After some searching, Marina Alexander has found names of the policemen who served at Glass, but if anyone else can add any further information about them or can update the information provided we would be delighted to hear from you. You can make your comments using the comment form below this page. You can click on the photos for a larger image.
Glass Policemen
JOHN PATTILLO – from 1902 until 1911
The following information has been provided by Sara Galloway, the great-granddaughter of John Pattillo.
Here are some words about Constable John Pattillo (1852-1919), my great- grandfather. I have lifted the facts and much of the wording from my late uncle Alan H Pattillo’s self-published family history. Attached are two photos, John with his youngest son (my grandfather) William and youngest daughter Janet at Glass Police House. The second photo of John in uniform is, I believe, his official Grampian Police photo.
Elsewhere on your website is a newspaper report of the funeral in 1910 of John the oldest son of Constable Pattillo, the presentation of leaving gifts (were there two presentations perhaps and the items below were from the Constabulary as there’s a difference?). Also the presentation and speech given to the school teacher by Janet (recorded as ‘Jessie’) Pattillo.
John joined Aberdeenshire Police in 1882, after working for the Duff family at Castle Hatton near Turriff.
His first placement was in Crimond where he met and married Mary Hutchison. In 1894 John transferred to Kincardine O’Neil where he was Police Constable for eight years.
In 1902 John was posted to the parish of Glass a few miles west from his mother in Huntly. When the Pattillos arrived at Glass with their five children there were two shops; the Haugh shop with its post office and William Gordon’s shop next to the closed-down Inn on Market Hill. The Police Station was a house called Waterside on the Daugh of Cairnbarrow Estate once owned by the Earl of Fife. The Pattillo’s house was an extension of part of the old farmhouse and it remained in use as a police station until 1958 when the last Glass Police Constable moved out. There was no cell at the police station so if Constable Pattillo was obliged to take a person into custody and the road to Huntly was snowed under and impassable, the arrested person was held under house arrest – in the police house – and he ate and slept there until he could be handed over to Huntly police. It was a situation that some of the living-in suspects tried to take advantage of by bribing the Constable’s children with sweets in the hope of procuring their father’s sympathy, though this strategy never fooled John.
In 1911 under General Order No 332 of the Aberdeenshire Constabulary the Chief Constable Major D F Gordon authorised Constable Pattillo’s retirement pension of £40:6s per annum. On 15 July of that year, his 59th birthday, John hung up his truncheon for good. The occasion was marked with a presentation to him and Mary of a desk and silver tea service with inscribed tray. John and Mary left Glass soon after for Braemar where he had been appointed custodian of the Victoria Hall, the social centre at the Castleton of Braemar.
THOMAS MITCHELL – from 1911 until 1919
CHARLES MOIR – s from 1919 until 1922
WILLIAM STEPHEN – from 1923 until 1927
It is believed this photo may be a photo of PC William Stephen and Marina Alexander’s mother taken at Glass.
If someone can positively identify him, that would be great! Please leave a comment in the section below this page.
JOHN BARRON – from 1927 until 1934
From the Press & Journal 1969
FORMER GLASS POLICEMAN
Older readers in Huntly, Cairnie and Glass learned early in the week of the death in Aberdeen of Mr John Barron, who was a police constable in Glass from 1928 till 1934. He was 73 and had been retired since 1948. Mr Barron will be remembered because of his intense love of sport. He was a keen amateur footballer and enthusiastic at hammer-throwing etc. Quoiting and draughts were also among his interests. He is survived by his wife, three sons and two daughters.
JAMES LEITH – from 1934 until (assumed) 1937
JOHN DONALDSON – from 1937 until 1938
DONALD MCLEAN – from 1938 until 1959
From Marina Alexander:
This snippet was taken from an old document – no date I am afraid – but I know that in 1941 my father got an allowance of £10 per annum if he had a motor-cycle and £15 per annum if he had car!
“When the bicycle was becoming popular, the authorities were quick to see the advantages of having men capable of riding the bike. At certain rural stations, Glass for example, the constable was awarded an allowance of £1 a year if he had a cycle and kept it in good order.”
I guess the policemen who were in Glass in the early 1900’s would have had a bicycle!
POLICEMEN OF GLASS IN THE PRESS
Aberdeen Weekly Journal 27th June 1919
A representative company from Glass and Cairnie met in the Royal Oak Hotel, Huntly on Friday evening to do honour to Mr Thomas Mitchell, who has just retired from the Aberdeen County Constabulary after 38 years’ service. Mr Mitchell has been for the past eight years in charge of the Glass and Upper Cabrach districts and now retires on pension. Entering the police force in May 1881, he was first stationed at Fraserburgh and subsequently at Belhelvie, Kintore, Strathdon, Blackburn and Glass.
Aberdeen Journal 18th July 1911
Presentation – On the invitation of Mr and Miss Ross, Mr and Mrs Patillo, Police Station, were invited to the Manse on Wednesday evening, along with a few friends. There was a general feeling in the district that after 9 ½ years’ service, Mr John Patillo could not be allowed to leave without some acknowledgement of his services. The Rev. Mr Ross in making the presentation, referred to Mr Patillo’s quiet and inoffensive way in which he had discharged his duty during the 9 /2 hears which he had been amongst them. He asked Mr and Mrs Patillo to accept, in name of the subscribers, a writing desk and purse and sovereigns and a gold brooch. Mr Patillo suitably replied. The company were hospitably entertained by Mr and Miss Ross. Mr Patillo leaves on Monday to take up duty as hall-keeper in Braemar.
So good to see history remembered, a slightly unusual question, what year (if at all) was the house known as “The Old Police Cottage” used as the police station, additionally what year was it built? I remember seeing it on the wall when I was growing up but fail to remember the year.
Thank you and kind regards.
Kai Welford
Hello Kai. I have reached out to our local historian, who put most of the information together for Glass Remembered… She has come back with the following, which I hope you may find interesting…………….
To answer your query, as far as I know the first Police House was Braehead just over the bridge at the top of the road leading down to the Haugh. That may have been about 1865. Then perhaps about 1902 or so the Police Station was at Waterside and the last Policeman left there in 1958. Don’t know when the houses were built I am afraid. The person enquiring would have to look at possibly land registers for that. I know the Earl of Fife owned most of Glass and probably if they went through his papers, held at Kings College, Aberdeen they might find something there.
My grandfather, George Horn was a retired police officer who lived at Waterside of Blairmore with my Grandmother, Annie.
I spent many a happy Easter/summer there with them when my dad, George Gauld Horn was on leave from the Royal Navy.
Regards,
Alexander (Sandy) Horn.
Where was the police station in Glass?
Hi Alastair,
Marina Alexander has replied to your query as follows….
Regarding the police station. It depends I think what period in time you are talking about. I believe it was where the house called Braehead is now – you know at the top of the road leading from the Haugh. Then latterly it was at Waterside – behind Blairmore House.
These are the only two places I know of – hope that helps with the query
kind regards
Glass Community Association