Plymouth City Policewomen’s Department

Abstract

Witness Seminar 7: Plymouth City Policewomen’s Department

Co-Ordinator: Professor Kim Stevenson

Chair: Professor Judith Rowbotham

Consultant: Michael Kandiah, Kings College London

Aim: to examine the role of Plymouth City Policewomen’s Department prior to amalgamation by capturing oral testimony from the retired policewomen who served there in the 1960s and 1970s and preserve the heritage of the Devon and Cornwall Police for future generations.

Overview: The event was hosted by the University of Plymouth with the Plymouth policewomen’s branch of NARPO ( National Association Retired Police Officers). Nancy Astor was instrumental in the local campaign for more women police in the 1930s together with Dr Mabel Ramsay and Chief Constable Joseph Sowerby of Plymouth City Police (1892-1916) the subject of #CHITCHAT’s drama documentary ‘How do you fix a town like Plymouth’ appointed women special constables as early as 1906 well before many other forces.

The panel remembered their stories and experiences of working in the Policewomen’s department at Plymouth providing some fascinating detail and anecdotes about their role and duties as well as commentary on how policing has changed

Panel Witnesses included:

Ida Blackler –Plymouth Policewomen’s Department

Pauline Bradley - Plymouth Policewomen’s Department

Daphne Jago, Plymouth Policewomen’s Department

Patricia Jackson, Plymouth Policewomen’s Department

Anne Lockwood, Plymouth Policewomen’s Department

Cindy Page, Plymouth Policewomen’s Department

Margaret Vickery, Plymouth Policewomen’s Department