Sayell, Edwin James, 30, Constable

Early Life.

Edwin James Sayell was born in Watford on the 2nd March 1904, and was baptised in the Parish Church at Oxhey on the 22nd April 1904.

His father was James Edwin Sayell who was born in 1877 at Watford. At the time of Edwin’s baptism he was employed as a labourer and was living in Watford. Edwin’s mother was Elizabeth Annie Sartin who was born on the 19th October 1878 at Marston Magna Somerset. She was baptised there on the 15th December 1878. James and Elizabeth married on the 13th October 1900 at Oxhey. He was a bachelor aged 24 employed as a labourer and living at Oxhey. She was a spinster aged 21 also of Oxhey. They had three children all born in Watford.

1.    Elsie May Sayell born in 1901.                                                                                                                                                2.    Edwin James Sayell.                                                                                                                                                                  3.    Reginald Francis Sayell born in 1906.

During the 1901 census James and Elizabeth and their daughter Elsie were recorded as living at 46 Ebury Road, Watford. James was employed as a labourer engineers fitter. In the census of 1911 the family were living at 10 Woodman Yard, High Street, Watford, James was employed as a Main Layer Gas Works.

Sadly, Edwin’s father James died in 1921 at Watford. In the census of 1921 the family were recorded as living at 82, Sotheron Road, Watford. Edwin’s mother is shown as being a widow and Edwin is employed as a Dining Car Attendant working for the London and North Western Railway.

Police Service.

In 1924 Edwin applied to join the Hertford County Constabulary. His Police Service Record has not survived. However, any applicant seeking to join the Constabulary would have had to attend Police Headquarters at Hatfield to be interviewed and have a medical examination by the Force Surgeon.

Those applicants who were accepted would then begin their Probationers Training at Headquarters. On his Appointment Edwin became Constable No. 30. Each group of new recruits had a course photograph taken together with their Instructors.

Edwin’s course photograph has survived and he is pictured with nine other recruits and two Instructors.

Back Row left to right:

1.    PC 17 Ernest Sidney Stone.                                                                                                                                                     2.    PC 70 George Pryce.                                                                                                                                                                     3.    PC 124 Hubert Walter Dixon.                                                                                                                                                     4.    PC 227 Frank Stanley Erridge.                                                                                                                                                     5.    PC 207 William Frederick Limbrick.                                                                                                                                       6.    PC 30 Edwin James Sayell.                                                                                                                                                           7.    PC 305 P. T. (possibly Percy Thomas) Adams.

Front Row left to right:

1.    PC 294 Joseph Arnold.                                                                                                                                                              2.    Instructor Constable 41 William Stanley Flower.                                                                                                                 3.    Instructor Sergeant 280 George Thomas Sharp.                                                                                                                     4.    PC 114 Percy Arthur Perry.                                                                                                                                                          5.    PC 216 Victor Jefferies Childs.

The Police Service Records for PC 294 Arnold, PC 124 Dixon, PC 227 Erridge and PC 207 Limbrick have survived and show that they were all Appointed on the 31st July 1924. Furthermore, PC Limbrick’s Record shows he was in Class Number 30.

First Posting.

At the end of his training Edwin would have been Posted to his first Station and General Order 201 of the 8th December 1924 announced the following:

Postings.

The undermentioned Recruit Constables having been brought on the Roster for duty are transferred from Headquarters to Divisions as follows:

PC 114 Perry P.A.             B Division Hatfield                     15th Dec 1924                                                                                    PC 70 Pryce G.                  E Division Hitchin                       15th Dec 1924                                                                                     PC 30 Sayell E.J.               E Division Baldock                      15th Dec 1924                                                                                    PC 17 Stone E.S.               D Division Hemel Hempstead   15th Dec 1924                                                                                PC 305 Adams P.T.            B Division Hertford                     15th Dec 1924                                                                                  PC 294 Arnold J.               A Division Bishops Stortford        15th Dec 1924                                                                              PC 124 Dixon H.W.           B Division Hoddesdon                 15th Dec 1924                                                                                  PC 227 Erridge F.S.           D Division Gt. Berkhamsted         15th Dec 1924                                                                                PC 207 Limbrick W.F.        B Division Welwyn Garden City    15th Dec 1924

These Constables have not been Attested. Divisional Superintendents will satisfy themselves that the uniform clothing in possession of each Recruit Constable posted to their respective Divisions has been properly fitted.(Signed) Alfred Law Lieut. Colonel, Chief Constable.

