Drunk and disorderly

One of the regular problems which Constable Jones faced was loud or rough behaviour in the streets, usually caused by drunkenness.

(This sort of thing was not unknown before Queen Victoria's time, and it has been known to happen occasionally since then !)

The entry below from the policeman's journal was written in 1846. It is not very easy to read, but it says:
"Found Lewis Jones, a couper [cooper] of Derwenlace [Derwenlas] drunk and disorderly in the street at 1 o'clock PM. Locked him up".

Couper - cooper, a maker of wooden barrels.

Most small towns were provided with small stone or brick buildings called "lock-ups" which had a secure room for holding people who had been arrested. This would usually only be for a short time until they went before the magistrates or were moved to the nearest prison.

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