into the 20th century, conditions for rank and file officers improved with the Weekly Rest Day Act of 1910, and the creation of the Police Federation in 1919. The superintendents’ horse and gig eventually gave way to motor transport and the development of motor patrols in the 1920s and ’30s.