Our History

The concept of a modern professional Police Force as we know it today started with the Metropolitan Police in 1829. 

The Municipal Corportation Act of 1835 established regular professional Police Forces in the 178 Boroughs in England and Wales. This resulted in the Police Forces of Thetford, Kings Lynn and Great Yarmouth being established by March 1836. 

The remainder of Norfolk County continued under the ad hoc method of policing until the implementation of the County Police Act of 1839 that gave the 56 counties in England and Wales the opportunity of setting up their own Professional Police force.  

Norfolk was one of 28 that took up that option before the compulsory implementation by 1856. 

By 1968, the 4 Borough forces (Thetford (1857), Kings Lynn (1947), Norwich and Great Yarmouth (1968)) had merged into Norfolk County.

 

Family History and Genealogy 

Records of various degrees remain of all officers in the Borough Forces from 1836 to their amalgamations with Norfolk Constabulary. The records for Norfolk Constabulary cover the period 1854 to 1968  

The records relating to officers who joined 1839 to April 1854 have not survived but the historians have compiled information from many other sources including Ancestry and British Newpaper Archives.  

 

About the historians

Norfolk Constabulary Historians are all volunteers comprising of retired police officers and retired police staff. They look after a collection of just over 5,000 artefacts/documents and more than 3,000 photographs. 

Norfolk Police historians meet regularly at Norfolk Constabulary Professional Development Centre, Hethersett Old Hall, Hethersett, Norwich NR9 3DW, usually on a Tuesday between 10am and 2pm. They can be contacted on 01953 423516 or via email [email protected] 

 

Gallery

A selection of historical images featuring Norfolk Constabulary.