On first turning on to Myddelton Passage it looks like a typical London road. Houses along one side stand opposite a brick wall, that, although old, looks rather plain.
It is not until you begin to walk along the path that you will notice etchings in the bricks. Random numbers, initials and letters can soon be seen. Although sporadic, at first, they begin to fill entire areas of the wall.
Could they be some form of code or something else, entirely?
It turns out that this is, I believe, a unique record of various Policemen who patrolled this area, back in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The etchings contain their collar number and their division, which was mostly 'G' Division. 'G' Division was the Finsbury Division, based at King's Cross Police Station.
Although the majority of the officers etched just their collar number and their division, others made a more elaborate demonstration of their etching skills by adding their initials or, in some cases, their full name. Some even included the date.
No one knows who began this tradition of etching, but there are two main theories as to how it began.
- It was started by a bored or tired Policeman who was patrolling this area, in the 1880s, when the passage had a bad reputation.
- Officers would etch their number, in the wall, after completing their final beat of the night, before heading back to King's Cross Police Station.
I don't think we will ever know for sure how or why it began, which I think adds to its unique place in London history.
Thanks to the work of the Metropolitan Police Service historical archive and English Heritage, some of the Policemen, whose names and numbers are etched on the wall, have been identified.
The only other place that I have seen anything resembling this record, is etched into the bricks of the old Watford Union Workhouse, in Hertfordshire, which is now part of Watford General Hospital.
If you click the links below it will lead you to a website detailing their history.
Nice write up. Thanks for mentioning the workhouse bricks.
ReplyDeleteThank you. And, my pleasure.
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