Trevor Bigham
Encyclopedia
Sir Frank Trevor Roger Bigham KBE
CB
(22 May 1876 – 23 November 1954), known as Sir Trevor Bigham, was an English
barrister
, an Assistant Commissioner
of the London Metropolitan Police
from 1914 to 1931, and Deputy Commissioner
from 1931 to 1935. He was the first officer to hold the position of Deputy Commissioner as a separate rank and not as an honorary title while also serving as an Assistant Commissioner.
The Honourable Trevor Bigham was the third son (although the second surviving) of the judge, John Charles Bigham, 1st Viscount Mersey. He was a King's Scholar
at Eton College
from 1890 to 1895, and then went up to Magdalen College, Oxford
. He took a second in Mods
in 1895 and a first in Literae Humaniores
in 1899. In 1901, he was called to the Bar
by the Middle Temple
. On 24 January 1900, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant
in the 24th (Territorial Force
) Battalion
, Middlesex Regiment
.
On 4 December 1909, Bigham was appointed the Chief Constable
of the Metropolitan Police Criminal Investigation Department
(CID). On 29 January 1914, he succeeded Frederick Bullock as Assistant Commissioner "L", in charge of the Legal Department of Scotland Yard
. During the First World War
, he spent most of his time dealing with the control of alien
s, and in 1919 he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).
On 6 November 1922, Bigham and his colleague, Assistant Commissioner Frank Elliott, were sent a box of chocolate
éclair
s poisoned with arsenic
. Luckily, they were suspicious and did not eat them, and Walter Tatam, who had a history of mental problems, was later found guilty of attempted murder
.
In 1928, he became Assistant Commissioner "C", in charge of CID. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the Metropolitan Police Centenary Honours of 3 June 1929.
Following the sudden death of Sir Charles Royds
on 5 January 1931, Bigham succeeded him as Assistant Commissioner "A", in charge of administration and uniformed operations and with the courtesy title of Deputy Commissioner. He also immediately became Acting Commissioner
, as Lord Byng
was absent on medical leave in France
. Shortly afterwards, following a reorganisation, he became solely Deputy Commissioner, being succeeded as Assistant Commissioner "A" by Lieutenant-Colonel David Allan
. Bigham retired in January 1935.
In 1901, Bigham married Frances Tomlin. They had two daughters. She died in 1927, and four years later he married Edith Drysdale, a civilian official at Scotland Yard.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(22 May 1876 – 23 November 1954), known as Sir Trevor Bigham, was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, an Assistant Commissioner
Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, usually just Assistant Commissioner , is the third highest rank in London's Metropolitan Police, ranking below Deputy Commissioner and above Deputy Assistant Commissioner. There are usually four officers in the rank...
of the London 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...
from 1914 to 1931, and 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...
from 1931 to 1935. He was the first officer to hold the position of Deputy Commissioner as a separate rank and not as an honorary title while also serving as an Assistant Commissioner.
The Honourable Trevor Bigham was the third son (although the second surviving) of the judge, John Charles Bigham, 1st Viscount Mersey. He was a King's Scholar
King's Scholar
A King's Scholar is a foundation scholar of one of certain public schools...
at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
from 1890 to 1895, and then went up to Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
. He took a second in Mods
Honour Moderations
Honour Moderations are a first set of examinations at Oxford University in England during the first part of the degree course for some courses ....
in 1895 and a first in Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores is the name given to an undergraduate course focused on Classics at Oxford and some other universities.The Latin name means literally "more humane letters", but is perhaps better rendered as "Advanced Studies", since humaniores has the sense of "more refined" or "more learned",...
in 1899. In 1901, he was called to the Bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
by the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
. On 24 January 1900, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the 24th (Territorial Force
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army.-Origins:...
) Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, Middlesex Regiment
Middlesex Regiment
The Middlesex Regiment was a regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms when the 57th and 77th Regiments of Foot were amalgamated with the county's militia and rifle volunteer units.On 31 December 1966 The Middlesex Regiment was amalgamated with three...
.
On 4 December 1909, Bigham was appointed the Chief Constable
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
of the Metropolitan Police Criminal Investigation Department
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
(CID). On 29 January 1914, he succeeded Frederick Bullock as Assistant Commissioner "L", in charge of the Legal Department of Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
. During the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he spent most of his time dealing with the control of alien
Alien (law)
In law, an alien is a person in a country who is not a citizen of that country.-Categorization:Types of "alien" persons are:*An alien who is legally permitted to remain in a country which is foreign to him or her. On specified terms, this kind of alien may be called a legal alien of that country...
s, and in 1919 he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).
On 6 November 1922, Bigham and his colleague, Assistant Commissioner Frank Elliott, were sent a box of chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
éclair
Éclair
An éclair is a pastry made with choux dough filled with a cream and topped with icing.The dough, which is the same as that used for profiterole, is piped into an oblong shape with a pastry bag and baked until it is crisp and hollow inside...
s poisoned with arsenic
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
. Luckily, they were suspicious and did not eat them, and Walter Tatam, who had a history of mental problems, was later found guilty of attempted murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
.
In 1928, he became Assistant Commissioner "C", in charge of CID. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the Metropolitan Police Centenary Honours of 3 June 1929.
Following the sudden death of Sir Charles Royds
Charles Royds
Vice-Admiral Sir Charles William Rawson Royds KBE CMG ADC FRGS was a career Royal Navy officer who later served as Assistant Commissioner "A" of the London Metropolitan Police from 1926 to 1931...
on 5 January 1931, Bigham succeeded him as Assistant Commissioner "A", in charge of administration and uniformed operations and with the courtesy title of Deputy Commissioner. He also immediately became Acting Commissioner
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...
, as 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....
was absent on medical leave in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Shortly afterwards, following a reorganisation, he became solely Deputy Commissioner, being succeeded as Assistant Commissioner "A" by Lieutenant-Colonel David Allan
William David Allan
Lieutenant-Colonel William David Allan OBE , known as David Allan, was a British soldier and police officer....
. Bigham retired in January 1935.
In 1901, Bigham married Frances Tomlin. They had two daughters. She died in 1927, and four years later he married Edith Drysdale, a civilian official at Scotland Yard.