36 Before the Bobbiesurban life. The more systematic attention paid to the problems of street
policing, evidenced by vestry minutes and watch committee minutes, point to
a system of local administration that was capable of adapting to the increas-
ing burdens of urban government in dynamic and thoughtful ways.^49 It is also
clear that these local authorities looked on Parliament as an enabler of their
plans, providing the legal sanction for rate collecting and other powers
needed to make local improvements.
The decentralized character of the eighteenth-century night watch system
was enhanced by the fact that a variety of local authorities took on the task of
guarding London's streets at night. Thrnpike trusts were key contributors in
this regard. The first turnpike trust set up in the greater London area was in
1712 but the era of 'Thrnpike Mania', came between 1751 and 1772.^50
Several turnpike trusts took on the task of protecting their patrons from
highway men and footpads. The Hackney turnpike trustees reported to the
House of Commons in November 1755:that the said Roads, by reason of their Contiguity to the Suburbs of the
City of London, are frequently infested in the Night-time with Robbers
and other wicked and evil-disposed Persons, upon which account many of
His Majesty's Subjects coming from the Northern and Eastern Parts of this
Kingdom to the said City, as also may others residing in, ... are exposed to
great Dangers and frequent Outrages and Violences ....The trustees argued that highway robbery could be prevented if the road
were better lit and properly guarded and both lighting and watching could be
paid for out of the tolls. 51 Parliament readily granted the trustees' request for
the authority to mount a night watch. 52
Between 1756 and 1815 at least eight other turnpike trusts that operated
in the east and north of the City sought the power to light and watch their
roads. The Old Street, the Whitechapel to Shenfield, the Islington, the
Goswell Street, the Commercial Road and the Stamford Hill trusts were
all granted statutory authority to hire night watchmen to guard their roads. 53
One can appreciate why the trustees wanted to make passage on their roads
as attractive as possible. Any diminution in traffic meant a decrease in tolls.
By providing services such as lighting and watching, the trustees hoped to
ensure their turnpikes were the preferred routes into London, safe even after
dark.
In Kensington, the vestry nominated constables and employed a beadle
but at night the watchmen of the Kensington Thmpike guarded the parish.
Established in 1726, the Kensington turnpike trust added lighting and watch-
ing to its responsibilities in 1767. By 1794, the parish paid £28 annually to the
trustees for paving, lighting, and watching Kensington High Street.^54 The
parish eventually hired a professional constable but the only night watch in
Kensington until the coming of the Metropolitan Police was provided by the