Shortly after midnight on 9th November 1856, 36 year old Pc John Rapley, set out on his beat around Hertford town centre, as usual, leaving behind his wife and four children. The youngest of which was just a few weeks old. Roughly four hours later, residents living in cottages near to Folly Bridge, Bull Plain, Hertford were woken by the sound of Pc Rapley struggling in the water of the River Lea. They fetched help from Hertford police station, prompting the local Superintendent and another officer to hurriedly make their way to the scene. They managed to pull their colleague from the water, but it was too late and he could not be saved. How Pc Rapley came to be in the water remains a mystery. There was reason at the time to suspect that a known third-party had deliberately pushed him in, but one-one was ever put on trial. Pc Rapley was buried in Hertford cemetery in North Road but his grave is unmarked. With the passing of over 160 years since those events, Pc Rapley, and the circumstances surrounding his death had been forgotten. That was until details of this case were rediscovered, purely by chance by the Hertfordshire Police Historical Society, when examining newspapers from the 1850’s. Pc Rapley’s name has now been added to the National Police Roll of honour and a memorial now stands near to the spot where he died. John Rapley’s death is particularly significant because he was the first police constable in Hertfordshire to be killed in the course of their duty.
Read more Margaret and Annie Johnson were not only sisters but also the first women Police Officers in the Hertfordshire Constabulary. Appointed in 1928 they were both later promoted to Sergeants.
Read more The body of a young child was found in the River Lea in Hertford. Despite their best efforts the Police were unable to identify her or trace an offender.
Read more Served in the Army during WW1, enlisted as a Private and de-mobilised as a Captain - awarded the M.M. and the M.C. with a Mentioned in Despatches and awarded a wound stripe. Appointed as a Constable in Hertford County Constabulary in 1920 retired as a Superintendent in 1954.
Read more The story of a 14 year old youth who went on a rampage with a .22 rifle and his arrest which lead to Gallantry awards for two Police Officers.
Read more These are the life stories of a father and son who both served in the Hertford County Constabulary. John Cross enlisted in the Army in 1915 as a Section B Army Reservist but was never mobilised his son Stanley also enlisted in 1915 as Guardsman 24497 in the Grenadier Guards aged 15. Having been sent to France his true age was revealed and he was sent back to the UK. He returned to France in 1918 where he was wounded and was awarded the Military Medal. After the War he joined the Police.
Read more Boer War Veteran Lance Sergeant 1273 Coldstream Guards, Sergeant Drill Instructor Bedfordshire Regiment, Section B Army Reservist
Read more Private 13060 Royal Marines Light Infantry, Staff Sergeant S2/SR/04013 Royal Army Service Corps.
Read more Section B Reservist, Guardsman 24772 Coldstream Guards
Read more Section B Reservist, Guardsman 32195 Grenadier Guards
Read more Section B Reservist, Lance Corporal P/7480 Military Foot Police
Read more Private 12th Lancers and 1st Dragoon Guards, Lance Corporal P/1142 Military Mounted Police - Oldest Herts Police Soldier on enlistment at 47 years 32 days
Read more Section B Reservist, Gunner 205956 Royal Horse Artillery
Read more Section B Reservist, Private 29229 Grenadier Guards
Read more Lance Sergeant 101957 Royal Engineers, 2nd Lieutenant Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Temporary Cadet Auxiliary Division Royal Ulster Constabulary - Murdered by the IRA.
Read more Driver and Shoeing Smith TS/6728 Army Service Corps. Accidentally Killed On Duty 1925.
Read more Private 60576 Royal Army Medical Corps
Read more 1st and 4th Battalions, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Egyptian campaign veteran. WW1 Royal Warwickshire Regiment Company Quartermaster Sergeant, Royal Army Service Corps 239th Company, Acting Staff Sergeant Major
Read more Private Grenadier Guards, Lance Sergeant Guards Machine Gun Regiment.
Read more A look at what the Herts Police Historical Society archive can reveal about the Hertfordshire Police Horses and their riders.
Read more 20th and 10th Hussars, Boer War Veteran, Lance Sergeant 13th Regiment Cavalry Reserve, Instructor Hertfordshire Yeomanry, Company Sergeant Major Chinese Labour Corps
Read more Private 2544 Hertfordshire Yeomanry
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