The development of the London Metropolitan Police: 1785-1829

This thesis addressed several glaring discrepancies that have arisen in recent research about the origins of the London Metropolitan Police. The first section dealt with the development of the police prior to 1785, which included such organizations as the Beadle, the nightwatchman, and the Parish Constable.;The second section gives the reader an idea of the types of crimes that were most prevalent during this period. It was by recording these crimes that historians have based their conclusions that the main goal of the legal system was the preservation of property.;The third section dealt with the appeals for reform and demands for a more humanitarian legal system. This section also examined the role of Colquhoun and his very successful Thames River Police. The last section plotted the activities of Robert Peel and his attempts to develop the London Metropolitan Police.