RARE H DIVN PC F. SYMONDS MEDAL & SET 1888 WHITECHAPEL JACK THE RIPPER.

A Very Rare Opportunity to obtain a Police pair of full-size Medals awarded to Police Constable Francis Symonds, H Division – Whitechapel Police Station, London who serviced in 1888 at the time of the Whitechapel Murders (Jack The Ripper Murders), comprising Jubilee Police Medal 1887 issued to Police Constable Francis Symonds of H Division (inscribed to the side PC. F Symonds H DIVn. which was the Whitechapel police station, London), the medal has never been cleaned and has superb age toning. To the front Queen Victoria Side bust, to the reverse Metropolitan police 1887 comes with its original Water fleck ribbon, The second medal is the Coronation Police Medal 1902 in Bronze, King Edward VII Side bust to front and Metropolitan Police to Reverse 1902, PC F Symonds X DIVn London, again, with its original Water fleck ribbon, lightly toned very fine, never been cleaned. Accompanying, the two medals is an original period 1888 Metropolitan Patent Police whistle, along with an original Victorian Period 1888 Bullseye handheld Police lantern, which carries the makers brass tag on the door HIATT & CO BIRMINGHAM, Serial paten number and also the burner has paten number, the police constables were issued with one of these during their night shift and it had to be signed in and out on a daily basis. Police Constable Francis Symonds Warrant Number 54716, joined H Division London in 1871 and left on the 11th May 1892. His name appears in the list of H Division personnel in the Case Book of Jack The Ripper. If you go to the famous specialist Baldwins and look on line for PC Francis Symonds: on the beat in Jack the Ripper Territory, there is a wonderful unique short film produced by the famous medallist Baldwins on the life of PC Symonds and features these original medals which are featured in the video along with his history, the medals have been authenticated by them. This is a unique set extremely rare to the period a one off. To confirm the set comprises of two Metropolitan Police medals named and awarded to PC Francis Symonds, a metropolitan police whistle J Hudson & Co 131 Barr St Birmingham and Police issued Bullseye lantern which dates from the period of 1888.
“This set in no way glorifies the murders of 1888. It is a sincere memorial to the women who were victims and to the policemen who wanted to protect them”.
Francis Symonds was born 14th September 1849 in Cottesmore, Rutland, East Midlands and came from a farming background at 21 he moved to London and at 22 he joins the Metropolitan Police L Division which was Lambeth, in 1876 he transfers to H Division and lives in Notting Hill at which times he marries and has his first child. The Met policy is that serving men who had families had to live within walking distance of their division headquarters, so he moved to Turner Street, then onto the Peabody Estate Whitechapel. Leman St was the Divisional headquarters of the H Division Whitechapel. Whilst on duty the officers had to wear a blue and white striped armband and they were not allowed to drink whilst on duty displaying the armband and were forbidden from talking about the details of the Jack the Ripper Case and would have been severally reprimanded if they divulged any information. There were approx. 76,000 people living in Whitechapel during this period with only 600 police officers there to protect them. Flower & Dean St was where most of the prostitutes frequented and was one of the worse places for crime in the whole of the east London, the streets were colour coordinated by crime statists and the police would not visit the area if they could avoid it and when they had to attend, they would only visit with groups of four. Seven of the victims lived at the same address is Flower & Dean St. Most of the properties of the period have been destroyed with the exception of Wilkes St E1 which is still there today with, original houses that would have stood there in 1888. The area at the time was only lit by gas light at night, which meant the streets were dark and dingy, and the gas lights would only give out a small pool of light the rest of the street was in complete darkness. The Constables on night duty were given a bullseye lantern to light the streets for them, which they would have had to sign them in and out and the beginning and end of each night shift. PC Symonds would have been issued with one of these lanterns’ whist on duty. The Police officers on the Jack The Ripper case, would have been traumatised for the rest of their lives from the terrible things they witnessed at these awful crime scenes. During this period English was not the main language used by the residents of Whitechapel, the three main languages were Yiddish, Russian and Polish, Please note the period photo of the policeman is not included within the sale of this set.
Sizes: Full Size Medals. Full Size Whistle. Lantern width approx 155mm x height 208mm .
Condition: The medals are in very good condition. The whistle is in good condition. The lantern is in good condition, with original glass still intact, old replacement nut to top of lantern, belt clip attachment missing to back of lantern, all original.

Code: 50924