Name/Title
East Sussex Constabulary whistle 1909-1922Entry/Object ID
467Description
Chrome plated East Sussex Constabulary police whistle and chain with button hook. Marked, "The Metropolitan, Patent, East Sussex Constabulary, J. Hudson and Co. 244 Barr Street Birmingham". On top, "Patent 5727-08"Use
For police officers to raise the alarm and summon the assistance of other officers.Context
The use of the whistle by police to replace the rattle as a means of raising the alarm, only became widespread after 1884, when whistles were adopted by the Metropolitan Police in London. Joesph Hudson and Co. supplied these whistles to the Met. and the "Metropolitan" trademark was registered to reflect this, the connection being used heavily in the company's marketing.
To begin with a number of Birmingham based companies produced whistles for the police but Hudsons soon became the largest manufacturer. The company was formed in 1870 and is still in existence as The Acme Whistle Company. Whilst most famous for producing whistles, Hudson and Co. also manufactured other items of police equipment until the 1950's.
This particular whistle was made for East Sussex Constabulary between 1909 and 1922, and has been chrome plated during a later refurbishment. It would have originally had a nickel silver finish (see item 2328). This is the most recent and most common type of whistle marked with the East Sussex Constabulary force name. It is unique among UK Police whistles for having the force name on a plaque or over label. This is thought to cover up an unwanted stamp but to date none have been removed to see what.
Though this particular style of whistle dates from 1922 at the latest, whistles of this type and even earlier manufacture, were still being used within East Sussex Constabulary in the 1960s. This suggests that the force had very good housekeeping arrangements, insuring the return of equipment from officers who left or retired so that items could be re-issued, several times over. Sussex Police stopped issuing whistles in the mid 1970s.