Before the Bobbies. The Night Watch and Police Reform in Metropolitan London, 1720-1830

(^22) Before the Bobbies
and Ely Rents were in an area of disputed jurisdiction and known for its
brothels.^84 Spitalfields, on the other hand, was a large East End parish,
famous for its silkweavers; it obtained a watch act in 1738.^85 In both of
these cases, the reasons offered for needing legislation to establish a more
regular night watch were similar to those offered by the parishes of West-
minster: 'the Number of Burglaries, Robberies, and other Outrages ... hath
of late so much increased'. Here too Parliament became a resource for the
resolution of local disputes and sided with those requesting the acts over the
objections of poorer residents.^86 The night watch acts of the 1730s set up the
basis on which the night watch in Westminster and elsewhere would be built
over the next century. Each of these Acts explicitly stated that its goal was
the more effective prevention of crime. In the opinion of the vestrymen of
Hanover Square and Spitalfields, Elizabethan legislation and voluntary sub-
scriptions administered by tradesmen and artisans had proved inadequate in
the face of the growing urban population and rising levels of crime. Statutory
sanction was provided for a force of men paid to be on the streets, all night,
all year, charged with the protection of life and property and the prevention
of disorder.
With legislation in hand, parish authorities then had to implement it and
determine the structure, operation, and disciplinary mechanisms of the
watch in each parish. St James's, Piccadilly, and St George's, Hanover
Square, again set an example for their neighbours and the sharing of ideas
and experiences continued. After 1736, most parishes of Westminster had
night watch systems modelled on those in Piccadilly and Hanover Square.
Each parish decided for itself how many men it would hire, as well as the
rules and regulations that governed conduct, responsibilities, salaries and any
other benefits. Constables were still appointed by the Court of Burgesses and
were still officially unpaid. The vestry or a watch committee oversaw the hiring
and discipline of its watch. The vestry set the watch rate and appointed
collectors. In this process of implementation, two aspects of the development
of the night watch emerged. First, it is clear that crime prevention was the
primary focus, with detection as a secondary concern. Whether the watch
accomplished either task in a more efficient way than the previous system
is difficult to determine but the expectation was there. Secondly, vestries had to
adapt their organizations to everyday realities on the street. The result was
often more formal, bureaucratic arrangements and specialization of tasks.
The vestries of Piccadilly and Hanover Square first met on 2 June 1735 to
establish and regulate their night watches. St George's hired 38 watchmen,
four beadles and a watchhouse keeper. The parish was divided into wards;
one beadle and several watchmen, from seven to 13, were assigned to each