Early Life.
Arthur Samuel Brown was born on the 24th December 1890 at Cheshunt.
His father, Henry Brown who was a Blacksmith, married his mother, Jane Eliza Morton, in 1878 at Cheshunt. They had eleven children, all born in Cheshunt, although sadly, three of them died before the 1911 census:
1. Janes Elizabeth Alice born in 1880.
2. Florence Rose Kate born in 1881.
3. William Henry James born in 1882.
4. Beatrice Louise born in 1883.
5. George Alfred born and died in 1885.
6. Jessie Mabel born in 1888.
7. Ethel Minnie born in 1889 and died in 1901.
8. Arthur Samuel.
9. Ada Grace born in 1893.
10. Maud Hettie born in 1894 and died in 1899.
11. Frederick Charles Thomas born in 1897.
During the census returns of 1891, 1901 and 1911 the family were living at 12, Albury Grove Road, Cheshunt, Middlesex. In 1911 Arthur was working as a Railway Labourer.
Little more is known about the next three years of his life except that he became a labourer at the Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Factory. He then applied to join the Hertford County Constabulary.
Police Service.
His Police Service Form 3 Record Sheet has survived and shows the following:
He gave his age on joining as 23 2/12 years and date and place of birth 24th December 1890 at Cheshunt. His height was 5 feet 9 ½ inches, chest 34 – 35 inches, complexion fresh, eyes grey and hair brown. He said he could both swim and ride a pedal cycle and that his religion was Church of England.
He was medically examined by the Police Surgeon at Police Headquarters, Hatfield on the 26th February 1914 who declared: I hereby certify that I have examined the above candidate as to his health and bodily strength and consider him fit for the Constabulary of the County. Signed Lovell Drage Surgeon.
Arthur was Appointed as Police Constable 316 on the 9th March 1914 and started his Probationary Training at Police Headquarters at Hatfield earning £1/4/6 per week. He was in the 8th Training Class with Sergeant 57 Cousins and Constable 280 Sharp as his instructors.
Arthur was Attested before Frederic W. Anson J.P. and R. Cecil Peake J.P. at St. Albans on the 20th June 1914. The same day he was taken onto the Roster and posted to D Division at Tring.
On the 22nd December 1914 Arthur passed his Ambulance certificate, an important qualification which entitled him to wear a badge on his lower left tunic sleeve to show he was trained in basic First Aid.
General Order 45 of the 26th March 1915 informed Arthur that he would receive an increased rate of pay from 24/6 to 25/8 per week from the 9th March 1915.
General Order 96 of the 5th June 1915 was entitled Police Constable (Naval and Military service) Act, 1914. Police (Emergency Provisions) Act 1915 and announced:
The undermentioned Police Sergeant and Constables being desirous of enlisting in H.M. Army for the period of the war, the Deputy Chief Constable hereby gives the necessary consent for enlistment, as required by the above Acts:
1. PS 20 Wright H. B Division
2. PC 316 Brown A.S. D Division
3. PC 19 Carder H.W. D Division
4. PC 314 Corne A.W. D Division
5. PC 142 Hawthorne E.F. G Division
The Sergeant and Constables will be permitted to join the Army at once and will be paid up to and including the date prior to that on which they commence to draw Army Pay. The Superintendents concerned will report to Headquarters the date on which the Sergeant and Constables are enlisted in the Army, and the Sergeant and Constables will be struck off the strength of the establishment of the Force, as from that date.
General Order 118 of the 21st July 1915 is a list of 96 officers which included the Chief Constable, 43 Constables who were Army reservists who were recalled and 50 Constables and 2 Sergeants who volunteered for military service. Arthur is shown as PC 316 Brown A.S. D Division who enlisted in the Hertfordshire Yeomanry on the 7th June 1915.
Army Service During The War.
