Essex Police Records 1840 - 1881

An early policeman, sometimes called a Peeler or Bobby
Image from Punch, 1845, courtesy of the Harold B. Lee Library on Flickr NKCR
Essex Police Records 1840 - 1881 - officers surnames starting with the letter Co to Cu.
The first General Force Register listing all the officers is in the Essex Record Office 'ERO' under reference J/P 2/1. It covers the period 1840-1881.
Images of the records are available online, but until now the records have not been indexed by name as the records are arranged by rank and collar number. Now History House has indexed them by name with their place of birth and linked them to the image of their individual record at the ERO. There are over 2000 names on the Register. Some names are repeated as they were promoted through the ranks.
Each record gives name, age, date of joining, height, where born, previous trade, marital status and date and reason for leaving the force.
Some records give health details, grading of their conduct, and disciplinary reasons for discharge. Examples include: having got drunk first night on patrol and again next morning (after one days service!); want of bodily strength; leaving his guard in company with a prostitute; drinking on duty; refusing to transfer; and one was discharged because he was connected with a religious group called the Memonites.
The turnover of staff was quite high in the early years as the force seemed to struggle to find suitable recruits. Many of them were former soldiers born in Scotland and Ireland. This large turnover means that many fall between between census dates and you may be unaware that your ancestor was even in the police force. So it is worth checking the list.
As from 21 January 2016 the Essex Record have changed their system, they now require registration and login to view these records. I suggest that you go through this process first to have their cookie in your browser before clicking on these links. Otherwise they will not work.
For further information on the early years of the force, other resources to research your Essex police ancestors and for records covering 1881 - 1910 see our article Essex Police Records
- Thomas Coakley, p.o.b. Cork SEAX record
- Thomas Coakley, SEAX record
- William Cobbin, p.o.b. Essex SEAX record
- William Codlin, p.o.b. Rochford SEAX record
- Thomas Cody, p.o.b. Waterford SEAX record
- William Coe, p.o.b. Woodham Walter SEAX record
- William Coe, p.o.b. Rochford SEAX record
- Philip Cogdale, p.o.b. Roxwell SEAX record
- Frederick Cole, p.o.b. Stow Maries SEAX record
- Frederick Cole, p.o.b. Stow Maries SEAX record
- Frederick Cole, p.o.b. Stow Maries SEAX record
- Henry Cole, p.o.b. Boxted SEAX record
- Stephen Cole, p.o.b. Boxted SEAX record
- William Cole, p.o.b. Dedham SEAX record
- William Cole, p.o.b. Surrey SEAX record
- Ephraim Coleby, p.o.b. Old Nurton Suffolk SEAX record
- David Collin, p.o.b. Great Wakering SEAX record
- Arthur Albert Collins, p.o.b. Saling SEAX record
- John Collins, p.o.b. Framlingham SEAX record
- William Collins, p.o.b. Witham SEAX record
- Cornelius Collop, p.o.b. Blackmore SEAX record
- Joseph Colyer, p.o.b. Good Eaaster SEAX record
- Samuel Connor, p.o.b. Tipperary SEAX record
- Thomas Connor, p.o.b. Co.Cork SEAX record
- Daniel Cook, p.o.b. Little Oakley SEAX record
- Edward Cook, p.o.b. Brightlingsea SEAX record
- Edward Cook, p.o.b. Brightlingsea SEAX record
- John Marshall Cook, p.o.b. Toppesfield SEAX record
- Marshal Cook, p.o.b. Lawford SEAX record
- Nathan Cook, p.o.b. Dedham SEAX record
- William Cook, p.o.b. Ashfield SEAX record
- William Cook, p.o.b. Tolleshunt SEAX record
- Charles Cooke, p.o.b. Churcham SEAX record
- George Cooke, p.o.b. Althorn SEAX record
- Harold Cooke, p.o.b. Guildford SEAX record
- John Cooke, p.o.b. Blofield Norfolk SEAX record
- John Cooke, p.o.b. Bulmer SEAX record
- William Cooke, p.o.b. Brantham Suffolk SEAX record
- Samuel Coomer, p.o.b. Stoke upon Trent SEAX record
- Charles Cooper, p.o.b. Layer SEAX record
- Daniel Cooper, p.o.b. Gloucestershire SEAX record
- James Cooper, p.o.b. Manningtree SEAX record
- James Cooper, p.o.b. Manningtree SEAX record
