Police Minstrels
Encyclopedia
The Police Minstrels was a concert party consisting of members of the London
Metropolitan Police
.
Founded in 1872 by ten officers from "A" Division
(Whitehall
), the Minstrels consisted of police officers who could sing or play a musical instrument. They performed at police station
s to entertain the officers, and also gave public concert
s in aid of police charities. The Minstrels wore evening dress
and blackface
makeup, in the manner of the typical minstrel show
s of the period, and sang negro spirituals and popular ballad
s and songs, as well as playing instrumentals. They also performed comedy sketches, originally written for them by the popular music hall
artiste and pantomime dame
Clarkson Rose. The Minstrels were very popular - in the 1928/29 season alone, they gave about 140 performances.
Seats for the public concerts were sold door-to-door by uniformed Sergeant
s. Commissioners
Sir William Horwood
and Lord Byng
both objected to this, as did the Police Federation
, claiming that people may feel intimidated into buying tickets and that it detracted from the dignity of the rank. The Minstrels survived by pointing to the amounts of money they raised for charity. However, Lord Trenchard
discovered that ticket sales were entirely dependent on this method of selling and felt that this was a form of blackmail
. In 1932, he ordered that the door-to-door selling should cease. The Minstrels attempted to continue by selling tickets from theatre
box office
s and police stations, but were disbanded the following year.
The Minstrels raised a total of £250,000 for the Metropolitan and City Police Orphanage, the Metropolitan and City Police Convalescent Home, and the Widows' and Relief Funds. Trenchard set up the Commissioner's Fund to replace this vital source of income for these police charities.
The most prominent member of the Minstrels was Sir James Olive
, the first Deputy Commissioner
, who had been a founder member in 1872 and later became the group's president.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
.
Founded in 1872 by ten officers from "A" Division
Police division
A division was the usual term for the largest territorial subdivision of most British police forces. In major reforms of police organisation in the 1990s divisions of many forces were restructured and retitled Basic Command Units , although some forces continue to refer to them as divisions.The...
(Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
), the Minstrels consisted of police officers who could sing or play a musical instrument. They performed at police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
s to entertain the officers, and also gave public concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s in aid of police charities. The Minstrels wore evening dress
Evening dress
Evening dress may refer to:* White tie, the most formal civilian dress code in Western fashion* Black tie, a semi-formal dress code for evening events and social functions in Western fashion...
and blackface
Blackface
Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a black person. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes such as the "happy-go-lucky darky...
makeup, in the manner of the typical minstrel show
Minstrel show
The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the Civil War, black people in blackface....
s of the period, and sang negro spirituals and popular ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s and songs, as well as playing instrumentals. They also performed comedy sketches, originally written for them by the popular music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
artiste and pantomime dame
Pantomime dame
A pantomime dame is a traditional character in British pantomime. It is a continuation of en travesti portrayal of female characters by male actors in drag. They are often played either in an extremely camp style, or else by men acting 'butch' in women's clothing...
Clarkson Rose. The Minstrels were very popular - in the 1928/29 season alone, they gave about 140 performances.
Seats for the public concerts were sold door-to-door by uniformed Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
s. Commissioners
Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is the head of London's Metropolitan Police Service, classing the holder as a chief police officer...
Sir William Horwood
William Horwood (police commissioner)
Brigadier-General Sir William Thomas Francis Horwood GBE KCB DSO served as Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, head of London's Metropolitan Police, from 1920 to 1928.-Military career:...
and Lord Byng
Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy
Field Marshal Julian Hedworth George Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy was a British Army officer who served as Governor General of Canada, the 12th since Canadian Confederation....
both objected to this, as did the Police Federation
Police Federation
Police Federation may refer to:*Police Federation of England and Wales*Police Federation for Northern Ireland*Scottish Police Federation*Defence Police Federation...
, claiming that people may feel intimidated into buying tickets and that it detracted from the dignity of the rank. The Minstrels survived by pointing to the amounts of money they raised for charity. However, Lord Trenchard
Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard GCB OM GCVO DSO was a British officer who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Air Force...
discovered that ticket sales were entirely dependent on this method of selling and felt that this was a form of blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
. In 1932, he ordered that the door-to-door selling should cease. The Minstrels attempted to continue by selling tickets from theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
s and police stations, but were disbanded the following year.
The Minstrels raised a total of £250,000 for the Metropolitan and City Police Orphanage, the Metropolitan and City Police Convalescent Home, and the Widows' and Relief Funds. Trenchard set up the Commissioner's Fund to replace this vital source of income for these police charities.
The most prominent member of the Minstrels was Sir James Olive
James Olive
Sir James William Olive KBE was Assistant Commissioner "A" of the London Metropolitan Police from 1920 to 1925. As such, he was in charge of administration and uniformed operations and was the Commissioner's deputy...
, the first Deputy Commissioner
Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
The Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, commonly referred to simply as the Deputy Commissioner, is the second-in-command of London's Metropolitan Police Service. The rank is senior to Assistant Commissioner, but junior by one rank to Commissioner...
, who had been a founder member in 1872 and later became the group's president.