The Superintendents would also have had to arrange for the Constables posted to their Divisions to be Attested before Magistrates.

The above information supports the presumption that all ten Constables were Appointed on the 31st July 1924 and were all in Class Number 30.

Pay Increase.

General Order 120 of the 20th August 1925 stated: The undermentioned Sergeants and Constables will receive increased rates of pay with effect as follows:

A list of 32 names then appears. Included in the list is PC 30 E.J. Sayell of E Division and his pay increased from £3/10/0 to £3/12//0 per week from 31st July 1925.

Individual Officers had to apply for a pay increase. It was not automatically given as it had to be approved by first the Inspector, then the Superintendent and finally the Chief Constable. An Officer awarded an increase would receive it on the anniversary of the date of their Appointment or from the date of any promotion. The fact that Edwin was to receive an increase from 31st July 1925 again supports that his date of Appointment was the 31st July 1924.

Transfer.

General Order 22 of the 29th January 1926 informed Edwin that he was to be transferred from E Division at Baldock to D Division at Harpenden on the 1st February 1926.

Published in the Luton News and Bedfordshire Chronicle on Thursday 4th February 1926 under the headline: Police Transfers. Replacing recent transfers, PC Sayell, from Baldock, and PC’s Welch and Challis from Hatfield Headquarters, have been appointed to the Harpenden Section of the Herts Constabulary.

The Electoral Roll of 1926 shows Edwin Sayell lodging with a Mr. and Mrs. Paddison at 88 Cowper Road, Harpenden.

Transferred Again.

Unfortunately, the General Orders after 1927 have not survived and as previously stated, his Police Service Record has also not survived, so the exact date Edwin was transferred is unknown. However, the 1929 and 1930 Electoral Rolls record him as living at 4 Clarkes Road, Hatfield which is behind the Police Headquarters, so it is very likely that he had been transferred from D Division at Harpenden to B Division at Hatfield.

A Very Minor Matter.

On the 16th December 1930 Edwin was cautioned by the Chief Constable for missing a Conference Point at 8.00 a.m. on the 5th December 1930 at Hatfield and then for not being completely honest when speaking to his Sergeant about it.

At this time Constables would patrol on foot or by bicycle and were instructed to follow set routes. They were told when to reach a number of Conference Points on each route and instructed to wait at each point for a set period of time. With no personal radios and very few telephones available it was the only way messages could be passed to a  Constable. It also meant that should the Constable come to some harm whilst on patrol his supervisory Officer could go to a Conference Point and if the Constable failed to arrive, then they could back track along the route to try and find him.

Chief Constables had a wide range of punishments available to them and a Caution is very much at the lower end of the scale.

Fatal Road Accident.

Published in the Biggleswade Chronicle on Friday 29th November 1929 under the headline: Found Dead In The Road. Sad Death of Biggleswade Native at Hatfield. Driver Describes Slight Bump. A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned at an inquest at Hatfield Police Station, on Monday, into the death of Walter Wren, a native of Biggleswade, who some years ago used to live with his aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Housden, of The Horse and Jockey, Sun Street, Biggleswade, and who was found dead in the road near a roadside telephone box at Hatfield, by a lorry driver. Near his body was found the shattered remains of a truck which he apparently was pushing.

The inquiry was conducted by Mr. Phillip Longmore, who sat with a jury. Mr. C.V. Young appeared for the driver and owner of the lorry.

Evidence of identification was given by Frank Housden, of Biggleswade, who stated that deceased was his nephew. Wren was about 54 or 55 years of age. He had not seen his nephew since about ten years ago, when deceased stayed with him for three days.

