Before the advent of regular police forces, policing in villages was carried out by Parish Constables. These were appointed for a 12 month period of duty at the local Petty Sessions.
The records of the Petty Sessions held in the Oswestry Town Council Archives (Ref 1) reveal the names and occupations of parish constables for Trefonen, Treflach and Nantmawr from around 1856 to 1895. A selection of names appears below:
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Date of Appointment |
Name |
Parish |
Occupation |
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27 March 1856 |
Samuel Tudor | Treflach Wood | Labourer |
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Thomas Tudor | Trefonen | Builder |
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26 March 1857 |
William Hughes | Trefonen | Labourer |
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Edward Tudor | Treflach Wood | Labourer |
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26 March 1858 |
Isaac Williams | Treflach Wood | Wheelwright |
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31 March 1859 |
John Davies | Treflach | Labourer |
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Charles Dolby | Trefonen | Carter |
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29 March 1860 |
David Morris | Treflach | Labourer |
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John Thomas | Trefonnen | Carrier |
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28 March 1861 |
John Jones | Treflach | Labourer |
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Richard Williams | Trefonnen | Labourer |
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27 March 1862 |
Edward Jones | Treflach | Labourer |
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Richard Roberts | Moelydd, Trefonnen | Labourer |
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John Roberts | Side of Moelydd, Trefonnen | Labourer |
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26 March 1863 |
James Davies | Trefonnen | Butcher |
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Thomas Powell | Trefonnen, Moelydd | Labourer |
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John Spruce | Treflach nr Porthywaen | Grazier |
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31 March 1864 |
Edward Griffiths | Treflach | Labourer |
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Richard Tunley | Trefonnen | Labourer |
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29 March 1866 |
John Phillips | Porthywaen, Treflach | Butcher |
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Benjamin Lloyd | Nantmawr, Trefonen | Labourer |
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28 March 1867 |
Allan Jones | Nantmawr, Llanyblodwel | Labourer |
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28 March 1868 |
Pryce Williams | Treflach | Smith |
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25 March 1869 |
John Tudor | Treflach, nr Mr Savin’s row. | Labourer |
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James Smith | Trefonnen | Engine driver |
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Thomas Jones | Nantmawr, Llanyblodwel | Labourer |
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31 March 1870 |
Isaac Williams | Treflach | Wheelwright |
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Thomas Howell | Moelydd, Trefonnen | Stone cutter |
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Watkin Watkin | Nant Mawr, Llanyblodwel | Shoe maker |
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30 March 1871 |
Thomas Morris | Wernywheel, Treflach | Labourer |
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Richard Lewis | Drill Gravel, Trefonnen | Labourer |
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William Pryce | Nantmawr, Trefonnen | Smith |
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Allen Jones | Nantmawr, Llanyblodwel | Labourer |
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28 March 1872 |
Edward Tudor | Treflach | Labourer |
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Charles Evans | Nantmawr | Labourer |
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26 March 1874 |
Samuel Jones | Treflach | Smith |
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David Meredith | Moleydd, Trefonnen | Rockman |
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25 March 1875 |
Richard Bates | Trefonnen | Shoemaker |
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Edward Davies | Trefonnen | Labourer |
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Thomas Jones | Nantmawr, Llanyblodwel | Labourer |
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30 March 1876 |
Thomas Ellis | Treflach | Stone cutter |
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Richard Lewis | Trefonnen | Labourer |
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29 March 1877 |
John Price | Treflach | Labourer |
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Thomas Oliver | Trefonnen | Mason |
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27 March 1879 |
Price Edwards | Treflach | Labourer |
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Edward Tudor | Trefonnen | Labourer |
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25 March 1880 |
John Thomas | Treflach | Labourer |
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Esau Dyke | Trefonnen | Labourer |
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Watkin Watkin | Nantmawr, Llanyblodwel | Shoemaker |
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31 March 1881 |
