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History · Crime and punishment in Britain, c1700-c1900

The Metropolitan Police, 1829

From watchmen and the Bow Street Runners to Robert Peel's Metropolitan Police - why Britain created its first professional police force, and how it spread.

  • c1700-c1900
  • 7 key terms
  • All boards
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Teacher resources

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Student handouts

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Learning Objectives

  1. 1Describe law enforcement before 1829, including watchmen and the Bow Street Runners.
  2. 2Explain why the Metropolitan Police was set up in 1829.
  3. 3Explain how policing developed after 1829, and why the police were at first unpopular.

Setting the Scene

In 1700 there was still no professional police force. Towns relied on unpaid parish constables and night watchmen, who were often old, poorly paid and easily bribed. As London grew into the largest city in the world, it became clear that this system could not cope.

  1. 1749 Henry Fielding sets up the Bow Street Runners in London.
  2. 1805 The Bow Street Horse Patrol guards the roads around London.
  3. 1829 Robert Peel's Metropolitan Police Act creates the Metropolitan Police.
  4. 1842 The Metropolitan Police sets up a Detective Department.
  5. 1856 The County and Borough Police Act makes every area have a police force.
  6. 1878 The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is formed.

Law Enforcement Before 1829

A patchy system that relied on individuals rather than an organised force.

  • Watchmen

    Night watchmen patrolled towns, but were often old, badly paid and mocked as "Charleys".

  • Constables

    Parish constables were ordinary men who served for a year, usually unpaid and untrained.

  • Thief-takers

    Private individuals who caught criminals for rewards - some, like Jonathan Wild, were criminals themselves.

  • Bow Street Runners

    Set up in 1749 by magistrate Henry Fielding and his half-brother John: a small, paid team who investigated crimes and caught criminals.

Why Was the Metropolitan Police Set Up?

Several pressures came together in the 1820s.

  • A growing city

    London's population had grown enormously, and the old system could not cope.

  • Rising crime

    Crime appeared to be rising, and the Bloody Code was not stopping it.

  • Fear of unrest

    Riots and protests made the government want better control of the streets.

  • Bow Street's success

    The Runners showed that a paid, organised force could work.

  • Robert Peel

    As Home Secretary, Peel persuaded Parliament to act.

  • Prevention

    Peel wanted to prevent crime by having police visible on the streets.

Opposition to the New Police

Not everyone welcomed the "Peelers" or "Bobbies".

  • Cost

    People resented paying for the police through local taxes.

  • Liberty

    Many feared the police would be used to spy on people, like the police in France.

  • Early problems

    Many early recruits were dismissed, often for drunkenness.

  • Gaining trust

    Over time, the police's focus on preventing crime and keeping order helped them gain acceptance.

How Policing Spread

The Metropolitan Police became a model for the whole country.

  1. 1 1829

    Metropolitan Police set up in London.
  2. 2 1839

    Counties were allowed, but not forced, to set up police forces.
  3. 3 1842

    The Met set up a Detective Department to investigate crimes.
  4. 4 1856

    The County and Borough Police Act made police forces compulsory across the country.
  5. 5 1878

    The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was formed.

Summary & Exam Focus

  • Before 1829, law enforcement relied on watchmen, constables and thief-takers.
  • The Bow Street Runners (1749) showed that paid officers could work.
  • Robert Peel created the Metropolitan Police in 1829 to prevent crime.
  • By 1856 every area had to have a police force.

Exam focus

Explain why the Metropolitan Police was set up in 1829. (12 marks) (12 marks)

Explain several factors - London's growth, crime, fear of unrest, Peel - and link each one to the decision.

Key terms

The vocabulary this lesson expects you to use. Each one is linked from the first place it appears above.

Watchman
A man paid to patrol a town at night, often old and ineffective.
Parish constable
An unpaid local man who kept order for a year.
Thief-taker
A private individual who caught criminals for rewards.
Bow Street Runners
A small paid force set up by Henry Fielding in London in 1749.
Metropolitan Police
London's professional police force, set up by Robert Peel in 1829.
Peelers / Bobbies
Nicknames for the first police officers, after Robert Peel.
CID
The Criminal Investigation Department, formed in 1878.

Questions and answers

9 questions set on this lesson, with the mark schemes and model answers open.

1. Exam question Explain one way 4 marks Foundation

Explain one way in which law enforcement in the eighteenth century was different from law enforcement in the late nineteenth century.

Mark scheme — 4 marks available

  • A valid difference identified — 1-2 marks
  • Supported with specific knowledge of both periods — 3-4 marks

Model answer

In the eighteenth century there was no professional police force: law enforcement relied on unpaid parish constables, night watchmen and thief-takers who worked for rewards, although the Bow Street Runners were set up in London in 1749. By the late nineteenth century every area had a professional, paid police force - the Metropolitan Police was created in 1829 and the County and Borough Police Act of 1856 made forces compulsory. So the difference is that law enforcement changed from amateur and local to professional and organised.