Arthur’s Army Service Record did not survive but from his Medal Roll Index Card, Medal Rolls and his Police Service Record the following is known:
He enlisted as Trooper 2514 in the Hertfordshire Yeomanry and served in Egypt with them from the 22nd October 1915 to the 1st July 1916 and then on the Western Front from the 2nd July 1916 to the 1st July 1917.
Arthur was one of 23 Hertfordshire Police Officers who joined the Hertfordshire Yeomanry who posed for a photograph in 1915 believed at Colchester. The officers were:
1. PC 308 F. Clarke
2. PC 93. F. Potton
3. PC 189 J.W. Clark
4. PC 312 D.E. Cattermole
5. PC 285 G.H. Sirett
6. PC 105 H.M. Armitage
7. PC 313 H.H. Quarrie
8. PC 120 A.T. Day
9. PC 315 W.J. Thurley
10. PC 10 E.A.V. Elkins
11. PC 35 A.W. Reid
12. PS 20 H. Wright
13. PC 233 W.J. Bethell
14. PC 121 F.W.E. Perry
15. PC 274 H. Rowlingson
16. PC 19 H.W. Carder
17. PC 217 O.V. Lake
18. PC 316 A.S. Brown
19. PC 305 G. Archer
20. PC 301 G.A. Allen
21. PC 7 A.G. Capon
22. PC 321 N.J. Reid
23. PC 314 A.W. Corne
The photo included a regular Army Sergeant Jeffrey Arthur Riches who was an instructor.
He transferred to the Military Mounted Police as Lance Corporal P14903 (he has a consecutive serial number with Constable Daniel Cattermole) on the 26th October 1917. After three years eleven months of service he was demobilised on the 8th April 1919 and discharged as a Corporal on the 7th May 1919.
He was awarded the 1914-15 Star and The British War and Victory medals.
As shown above when he was demobilised Arthur was granted 28 days leave. He would have used this time to arrange his re-joining of the Police. Part of this process would involve him being medically examined by the Force Surgeon to ensure he was fit enough for Police duties. Arthur was examined on the 10th April 1919.
Re-joining The Police.
General Order 94 of 13th April 1919 announced the re-appointment to the Force of seven men who had been released from H.M. Army. Arthur was shown as PC 316 Brown A.S. posted to D Division at Great Berkhamsted from the 8th May 1919 on £2/8/0 per week. Each officer had to be formally re-attested and the Superintendents concerned had to report when this has been done providing the date and place of attestation and before whom taken. Arthur was re-Attested on the 21st May 1919.
His period of Army Service from the 10th June 1915 to the 7th May 1919 was deemed to count as Police Service for pension purposes, Vide Standing Joint Committee Resolution 35 dated the 9th October 1914.
Arthur’s pay was increased to £4/0/0 in line with a general increase which was back dated to the 8th May 1919.
Marriage.
On the same day Arthur re-joined the Police he married Lucy Lowin at Broxbourne Parish Church. Arthur was recorded as living at Cheshunt and was a Corporal in the Army. No records have been found of them having children.
The Electoral Rolls of 1920 to 1926 record Arthur and Lucy Brown as living at 3, Cambridge Cottages, Great Berkhamsted.
General Order 54 of the 28th March 1920 and General Order 42 of the 21st March 1921 both informed Arthur that he would receive an increased rate of pay from £4/0/0 to £4/2/0 per week from the 9th March 1920 and from £4/2/0 to £4/4/0 per week from the 9th March 1921 respectively.
Commendation.
General Order 26 of the 16th February 1922 announced a Commendation:
Rex. V. Bateman, Higgins and Lee. Poaching Prevention Act.
At Hemel Hempstead Petty Sessions on 15th February 1922 the chairman, Spencer L. Holland, Esq., commended Inspector Herbert Lawrence and PC’s 54 Herbert Sidney Webb and 316 Arthur Samuel Brown for the manner in which they acted in this case. The Chief Constable endorses this commendation and directs that an appropriate entry shall be made on the Officer’s Record Sheets.
