Bow Street Runners
The Bow Street Runners were the law enforcement officers of the Bow Street Magistrates' Court in the City of Westminster. They have been called London's first professional police force. The force originally numbered six men and was founded in 1749 by magistrate Henry Fielding, who was also well known as an author. His assistant, brother, and successor as magistrate, John Fielding, moulded the constables into a professional and effective force. Bow Street Runners was the public's nickname for the officers although the officers did not use the term themselves and considered it derogatory. The group was disbanded in 1839 and its personnel merged with the Metropolitan Police, which had been formed ten years earlier.
"Oliver waited on by Bow Street Runners", an engraving in The Writings of Charles Dickens, volume 4, Oliver Twist | |
| Named after | Bow Street Magistrates' Court |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Thief-takers |
| Successor | Metropolitan Police |
| Formation | 1749 |
| Founder | Henry Fielding, John Fielding |
| Founded at | Bow Street Magistrates' Court, Bow Street, Covent Garden, Westminster, London, England, Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Dissolved | 1839 |
| Headquarters | Bow Street Magistrates' Court, Bow Street, Covent Garden, Westminster, London, England, United Kingdom |
| Methods | Arrest, apprehension, conviction |
Magistrate | Henry Fielding |
Magistrate | Sir John Fielding |
Parent organization | British Crown Court |
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