Whatmore Family History

I first heard of James Whatmore when a friend at Shropshire Archives told me that they had noticed him listed as a voter in the 1914 Electoral Register for Dawley (now part of Telford). I somehow managed to discover that he had been a Police Constable, but would have taken the matter no further had it not been for a chance telephone conversation with Michael George Whatmore who lives near Bridgnorth. In telling we about his family, he said that his grandfather had been a policeman and when I asked if he had been PC91 the answer was ‘Yes. How do you know that?’

 Michael has told me all he knows about his grandfather’s life and I am most grateful for his permission to write this post and to reproduce the photographs here for which he holds the copyright.

James George  Whatmore was born in 1867 at Ditton Priors in Shropshire. His father was James Whatmore, a Stone Mason who was born in 1819 at Diddlebury, the illegitimate son of a Mary Whatmore (probably the Mary who was baptised in 1790 at Neen Savage). James  married Mary Reece in 1859 at Ditton Priors.  At the time of her marriage Mary already had two children born out of wedlock, Emma Reece and Edward (Edwin) Reece. Mary had three  children by James Whatmore -Elizabeth (1860) Mary Ann (1861) and James George (1867).

In 1871  James George Whatmore was at home at Ditton Priors. In 1881 he was still at home aged 15 and employed as a School Monitor.

Ditton Priors church in 1790

Painting by Rev. Edward Williams  Copyright: Shropshire Archives and reproduced here by their kind permission

In 1891 James George Whatmore, aged 24 was enlisted as Private 3054  of the 1st Royal Dragoons Regiment. He was living in the Cavalry and Artillery Barracks at Colchester in Essex.

By 1896 James George Whatmore had given up the idea of a permanent career in the army as on 14 July of that year he joined the Salop Constabulary.  His height is given in his records as 5ft 10 inches. James was obviously good at his job as on 29 May 1899 he was promoted to Acting 1st Class Constable.

On 11 October 1899, as a member of the Army Reserve, James was called to rejoin his regiment and went off to South Africa to fight in the Boer War. By October 1901 James was back in Shropshire and on 19 October 1901 he was presented  with the South African War medal by the Countess of Salop. The ceremony was held in the Quarry  (the public Park) in Shrewsbury.

 In 1902, James married Georgina Broom in the Bridgnorth Registration District.

Georgina Whatmore

James and Georgina had two children: Cyril James G Whatmore born 13 Jan 1903 and Horace Edwin James Whatmore born 27 July 1905

Horace and Cyril Whatmore

James had rejoined the Salop Constabulary on 27 November 1901 as PC 91.  He was promoted twice in 1904 - first to 1st Class Constable and then to Acting 2nd Class Sergeant.  In 1906 he was stationed at Hadnall near Shrewsbury.  It is clear that by 1909  James was already suffering from the long term illness which was to kill him, as in that year he stepped down as a Sergeant and reverted to the post of a 1st Class Constable.

James passed away on 31 January 1914. His wife Georgina survived until 1926.

The following appeared in the issue of the Shrewsbury Chronicle for 6 Febraury 1914 - a fitting testimonial to a fine policeman and soldier:

After a long illness of a serious nature the death took plave last Saturday of Police Constable James Whatmore who for the last five years had been residing and stationed at Lawley Bank near Dawley. The Police Officer was extremely popular in the Shropshire Force and was considered very capable and reliable. In the locality where he last performed his duties he made a host of friends who will learn of his death with deep regret.