History
History of the Police History Society
The Police History Society began in 1985 when it was launched and promoted in Police Review with a quarterly supplement featuring historical articles. Superintendent Les Waters MA (Cambs) and Chief Inspector Robert Bartlett BA (Northants) came up with the idea of a police historical society during 1984. They teamed up with Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Drew MBA, FBIM (West Mercia) and Elizabeth Lally BA, Cert Ed. Museum Curator (West Mercia) who had been looking at forming an organisation of police museums. The Society was launched in the Police Review of 29 March 1985, inviting membership at a cost of £5, funds to be used for meetings, seminars, an annual conference, and a proposed journal. Their president was Barry Pain, CBE, QPM, Commandant of the Police Staff College, among the Historical Advisers was one Clive Emsley. Bernard was Chair; Les, Secretary; and Bob, Treasurer and Editor (and he did indeed edit the first Journal in 1986 and the next six). The first conference and AGM were held on 7 September 1985 at Churchill College, Cambridge and were a great success, with Barry Pain offering Bramshill Police College as the venue for 1986. Auspicious beginnings indeed!
Founders & Committee
Patron
1988 2014 Lord Knights #
2015 Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington
President
1985 1988 Barry Pain - HMI, Commandant Bramshill
1988 1993 Sir Robert Bunyard - HMI, Commandant Bramshill
1993 1996 Sir Trefor Morris - Chief HMI
1996 2001 Sir David O’Dowd - Chief HMI
2002 2005 Sir Keith Povey - Chief HMI
2005 2009 Sir Ronnie Flanagan - Chief HMI
2009 2015 Sir Denis O’Connor - Chief HMI
2015 2022 Sir Thomas Winsor - Chief HMI
2023 Dr Peter Neyroud CBE
Chair
1985 1990 Bernard Drew - ACC, West Mercia
1990 1995 Michael Bradley Taylor - DAC, Metropolitan
1995 1998 William Taylor - Commissioner, City of London
1998 2001 Colin Bailey - CC, Nottinghamshire
2001 2007 Barry Taylor - DCC, Dyfed-Powys
2007 2016 Rob Beckley - DCC, Avon and Somerset
2016 2018 Simon Edens - CC, Northamptonshire
2018 2024 Paul Griffiths - Chief Supt., Gwent
2024 Kate Halpin QPM - Detective Chief Supt., Metropolitan
Vice-Chair
1986 1997 Arthur Morley
1997 2001 John Dibley
2001 2003 Colin Bailey
2003 2005 John Dibley
2005 2007 Richard Wilcox
2007 2019 Barry Taylor
2020 2024 Kate Halpin QPM - Detective Chief Supt., Metropolitan
2024
Secretary
1985 1990 Les Waters
1990 1996 Martin Stallion
1996 2003 Alan Hayhurst
2003 2013 Steve Bridge
2013 2019 Martin Stallion
2019 Karolyn Brookes
Treasurer
1985 1987 Bob Bartlett
1987 1993 Philip Wharton
1993 2003 John Dibley
2003 Michael Vince
Membership Secretary
1985 1986 Steve Swain
1986 1990 Martin Stallion
1991 1993 Pat Morrison
1993 1997 Richard Cowley
1997 2004 Richard Wilcox
2004 2016 Len Woodley
2016 Derek Stevens
Museums Secretary
1985 1989 Elizabeth Lally - West Mercia
1989 1991 Jeremy Glenn - South Wales
1992 2000 Brian Estill - Devon and Cornwall
2000 2002 Alan Walker - Staffordshire
2002 2014 David Cross - West Midlands
2014 2017 Mike McCulloch - Greater Manchester
2017 2019 Chris Forester
2019 Clifford Williams
Journal Editor
1985 1992 Bob Bartlett
1992 1999 Jenny Ward
1999 2014 Chris Forester
2014 2017 Richard Cowley #
2017 2020 Adam Wood
2020 Tom Andrews
Newsletter Editor
1985 1990 Les Waters
1990 1996 Martin Stallion
1997 2003 Alan Hayhurst
2003 2004 Charles Giffiths
2004 2007 Martin Stallion
2007 2013 Chris Forester
2013 2019 Martin Stallion
2019 Barry Walsh
Academic Adviser
1985 2020 Clive Emsley #
2021 David Churchill
Press Officer
1985 1986 Doreen May - Editor, Police review
1986 1995 Norman Woollons - [Press and Conference Officer]
1995 1999? Roger Blaxall
Post vacant and eventually abolished
Webmaster (not a committee position)
2002 2017 Alan Hayhurst
2003 2017 Keith Moore (non-member)
2017 2020 Adam Wood
2020 Barry Walsh
Member
1985 1986 Martin Stallion
1985 2000 Ken Birch #
1985 1992 Patrick White #
1985 1989 Maureen Scollan
1985 1986 Arthur Morley
1985 1995 Barbara Weinberger
1985 1989 Paul Williams
1985 1986 Norman Woollons
1986 1987 Daphne Ruddiman - Librarian, Bramshill
1986 1988 Claire Gilbert - Asst Editor, Police Review
1987 1989 Jeremy Glenn - [Co-opted]
1986 1987 Philip Wharton
1988 2010 Susan King - Librarian, Bramshill
1988 1996 Eric Morley # - Supplies Officer
1990 1997 Les Waters
1990 1992 Bernard Drew
1992 1994 Bob Bartlett
1992 1993 John Dibley
1992 1993 Richard Cowley
1994 2005 Maureen Scollan
1995 2005 Paul Rason
1996 1999 Chris Forester
1997 2005 Ian Eady
1999 2004 Len Woodley
2001 2007 Mark Custerson
2001 2009 Margaret Bird #
2004 2007 Martin Stallion
2005 2008 John Mason
2005 2018 Peter Farmery - [Overseas member]
2007 2016 Simon Dell
2007 2015 Richard Wilcox
2008 2009 Maureen Scollan
2009 2013 Ross Mather
2011 Tony Rae
2014 2018 Lindsay Siviter
2015 2020 David Taylor #
2016 2019 Karolyn Brookes
2016 2017 Chris Forester
2018 2018 Paul Griffiths
2018 2021 Martin Brimble
2018 2022 Alison Jay
2018 2019 Clifford Williams
2019 2019 Barry Walsh
2020 Tony Moore
2020 2022 Keith Jackson
2020 2020 Kate Halpin
2021 Corinne Brazier
2021 David Churchill
2022 David Cox
2022 Lindsay Siviter
2022 Rebecca Walker
# denoted died in post
Committee members and their posts as shown from left to right - Maureen Scollan, Insp, Essex (Committee Member). Claire Gilbert, Asst Editor, Police Review (Committee Member). Les Waters, Supt, Cambridgeshire (Secretary). Clive Emsley, Open University (Academic Adviser). Patrick White, ex-DCC York City then ACC York & NE Yorks (Committee member). Bob Bartlett, Chief Insp, Northants (Editor). Elizabeth Lally, Museum Curator, West Mercia (Museums Secretary). Martin Stallion, general PITA (Membership Secretary). Philip Wharton, Insp, Met (Treasurer). Bernard Drew, ACC, West Mercia (Chairman). Arthur Morley, ex-Met Civil Staff (Vice-Chairman). Ken Birch, historian from Aberdovey (Committee member). Norman Woollons, Sgt, Humberside (Press Officer). Paul Williams, Museum adviser, Met Civil Staff (Committee member). Jeremy Glenn, Museum Curator, South Wales (Committee member).