Arthur Leslie Simms, The Row, Hatfield Hyde, a lorry driver, employed by Mr. Housden, of Welwyn Garden City, related that on Thursday. Nov. 21st, he was driving a motor lorry from London towards Welwyn Garden City along the Barnet-by-Pass Road. Witness was alone and was driving about five or six feet from the nearside kerb, when he heard the breaking of wood and felt the near rear wheel of the lorry give a slight bump.” He immediately applied his brakes, and pulled up in about ten or twelve yards, went back and found the broken wood and saw deceased lying in the road about a yard from the nearside kerb. The wood appeared to witness to be the remains of a box which had had attached to it two perambulator wheels. There was no light or reflector disc on the remains of the truck. Witness added that he had two oil lamps on his lorry and he was travelling at about nine or ten miles an hour.

The Coroner: Apart from this bump did you feel any other collision?

Witness: None whatever. He could not say whether one of his wheels passed over deceased or not.

In reply to Mr. Young, witness said he had been driving for seven years and had never had a mishap. He did not see deceased In the road and he did not hear anyone call out.

Juror: Do you think he may have been knocked down before you arrived there?

Witness: It may have been possible, because I think If he had been walking along I should have seen him.

PC Sayell, of Hatfield, said he was called to the scene of the accident and saw deceased lying on the north side of the road. He had severe injuries to the head, and Dr. Lamb of Hatfield attended and pronounced life extinct. Witness conveyed the body to the mortuary. There was a pool of blood 2ft 9 ins. from the kerb on the north side of the road where deceased’s head was lying. On that spot were the remains of what appeared to be a two-wheeled truck, the pieces of which were scattered about the road.

In reply to Mr. Young, the Officer stated that deceased’s head was lying in the opposite direction to that in which the lorry was travelling.

Dr. John Lamb, of St. Albans Road, Hatfield said deceased was lying in the road with his head towards London. Deceased had a lacerated wound and severe bruising in the centre of the forehead. He had a long cut on the back of the head and on the left side, and other severe injuries. Death was due to a fractured base of the skull.

The Coroner: Was there any trace of a wheel having passed over him?

Witness: No.

The Coroner said It was very unfortunate that deceased should have met his death this way and he was sure they would sympathise with any relatives that he might have. There was no evidence, he pointed out, that the lorry in question was being driven negligently, and it was perfectly clear that the driver was on his near side of the road. It was just possible that another lorry may have knocked deceased down and continued on Its way.

The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death” and expressed sympathy with the relatives, sentiments with which Mr. Young, on behalf of the lorry driver, concurred.

Marriage.

Edwin James Sayell was married in 1930 at Watford to Winifred Doris Miller born 12th March 1909. They had two daughters the first born in 1931 at Hatfield the second born in 1936 at Watford.

At the time he married he said he was living in Watford although it is believed he simply gave a Watford address as a matter of convenience with regard to the Banns. There is no record available which supports that he had been transferred to Watford and it would have been unlikely to have been a temporary move. In 1931 when his first daughter was born he was still a Police Officer and living in Hatfield.

In 1933 Edwin appeared in a large group photograph taken outside the Hertford Grammar School. He is in the back row 8th from the left. It would appear that the group are all from B Division. Hertford and Hatfield were both within B Division and the photo may have been taken to mark a particular event.

More Accidents.

Published in the Hertfordshire Express on Saturday 28th December 1935 under the headline: Driver’s In Trouble. Three Fined For Careless Driving. One Smash Leads To Another.

Alleged to have driven a 26 seater motor coach along the Great North Road, at 45 to 50 miles per hour on a foggy morning, and to have crashed into another vehicle at the scene of a previous accident, a Northumberland driver, with an annual mileage of 85,000 miles, appeared before Welwyn magistrates on Friday last week.

The defendant, Albert Edward Smith, 6, Goschen Street, Blythe, was found not guilty of driving a motor coach in a manner dangerous on November 7. He was then charged with driving without due care and attention, convicted, and fined £3, with £3 15s. 7d. costs.

Mr. G.T. Baker, counsel, appeared for defendant.

PC Sayell (Hatfield) gave evidence of being called to the Great North Road, where an accident had occurred just north of Valley Road, Welwyn Garden City. He arrived at 7 a.m., half an hour after the accident occurred, and saw a motor coach and motor van on the west side of the road. The front wheels of the van were under the front of the coach.

