Denbighshire Constabulary

Denbighshire Constabulary was the Home Office police force for the county of Denbighshire, Wales from 1840 until 1967.

Denbighshire Constabulary
Agency overview
Formed1840
Dissolved1 October 1967
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionDenbighshire, Wales, United Kingdom
General nature
Operational structure
Police officers320 (1965)

History edit

The Constabulary was formed in 1840, under the County Police Act 1839, to replace the existing parish constables responsible for enforcing the law in local areas.[1] It consisted of divisions or districts including Wrexham “A”, Wrexham “B”, Llanrwst, and Ruthin and Yale. In 1850, the post of Chief Constable was abolished, and the county was divided into two Divisions with a Superintendent for both, with G. M. King at Wrexham and J. Bradshaw at Denbigh. Under the County and Borough Police Act 1856, the position of Chief Constable was reinstated. In 1921, the force gained their first Motor Car.[2][3][1]

In 1965, the force had an establishment of 320 and an actual strength of 302.[4] Under the Police Act 1964, it amalgamated with Gwynedd Constabulary and Flintshire Constabulary to form a new Gwynedd Constabulary in 1967, which was renamed North Wales Police in 1974. The Constabulary's archives are held at Denbighshire Archives.[1]

Chief Constables edit

  • 1840–50 John Denman
  • 1850–56 G. M. King (Superintendent, Wrexham)
  • 1850–56 J. Bradshaw (Superintendent, Denbigh)
  • 1856–77 John Denman
  • 1877–78 Capt. Augustus W. Price
  • 1878–1911 Maj. T.J. Leadbetter
  • 1964–67 Walter Stansfield

Footnotes edit

  1. ^ a b c "Denbighshire Constabulary Records - Archives Hub". archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  2. ^ Griffiths, Kevin. The History of Policing in Denbighshire.
  3. ^ Lerry, George G. "The Policemen of Denbighshire". Denbighshire Historical Society Transactions. 2.
  4. ^ The Thin Blue Line, Police Council for Great Britain Staff Side Claim for Undermanning Supplements, 1965

See also edit