Protest Against thr Rural Constabulary 1841

To the Worshipful the Magistracy of the County of Essex in Quarter Sessions Assembled. The humble petition of the inhabitants and rate payers of the united parishes of Stapleford Tawney and Theydon Mount in the County of Essex.

Herewith, that although the rural police has made a considerable addition to the Burthems laid upon your petitioners, it has not answered the ends for which it was instituted, within the parishes: the number of depredations during the night, having increased rather than diminished since its institution.

That it seems to your petitioners impossible to prevent such depredations in ...... localities, without an increase of expense, too great to be borne by rural parishes.

That your petitioners consider themselves by the Act of Parliament, entitled to a strict equality of taxation, for the usual police, with the Towns and Larger Villages; whereas in reality, the Burthem of this Force falls most unequally upon portions of the Count strictly against rural, the Towns and larger Villages having nearly all the Benefit from the Police; which is rarely seen in the more secluded situations.

Your Petitioners, therefore, humbly pray he Majesty’s Justices of the Peace of the County of Essex, in Quarter Sessions assembled, to take into their serious consideration whether it is not expedient forthwith to report it as their opinion to one of Her Majesty’s principal Secretaries of State, that the rural Police should be discontinued in the County of Essex.

The above resolution were agreed upon at a meeting of the Inhabitants and Rate payers of the two united Parishes aforesaid, holden in the Vestry Room of Stapleford Tawney, on Monday Dec 27, 1841; Sir Edward Bowyer Smijth of Hill Hall, in the chair.

Edward Bowyer Smijth, Bart.
Francis Tanner (Churchwarden)
John Smith
James Spencer
Thomas Rumball
Samuel Miller
Edward Hyde
John Mumford
Phi... Bailey
Thomas Shepher
Daniel Rumball
William Wood
Elizabeth Purviss
Mary Smith, Lady. Suttons
H Soanes (Rector)
Jon. Stokes
Richard Young
Charles Stevens
John Pavitt
Henry Stannard
Mary Cooper
William Dawkins
Christiana Worters
William Flack
William Sworder
James Wood
Charles Clark
Samuel Threader
John Rumball
Charles Osborn
Ann Stubbins
James Worters (Churchwarden)

3 other name indecipherable.