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  1. #1
    hummingbird104
    Guest

    Default How many policemen are in my family?

    I have two family photos of policemen.
    Looking for any help dating them, and establishing whether they are the same man or not.

    The single photo has 'Uncle George, Northleach' written on the back. I do not know whose uncle he is supposed to be. The BAXTER family is from in and around Northleach, and I have established from census info that Jacob Israel BAXTER (b Northleach 1872, d 1939) WAS a policeman, but in Lambeth London. I have also not been able to find evidence of him having a son, which makes the family photo confusing. There is no information on the family photograph.

    My queries are:
    Can we date the photos?
    Can we work out whether these two policemen are the same man?
    Can we work out which force they were part of?
    Does anyone know whether it was common for 'Jacob's to be known as 'George'?

    Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. This was one of the first 'mysteries' I tried to solve when I started my family tree research, and it stumps me at every turn!




  2. #2

    Default

    Hi, not sure if this is clear on the original, on the collar there is a number. Can you see if it is the same?

  3. #3
    hummingbird104
    Guest

    Default

    The single photograph is 337
    The man in the family portrait's number is E335

  4. #4
    Brick wall demolition expert!
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    Sep 2005
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    Lancashire
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    3,642

    Default

    I did a web search for old police uniforms and thought that the Liverpool City Police site might offer you a chance of dating the photos, as they seem to have a large selection of different uniforms, and although its not the force that your chap worked for, I would presume that the uniform styles would generally be the same no matter which force.

    https://liverpoolcitypolice.co.uk/#

  5. #5

    Default

    The numbers are their collar number, they keep that for all their service. I would say that they are 2 different people

  6. #6
    hummingbird104
    Guest

    Default

    hmmm. We wondered that.
    Would they keep the number even if they moved forces?
    If they're definitely two different people, I am more in the dark than ever!
    Have just found a new branch of BAXTERs, and there are lots of Georges, but none of them are coming up as policemen!

  7. #7
    Famous for offering help & advice
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    Nov 2012
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    St Austell, Cornwall
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    Default

    Can you date the family portrait from the photographer's information?

    To my untrained eye, the young policeman has the facial features of the woman (and perhaps the young boy?). If the photos are the same era, could "Uncle George" be the mother's brother?

    Just guessing!

    As for names ... in my family, there seems to have been a tradition of naming a child X, but calling them Y! Or using the second name. I have a Bob who was christened Sidney, an Edna christened Rose ... And Jane is not my first name, even though I've never been called anything else (apart from rude names, I'm sure!).
    So George could be Jacob? (It's also a more down to earth sounding name - less prone to racism?)

    Jane

  8. #8

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by hummingbird104 View Post
    hmmm. We wondered that.
    Would they keep the number even if they moved forces?
    The number stays with the force. It he transfer then a new number would have been issued.

  9. #9
    Newcomer to Brit-Gen
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    Mar 2018
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    Bromley Kent
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    Default

    Hi there. My father is called George and his father was called Jacob Israel Baxter and they lived in and around the area that you describe and both served in the Met Police in London. The dates are correct also. I would be interested to talk further in case this is my family. Regards.

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