Thomas Del Mar - Armour Sale

The Police, William Parker and Parker Field & SonsThe ‘Bow Street Runners’ originally numbered eight and werefounded by Henry Fielding, the Novelist and Magistrate, in 1750.They have been described as London’s first Police Constables. Theprinciple difference between the runners and ‘thieftakers’ ofprevious years was their formal attachment to the Bow Streetmagistrate’s office. They did not patrol but rather worked out ofFielding’s office and court at Number 4 Bow Street, serving writsand arresting offenders on the authority of the magistrates. Theiruniform originally included a scarlet waistcoat and consequentlythey were named Robin Redbreasts. In 1792 an Act of Parliamentestablished seven Public or Police offices, located at Hatton Garden,Worship Street, Queen Square, Union Hall, Great MarlboroughStreet, Shadwell and Lambeth Street. Later another was set up atMarylebone. Each usually had three resident magistrates and six toeight constables. Following the collapse of the Peace of Amiens in1803 the Home Office issued an order to the London Police Officesto arm their constables, the main supplier of these weapons wasWilliam Parker of Holborn, discussed below. In 1829 Sir William Peelestablished the Police of the Metropolis as a professional uniformedforce. The old Police Offices were taken over and became PoliceCourts with no powers of actual policing. The equipment from thePolice Offices was acquired by the new police and a number of thepieces, such as truncheons, were stamped MP from this timeonwards.William Parker started work at his premises at 233 Holborn in 1793and continued there until his death in 1841. He produced a broadrange of objects from cheap pocket pistols to top grade duellingpistols and sporting guns as well as swords, truncheons, tipstaves,rattles and manacles. Parker became the main supplier of weaponsto the Police from 1803. Despite the official contract for Policeswords being granted to Hibbert the majority of swords extant areby Parker. As each Police office was independent there was somevariation in the style of weapons produced. The early pistolsgenerally have box-lock mechanisms and are inscribed with thename of the office. Parker also supplied weapons to many otherbodies including prisons and local watches. These included swords,generally with single-edged blades etched with both the maker’sname and the office or prison. According to archive sources onlyParker supplied pistols to the Police. However, there is no reasonwhy individual offices would not have purchased pistolsindependently and had them engraved accordingly.Following Parker’s death in 1841 his will bequeathed the gunmakingbusiness to his son-in-law Field on the condition that it continuedunder the name of Parker Field. The business remained at 233Holborn until 1877 and was only demolished in 1935. Although thiswas the main address the firm had a number of workshops atMansell Street and Tavistock Square, from where some pieces areoccasionally marked. A number of firearms by Parker and Parker,Field & Sons have serial numbers which appear to runconsecutively, though there are no contemporary records extant tocorroborate this.6