Glasgow City Archives

Scotland

The Archives holds the records of police within Strathclyde. These include the records of Glasgow Police, established in 1800 and almost certainly the oldest police force in the world, and for the current Strathclyde Police.

As well as administrative records, the collection includes personnel records of policemen in the west of Scotland from the 1820s to 1985, including:

Glasgow – Records of Glasgow Police (1825-1975), and for the police forces of the annexed burghs of Govan (c.1872-1912); Kinning Park (1866-1905); Partick (1863-1912)
Dunbartonshire – Records of the County Police (1869-1974)
Lanarkshire – Records of the County Police (1945-1972); Airdrie (1889-1956); Hamilton (1887-1958)
Renfrewshire – Records of the County Police, later Renfrew and Bute (1858-c1974); Johnstone (1876-1930); Paisley (1883-1947); Port Glasgow (1871-1891); and Renfrew (1926-1930)
The registers vary in amount of biographical detail but may include name, age, place of birth, marital status and whether the officer had children, height, addresses and career progression (or lack of).

The records include personal details about the policemen and may record notes on disciplinary action. The records are closed for 75 years under the Data Protection Act. If you wish to request access to later records, please contact us for advice.

1. Justices of the Peace records (including the counties of Dumbarton, Renfrew, Lanark and the City of Glasgow) REFERENCE: GB243/JP6, JP7, JP16 & JP22 2. Glasgow Burgh Courts records (including the Burgh Court, Monday court, criminal courts, Dean of Guild Court, Water Baillies’ Court, Burgh Registration and Appeal Court, Burgh Valuation Court and the Burgh Licensing Court) REFERENCE: GB243/B1-B8 3. Strathclyde Police records (including the archives of Strathclyde Police and the predecessor burgh and county police forces of the former Strathclyde region) REFERENCE: GB243/SR22 4. Glasgow District Court (REFERENCE: GDC2/16)