Builth and district
Crime and punishment
  The cost of keeping an eye on Builth  
 

The records of the Quarter Sessions for the Victorian years include rolled up bundles of official documents for each meeting of the court. These are called the 'Session Rolls'.
Details of offences and punishments are included, but there are also lots of odd bills and papers which help to form a picture of everyday life at the time.
In 1854 these included some papers on the expenses of the Superintendent Constable for Builth, Jeremiah Rattigan. They show that he needed £8 a year for his police uniform and £22 a year for his horse !

  
Quarter
Sessions
document
1854
 Quarter Sessions paper The papers included
in the 'Session Roll' after
each quarterly meeting
were threaded together
and then rolled up into
a tight bundle.
You can see the hole
and the string at the top
of this paper !
  This is from a Breconshire Session Roll from the 1854 Quarter Sessions, and it reads -    
"The County of Brecon
1854 - To Jeremiah Rattigan, Supt Constable, Builth
May 20th - To Police uniform boots and shoes for the current year as per duplicate of resolution No 1 attached -"
£8. 0. 0
"June 30 - To Horse allowance from the 29th May until the 30th June inclusive at £22 per annum as per duplicate of resolution No 2 attached -" £2. 1. 1
 

You can see the two attached papers (resolution 1 and 2) about his uniform and his horse on the next two pages...

The 1854 policeman's new clothes...

 
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