Isaac Williams | Treflach | Wheelwright |
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James Owen | Trefonnen | Shopkeeper |
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30 March 1882 |
Samuel Jones | Treflach | Smith |
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Thomas Oliver | Trefonnen | Mason |
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Thomas Dyke | Trefonnen | Labourer |
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29 March 1883 |
Charles Evans | Treflach | Labourer |
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Richard Lewis | Trefonnen | Labourer |
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Richard Bates | Trefonnen | Shoemaker |
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Watkin Watkin(s) | Nantmawr, Llanyblodwel | Shoemaker |
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27 March 1884 |
Thomas Houlston | Treflach | Labourer |
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John Phillips | Treflach | Butcher |
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George Francis | Trefonnen | Brickmaker |
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Watkin Watkin(s) | Nantmawr, Llanyblodwel | Shoemaker |
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26 March 1885 |
Thomas Evans | Forest, Treflach | Labourer |
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John Thomas | Trefonnen | Farmer |
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25 March 1886 |
William Watkin | Treflach | Labourer |
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Joseph Ellis | Treflach | Labourer |
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31 March 1887 |
Daniel Davies | Treflach | Farmer |
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Price Edwards | Trefonnen | Labourer |
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Robert Vaughan | Trefonnen | Carpenter |
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29 March 1888 |
Henry Jones | Treflach | Carpenter |
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Esau Dyke | Trefonen | Labourer |
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Thomas Hughes | Nantmawr | Shopkeeper |
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28 March 1889 |
Lewis Dyke | Treflach | Labourer |
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Thomas Oliver | Nantmawr, Trefonen | Mason |
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John Breeze Jnr | Trefonen | Shoemaker |
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27 March 1890 |
John Ellis | Treflach | Provision Dealer |
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Edward Tudor | Nantmawr, Trefonen | Labourer |
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26 March 1891 |
William Tudor | Treflach | Labourer |
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John Carsley the younger | Nantmawr | Labourer |
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Moses Meredith | Trefonen | Collier |
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31 March 1892 |
William Watkin | Treflach | Labourer |
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Robert Parry | Nantmawr | Labourer |
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Richard Jones | Bwlch Cottage, Trefonen | Labourer |
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Elias Jones | Nantmawr | Rockman |
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30 March 1893 |
John Ellis | Treflach | Prov dealer |
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John Carsley | Nantmawr, Trefonen | Quarryman |
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Henry Goulding | Trefonen | Labourer |
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29 March 1894 |
Robert Probert | Treflach Wood | Labourer |
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Elliot Ellis | Tytegwch, Treflach | Stone cutter |
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28 March 1895 |
George Swannich | Treflach Wood | Labourer |
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William Morris | Trefonen | Labourer |
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David Bonner | Nantmawr, Llanyblodwel | Rockman |
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Parish constable were appointed to carry out various legal duties including serving summonses, executing warrants and appearing before magistrates. For performing these duties they were paid a fee as agreed at the Shropshire Quarter Sessions in October 1842.
Example fees were as follows (taken from Ref 2):
|
Duty |
Fee
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| For going to serve a Summons or execute a Warrant | Sixpence per mile |
| For each Summons served | 1 shilling |
| For each Warrant executed | 2 shillings |
| For attending before the Magistrate | 1 shilling |
| For each day when employed on duty | Not less than 2s 6d, nor more than 5s. |
| For attending Assizes or Sessions | Not exceeding 7s per day |
| For attending the Insolvent Court | 5s per day |
| Taking charge of the courts at the Assizes and Sessions | From 2s 6d to 5s per day |
| Giving notice to Coroners of deaths | Not exceeding 4d per mile |
| Summoning Jurors for Inquest | Not exceeding 2s |
| Each constable attending the Inquest and making return | Not exceeding 2s 6d. |
| References | |
| 1. Details extracted from Oswestry Town Council Petty Sessions Records held on fiche at Oswestry Library (fiche nos 314 – 337). | |
| 2. “Table of Fees and Allowances to Parochial Constables” approved in 1842 at Shropshire October Sessions and in Whitehall. | |