PC Smith (Stanborough) said that at 6.30 a.m., while taking particulars of an accident about 100 yards north of Valley Road, a motor coach came down Brickwall Hill at a very fast speed. As the coach appeared to be coming straight for witness he jumped back. It narrowly missed a stationary lorry, swerved to the offside and collided with a stationary van. The coach was driven by Smith.

In answer to Mr. Baker, witness described that visibility at the time of the accident was only 20 yards. A lorry was almost blocking the road “left over” from the previous accident, which had been caused by the fog. Defendant told witness that the accident with the van would never have happened if witness had been directing the traffic.

Henry Samuel Bennett, 43, Granville Avenue, Romford, Essex, the driver of the van involved in the collision, said he pulled up on seeing that an accident had occurred. The coach swerved to avoid the stationary vehicles and crashed into witness’ van. He was injured.

In answer to Mr. Baker, witness said he had instructed his solicitor to take proceedings against Smith.

Thomas Michael Naylor, Richfield Street, Shepherds Bush, lorry driver, said his lorry was involved in the first accident, as a result of which another lorry was left on the crown of the road. There was only room for one vehicle to pass. Witness pushed the Constable and shouted to the other lorry driver to stop a coach which was coming down the hill, and witness ran round the disabled lorry and stopped a van, which was coming up the hill. He was between the coach and the van, and just jumped back before the two vehicles collided.

Frank Walmsley, Leverton, Boston, Lincs, the driver of the other lorry involved in the first collision, said both he and the Policeman signalled the coach driver to stop.

Herbert Baxter, 7, James Street, Boston, lorry driver, said he stopped because of the first accident, and saw the coach fail to pull up when the Policeman signalled. The speed of the coach was about 45 miles per hour.

Smith, in the witness box, said he had been driving for sixteen years and passenger vehicles for eight years. During that time he had had no accidents in which injury or serious damage was sustained. He drove about 85,000 miles per year. On the morning of the accident he had driven from Newcastle with a relief driver, taking spells at the wheel in turn. At Welwyn visibility was about 20 feet because of the fog, and witness was travelling at less than 20 miles per hour. He saw an accident had taken place on the nearside of the road and would have pulled up but he saw a man waving his arms and thought he was waving him on. He went on and then saw the van. He braked hard and left a brake mark of eight feet before colliding with the van. It was not a violent collision, because there were passengers in the coach who did not wake up.

John Metcalfe Dixon, Blythe, Northumberland, relief driver on the coach, said that just before the accident the coach was travelling at 20 miles per hour. Visibility was 15 to 20 yards.

Mr. Baker submitted that the cause of the accident was the signal given by a man, either Naylor or Walmsley, who stood waving his arms in the air in such a manner that the driver mistook it for a “come on” signal. After the magistrates had announced their decision Mr. Baker questioned the amount of costs for which the Police asked, and the Magistrates reduced that amount by 15/.

Retirement.

No official record has survived but at some time between December 1935, when he dealt with the accident above, and the birth of his second daughter in 1936 Edwin left the Police. He had definitely left the Police by the 11th August 1936 as a Jack Edmund Knight was Appointed as Constable on that date and he was given Edwin’s Warrant Number of 30. The most likely reason why Edwin left the Police was a Medical Discharge. Edwin’s family recalls that he had to have surgery for a hernia and he was never fit enough for Police Duty after that. The Force Surgeon would have examined him and made a final decision as to whether he believed he was fit enough for Police Duty.

The Electoral Roll of 1936 shows Edwin living at 47 Greenwood Road, Hackney and the family recalls that he was a Proprietor of an Off License. The 1938 Post Office Directory shows that the family were still at 47 Greenwood Road.

In the 1939 Register Edwin and his family are recorded as having moved out of London, owing to the War, and were now living at the Farmers Arms Hotel, Hereford Street, Presteigne, Radnorshire, Wales where Edwin was the Licensee. The family recalls that Edwin was unfit to join the Armed Forces but he did join the Radnorshire Home Guard.

By 1956 the family recalls he was a Civil Servant employed by the Inland Revenue in Hereford where he stayed for the rest of his working life.

Edwin James Sayell of 47 Langland Drive, Hereford passed away on 2nd August1980.