2. Exam question Explain why 12 marks Stretch

Explain why the Metropolitan Police was set up in 1829. You may use the following in your answer: the growth of London; Robert Peel. You must also use information of your own.

Mark scheme — 12 marks available

  • Level 1 (1-3) — A simple or general answer
  • Level 2 (4-6) — Some explanation of one or more reasons, with some knowledge
  • Level 3 (7-9) — A developed explanation linked to the question, with accurate knowledge
  • Level 4 (10-12) — An analytical explanation of several reasons, with knowledge that goes beyond the stimulus points

Model answer

One reason was the growth of London. By the 1820s London was the largest city in the world, and its crowded streets and slums made it impossible for unpaid parish constables and old night watchmen to keep order. Crime appeared to be rising, and the old system was clearly failing. A second reason was the role of Robert Peel. As Home Secretary in the 1820s he was already reforming the Bloody Code and prisons, and he believed crime should be prevented by having police visible on the streets. He persuaded Parliament to pass the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829, creating a force of around 3,200 constables. A third reason, beyond the stimulus, was the success of earlier experiments and the fear of unrest. The Bow Street Runners, set up by Henry Fielding in 1749, and the Bow Street Horse Patrol of 1805 had shown that paid, organised officers could catch criminals. At the same time, riots and protests made the government want a force that could control the streets without using the army.

3. Exam question How far do you agree? 16 marks Stretch

"Robert Peel was the main reason for changes in law enforcement in the period c1700-c1900." How far do you agree? Explain your answer. You may use the following in your answer: the Metropolitan Police Act (1829); the Bow Street Runners. You must also use information of your own. (16 marks, plus 4 for spelling, punctuation, grammar and specialist terminology)

Mark scheme — 16 marks available

  • Level 1 (1-4) — A simple or generalised answer
  • Level 2 (5-8) — Some analysis, with a judgement that is asserted
  • Level 3 (9-12) — Analysis of both sides with accurate knowledge and a supported judgement
  • Level 4 (13-16) — Sustained analysis, knowledge beyond the stimulus, and a clear, justified judgement
  • SPaG (4) — Accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar, with specialist terms such as constable and Metropolitan Police

Model answer

On the one hand, Peel was very important. As Home Secretary he persuaded Parliament to pass the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829, creating the first professional police force with around 3,200 constables. He shaped how it worked: officers wore blue uniforms rather than army red, walked set beats, and focused on preventing crime. The Met became the model for police forces across the country. On the other hand, other factors were also important. Henry and John Fielding's Bow Street Runners, set up in 1749, had already shown that paid, organised officers could work, decades before Peel. The growth of London and industrial towns made the old system of watchmen and constables unworkable, and fear of riots made the government want better control. Later changes came after Peel: the County and Borough Police Act of 1856 made forces compulsory everywhere, and the CID was set up in 1878. Overall, Peel was the most important individual because he turned earlier ideas into a permanent professional force. But the need for change came from the growth of towns and rising crime, and the idea had already been tested by the Fieldings, so he was a key factor rather than the only one.

4. Multiple choice 1 mark Core

Who set up the Bow Street Runners in 1749?

  1. A Robert Peel
  2. B John Howard
  3. C Henry Fielding Correct
  4. D George Loveless

Why: Henry Fielding, a magistrate and novelist, with his half-brother John.

5. Multiple choice 1 mark Core

Why were the first police given blue uniforms?

  1. A To look different from soldiers Correct
  2. B Because blue dye was cheapest
  3. C To match the navy
  4. D To be seen at night

Why: To make them look different from the army's red coats, reassuring people who feared a military force.

6. Multiple choice 1 mark Core

What did the County and Borough Police Act of 1856 do?

  1. A Created the Bow Street Runners
  2. B Made police forces compulsory across the country Correct
  3. C Created the CID
  4. D Ended the Metropolitan Police

Why: It made every area of the country have a police force.

7. Multiple choice 1 mark Core

About how many constables did the Metropolitan Police start with in 1829?

  1. A 32
  2. B 320
  3. C 32,000
  4. D 3,200 Correct

Why: Around 3,200 constables patrolled London's streets.

8. Multiple choice 1 mark Foundation

What nickname was given to the first police officers?

  1. A Peelers or Bobbies Correct
  2. B Runners
  3. C Charleys
  4. D Thief-takers

Why: "Peelers" or "Bobbies", after Robert Peel.

9. Multiple choice 1 mark Stretch

When was the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) formed?

  1. A 1749
  2. B 1829
  3. C 1878 Correct
  4. D 1856

Why: The CID was formed in 1878, building on the Detective Department of 1842.