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Archiver > ABERDEEN > 2007-04 > 1175792075


From: Gavin Bell <>
Subject: Re: [ABERDEEN] Police act
Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:54:35 +0100
References: <00c101c77784$fe6c5750$0200000a@betty>
In-Reply-To: <00c101c77784$fe6c5750$0200000a@betty>


Chris McGregor wrote:

>We have found that our grandfather x 3 was in prison when the 1841 census was taken and have now found out why he was there or should say what the Offence was. It stated that the offence was "Breach of 131 Sect. 10 Geo IV. Police Act" and was wondering if anyone can tell me what this means or where I could find out. The National Archives of Scotland said that they were unable to determine what crime this refers to. Thanks Chris
>

I suspect the NAS cannot identify the offence because the Act has not
been properly identified. According to the list in Wikipedia
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Acts_of_Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom_Parliament,_1820-1839#1829_.2810_Geo._IV.29)
the only Act in that year (1829) with the word "Police" in its title was
the famous "Metropolitan Police Act" which founded the London Police
Force, but can have had little relevance in Scotland. There was also a
"Criminal Law (Sotland) Act.

If the offence was defined in a "Police Act", I suspect the offence may
have been some catch-all like "breach of the peace" or "riotous
assembly". The 1840s was a period of urban unrest, generally
associated with the Chartist movement.


Gavin Bell



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