48 Before the Bobbies
Horse be used to patrol the major highways leading into London. Informa-
tion on robberies that occurred would be routinely shared between these
soldiers and 'the Centre Office of Police,' presumably Bow Street, and other
law enforcement officersP Sir John Fielding's idea for an English version of
the French military police, the marr:hausee, did not appeal to Charles Jen-
kinson in 1761 and Sir John got little official encouragement. In 1763,
however, prime minister George Grenville proved more supportive and
Fielding was given funds to set up a horse patrol of eight men for six months.
1\vo days after they went on duty, Fielding wrote enthusiastically to Grenville
about the 'infinite satisfaction' the force provided to the public and also took
the opportunity to beg for more funds, an additional £150 for two more men
because eight was not sufficient.^18
The money was promised but the government appears to have lost interest.
In December, Fielding wrote to remind the 'Iteasury of the sums owed him and
by March was having a hard time catching the prime minister's ear.^19 In June,
he complained of 'the want of an opportunity of convincing Mr. Grenville of
the amazing importance of the police to Government'. Charles Jenkinson
suggested that if Sir John's experiment was to become permanent, the expense
should be picked up by the county. Sir John was pessimistic about the county
being interested. Crime levels appeared to be still on the increase in 1764 so
Jenkinson and Grenville decided to fund the patrol for three more months. By
October they had apparently decided the patrol was not worth continuing. Its
cost for one year had been over £1000.^20 Sir John was forced to rely once again
on his small force of Bow Street Runners.^21
The central government, encouraged and goaded by an influential refor-
mer, could and did initiate a change in law enforcement practice. However,
the reluctance of the government to incur the costs for what Jenkinson saw
as a local responsibility indicates that those at the centre still saw their role
more as enablers or encouragers of local efforts. Fielding did not abandon
his attempts to improve street policing in London and the rest of the country.
His testimony before the parliamentary committee in 1770 makes clear that
he had some definite ideas for changing the night watch.
The work of this parliamentary committee in 1770 illustrates how concern
about rising property crime was a key motivating factor in reforming local
policing. The charge to the committee was to enquire 'into the several
Burglaries and Robberies that of late have been committed in and about
the Cities of London and Westminster, and to consider of more effectual
Methods to prevent the same for the future.'^22 The main focus of the
committee's report was the night watch. Only three witnesses were called:
Sir John Fielding, Bow Street magistrate; James Sayer, Deputy High Steward
of Westminster, and S. Rainsforth, High Constable of Westminster.^23
Fielding presented a wide range of information and opinions. He
offered statistics to show the extent to which robberies and burglaries were