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Scottish Policeman - keeping Govan safe in 1877

Writer's picture: Eunice LancasterEunice Lancaster

George McPherson was born in Croy In Invernesshire in about 1842. Around 1877 he and his wife and daughter lived in Greenock where he worked as a labourer in an iron works. He would likely be a strong ( given his jobs) and possibly tall person ( perhaps just the urban myth of tall highlanders!).

In 1800 a new Police force was established in Glasgow. By 1877 age 34 George had moved to Glasgow and had started working in the new police division of Govan, Glasgow which had been establised in 1864. George would have been working for Superintendant David Young in the police force in the burgh of Govan, Glasgow.David Young was in that post until October 1883. https://www.policemuseum.org.uk/burgh-police/govan/ accessed 20 Jan 2025.


George would have had over 70 police colleagues in Glasgow in 1866! No women on the force. By age 47 in 1891 George was back in Greenock working as a night watchman. Maybe he got injured in the job or felt at 47 he was too old to stay in the Police.


In the 1870/80s the police wore uniforms with domed hats and worked out of a building in Orkney St Govan, Glasgow some ten minutes walk from Queen st (now Neptune St) Govan where George lived.

Orkney St Police Station/Jail can still be visted today as it has been turned into a business centre. With the jail rooms as offices!


Orkney St Police station and Jail about 1866.  Courtesy of Police Museum
Orkney St Police station and Jail about 1866. Courtesy of Police Museum
Refurbished Orkney St Police Station and Jail now a business centre.  Courtesy of Orkney St Enterprise Centre
Refurbished Orkney St Police Station and Jail now a business centre. Courtesy of Orkney St Enterprise Centre


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