- Joseph Cooper, p.o.b. Stansted SEAX record
- Robert Cooper, p.o.b. Brightlingsea SEAX record
- Thomas John Cooper, p.o.b. Elmstead SEAX record
- Thomas Cooper, p.o.b. Brightlingsea SEAX record
- Thomas Cooper, p.o.b. Brightlingsea SEAX record
- Thomas Cooper, p.o.b. Chatham SEAX record
- Thomas Cooper, p.o.b. Colchester SEAX record
- Amos Coote, p.o.b. Bulmer SEAX record
- William Coote, p.o.b. Highwood SEAX record
- William Coote, p.o.b. Tillingham SEAX record
- Frederick Copland, p.o.b. Greenwich SEAX record
- Stephen Copland, p.o.b. Greenwich SEAX record
- George Copping, p.o.b. Suffolk SEAX record
- Henry Copsey, p.o.b. Upminster SEAX record
- James Copsey, p.o.b. Glemsford SEAX record
- Joseph Copsey, p.o.b. Glemsford SEAX record
- Joseph Copsey, p.o.b. Labourer SEAX record
- Henry Cordran, p.o.b. Coggeshall SEAX record
- Jeremiah Cornell, p.o.b. Stoke Staffs SEAX record
- James Cornwall, p.o.b. *urling SEAX record
- James Isaac Cottee, p.o.b. Great Braxted SEAX record
- Henry Cottes, p.o.b. Boston Lincs SEAX record
- Thomas Coulson, p.o.b. Yorkshire SEAX record
- Richard Coulter, SEAX record
- John Courtnall, p.o.b. Maidenhead SEAX record
- Walter Cousins, p.o.b. ***ton Suffolk SEAX record
- William Cousins, p.o.b. Aylesbury SEAX record
- Henry Cowell, p.o.b. Suffolk SEAX record
- Edmund Nelson Cox, p.o.b. Bishops Stortford SEAX record
- James Cox, p.o.b. West Hanningfield SEAX record
- James Crabb, p.o.b. Shelley SEAX record
- James Crackling or Cracklin, p.o.b. Stebbing SEAX record
- John Cracknall, p.o.b. Great Maplestead SEAX record
- John Cracknall, p.o.b. Great Mapleston SEAX record
- Joseph Crane, p.o.b. Ramsgate SEAX record
- Henry Crawley, p.o.b. Middlesex SEAX record
- Henry Crawley, p.o.b. Middlesex SEAX record
- John Crawley, p.o.b. Cork Ireland SEAX record
- William Creasy, p.o.b. Wix SEAX record
- Thomas Creffield, p.o.b. Colchester SEAX record
- Christopher Cresswell, p.o.b. Aldham SEAX record
- Daniel Criffield, p.o.b. Wivenhoe SEAX record
- Henry Cross, p.o.b. Beaumont SEAX record
- Frederick Crow, p.o.b. Upminster SEAX record
- Frederick Crow, p.o.b. Upminster SEAX record
- William Crowhurst, p.o.b. Camberwell SEAX record
- James Crowler, p.o.b. Chichester SEAX record
- Thomas Cuff, p.o.b. Wimborne SEAX record
- Denis Cullen, p.o.b. Ireland SEAX record
- Edward Cullen, p.o.b. Nottingham SEAX record
- William Cumbers, p.o.b. Romford SEAX record
- Charles Curry, p.o.b. Middlesex SEAX record
- William Curry, p.o.b. Boughton Norfolk SEAX record
- Dennis Curtins, p.o.b. Cork SEAX record
- George Curtis, p.o.b. Chipping Hill SEAX record
- John Curtis, p.o.b. Maldon SEAX record
- Robert Curtis, p.o.b. Beaminster York SEAX record
- Walter Cuthbert, p.o.b. Hintlesham SEAX record
- George Cuthlie, p.o.b. Essex SEAX record
1921 Census now on Findmypast
The 1921 census which gives details of almost 38 million individuals is now available on Findmypast. Start now to discover your ancestors. At the moment access is pay-per-view.
Find your Essex Ancestors in the Parish Registers
The Essex Record Office 'ERO' are custodians of the parish registers of Essex. Ancestry.co.uk have now transcribed the entire collection of Essex parish registers. Search now on Ancestry for your Essex ancestors. Then on the results page click on ‘request image’ and you will be taken to the ERO website where you can purchase an image of the relevant page.
Visit our Parish Registers of Essex page for more information.
Find your Ancestors in the Newspapers
Newspaper archives are now a very important source of information for researching your family tree.
Try our example search to help you discover if your ancestors are in the British Newspaper Archive.

Looking for pictures to add to your family tree album?

Ebay is a good source of old images of Essex towns and villages. If you're looking for pictures to add to your family tree album, then try one of the auctions, or there are several 'Buy It Now' shops offering postcards which have been touched up and improved - so if you're unsure about bidding, try these.
Link below already formatted for Essex and Postcards.