Extract from the June 2010 edition of History Lines (No. 10) (edited)
A gentleman from the Granite City, Aberdeen, up there in bonny Scotland has contacted Force Headquarters looking to trace a couple of his relatives.
He informs me that his grandfather was Henry Hanlon, born Dublin 19th, April 1893. He married in 1916 and at that time was listed as a railway detective living at St Paul Road, Camden Square, North Hurst, London. He knows that he lived at that address as a railway detective until at least December 1917 as it is listed on his first child’s birth certificate.
His second child was born in January 1919 and while he was still listed as a railway detective he had moved to Manchester and lived at Upper Moss Lane, Hulme, Manchester he was there until at least April 1921 and he believes from family members he moved back to Ireland in 1922.
His brother was also a railway detective, William Peter Hanlon, born 31st, May 1883 in Wexford, Ireland. His marriage certificate from September 1913 has him listed as a railway detective living at William Street, Holyhead, North Wales.
The 1911 census shows him as a railway detective living in digs in Holyhead with someone employed by the London and North Western Railway.
The request was forwarded onto Kevin Gordon who came up with the following information.
Henry Hanlon born 19th, April 1893. He joined the railway police at London Road on 14th, June 1912. Resigned as a PC on 6th, December 1921.
William Hanlon born, 31st, May 1883. He joined the force on 5th, October 1909. He was a Detective Inspector at Chester and died in service on 10th, February 1939.
Attached is a photograph from his grandson showing Henry Hanlon, who is seated on the front left. Kevin believes that the photograph was taken just before the Great War as none of the officers appear to be wearing medal ribbons. The grandson does not know the location of the photograph.
The grandson wrote back to me with the result of Kevin’s search and supplied me with the following information. He knew that Henry left the police as he went back to Ireland with his daughters from his first marriage. He vaguely remembers him as a youngster, and can recall that he kept his old truncheon as a handle on the cistern of his loo at home in Coventry……….. (Now there’s a thought).
Bill Rogerson