General Order 38 of the 16th March 1922 and General Order 65 of the 8th March 1923 both informed Arthur that he would receive an increased rate of pay from £4/4/0 to £4/6/0 per week from the 9th March 1922 and from £4/6/0 to £4/8/0 per week from the 9th March 1923 respectively.
From the 25th until the 31st January 1924 Arthur was off sick with a sprained ankle which was recorded as an injury on duty. There is no record of how the injury was caused.
Not Transferred!
General Order 75 of the 25th April 1924 instructed Arthur that from the 7th May 1924 he was being transferred from D Division at Berkhamsted to C Division at Watford and to occupy the house being vacated by Constable Dunk. For a reason not recorded, this move was cancelled in General Order 81 of the 10th May 1924.
General Order 86 of the 20th May 1924 informed Arthur that he would receive an increase of pay from £4/8/0 to £4/10/0 per week from the 9th March 1924.
Another Commendation.
From the 21st October until the 24th November 1924 Arthur was off sick with a fractured left wrist which was recorded as an injury on duty, although it is not known as to how it was caused. However, it did not prevent him from carrying out his duty.
General Order 198 of the 2nd December 1924 announced that Arthur had been Commended:
At Great Berkhamstead Petty Sessions on 26th November 1924 the Chairman, Spencer L. Holland, commended Constable Arthur Samuel Brown, 316 D Division for his action whilst in plain clothes and on the sick list in effecting the arrest of Edward Cornwall, CRO S.127288, on a charge of larceny. The Chief Constable endorses the commendation and directs that an appropriate entry be made on the Constable’s Record Sheet.
Transferred.
General Order 101 of the 4th August 1926 instructed Arthur that from the 20th August 1926 he was being transferred from D Division at Great Berkhamsted to A Division at Bishops Stortford and to occupy the cottage being vacated by Constable Folly. The Electoral Rolls from 1927 to 1930 Electoral Rolls list Arthur and Lucy Brown as living at 39, Elm Grove Road, Bishops Stortford.
A Difficult Period.
On the 4th November 1928 Arthur was reprimanded by the Deputy Chief Constable as he omitted to attend a 9.30 p.m. conference point at Hockerill Crossroads, Bishops Stortford.
On the 24th February 1932 Arthur was fined 10/- by the Chief Constable as he had paraded 30 minutes late for duty at Bishops Stortford.
On the 30th November 1932 the Chief Constable reduced Arthur’s rate of pay from £4/10/0 to £4/0/0 per week from 1st December 1932 for 6 months for two matters. Firstly he incorrectly recorded the date of issue of an Insurance Certificate for a motor car involved in an accident with a pedal cycle at Bishops Stortford on 10th October 1932 and secondly, he signed a certificate of character in favour of one Maxwell Howman of 35, Elm Grove Road, Bishops Stortford without the sanction of the Chief Constable.
Transferred Again.
On the 16th March 1933 Arthur was transferred from A Division at Bishops Stortford to A Division at Cottered.
On the 1st June 1933 Arthur’s pay was re-instated to £4/10/0 a week. However, from the 20 July 1933 Arthur was again reduced in pay from £4/10/0 to £3/10/0 per week for 12 months after he made a misleading report to his Superintendent regarding a stolen pedal cycle.
On the 20th July 1934 Arthur’s pay was re-instated to £4/10/0 a week.
On the 1st November 1935 Arthur and Constable 192 Walter Skeggs were both cautioned by the Chief Constable for failing, whilst engaged on motor control duty at 2.25 a.m. on the 20th October at Anstey, to carry out instructions to stop all vehicles and examine their contents.
Retirement And Life After The Police.
Arthur retired on the 8th March 1939 on completion of his 25 years’ service with a pension of £145/9/7 per annum.
In the 1939 Register Arthur, recorded as a retired Police Officer, and Lucy are listed as living at 4, Park Road, Hoddesdon.
Arthur Samuel Brown, a retired security officer of 203, Churchgate Road, Cheshunt died, aged 83, at home on the 6th October 1974.
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