Hatton Garden Police Station by Brian Starkey Retd
Hatton Garden Police Station was built in 1895 and is situated on the junction of Hatton Garden and Dale Street, Liverpool. It was originally the Headquarters for the city centre Division (‘A’ Division). Attached to the station was the Central Fire Station. In those days the Fire Service as we know it today did not exist. The Firemen were in fact Police Officers hence the term ‘Fire Bobby’.
The station had two entrances, one on Hatton Garden and the other on Dale Street. The Dale Street entrance led to a General Enquiry Office and the Central CID office and the Hatton Garden entrance could only be accessed by Police Officers.
The station was not a Bridewell and did not have a Charge Office (Custody Suite) or cells due to the close proximity of the Main Bridewell in Cheapside.
Adjacent to the station on Dale Street was Liverpool City Magistrates Court and this could be accessed from within the Police Station. The Main Bridewell could be accessed via an underground tunnel from the Magistrates Court.
The station closed on 26th March 1972 and is now a Grade II listed building.
Brian Starkey
August 2020
The foreground figure 2nd from the right is my great grandfather John Grisenthwaite. He joined the Liverpool City Police in 1879. I know he lived in Leven Street in 1905 and worked from Westminster Road. Family legend has it that his wife was responsible for harnessing the horses to the fire pump, if there was a callout on nights. He retired in 1909 after being injured fighting a fire in the docks. He was said to be suspicious of ‘new fangled’ telephones and consequently would walk miles to speak in person. Once retired he joined the Canadian Pacific shipping line where he was the master of arms on the SS Montrose. Hence he was involved in the arrest of Doctor Crippen and Ethel le Neve as they tried to escape to Canada. There is a certain irony there as this was the first time telegraphy was used to make an arrest.
