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Metropolitan Police Warrant Numbers
These numbers were issued to officers, starting within a few weeks of the formation of the Metropolitan Police in September 1829. By the year 2000, warrant numbers had exceeded 250,000 and represent the best unique identifier for a particular officer.
Women Police had a separate series of warrant numbers from 1919. The series ended on 8th January 1993 at number 9994. After that female officers were allocated a number in the same series as their male counterparts.
There are also separate series of warrant numbers for Special Constables, War Reserve Officers and for officers brought into service temporarily (eg the 1911 Coronation). The chart below refers only to regular officers. Insofar as Special Constables are concerned, warrant numbers comprised 7 digits in 1914 and onwards. Between 1926 and 1930 the numbers were followed by the suffix A, B or C. In 1930 a suffix H was added until 1964 when J was shown. War Reserves warrant numbers appear to be 5 digits without a suffix; this was a paid position. Many Specials became War Reserve officers, became paid, and retained their warrant numbers. Later many 'reverted to part time', implying that they resumed duty as unpaid Special Constables.
If you know the warrant number of a regular officer, the chart below will show many of the years in which the officer would have joined, but some numbers are estimates and might be some months inaccurate. It also shows some details of when pension numbers were issued. Please note that pension numbers are also approximate. Pension Numbers 8001 - 8500 are widows' pensions 1942-4. Warrant numbers 154639 - 154774 were allocated to officers transferred from Essex Police in 1966. Warrant numbers before 1906 are illustrative of the range in those years and are not complete.
Details are taken from Joiners' Ledgers at The National Archives, pension records, and Police Orders.
Back to top 1850-74 1875-99 1900-24 1925-49 1950-74 1975-84 1988-2000
|
Year |
Warrant Numbers |
Pension Numbers |
Women Police |
|||
|
Start |
Finish |
Start |
Finish |
Start |
Finish |
|
|
1829 |
1 |
1590 | ||||
| 1830 | 1591 | 5680 | ||||
| 1831 | 5682 | 7145 | ||||
| 1832 | 7146 | 8100 | ||||
| 1833 | 8101 | 9098 | ||||
| 1834 | 9099 | 10130 | ||||
| 1835 | 10131 | 11277 | ||||
| 1836 | 11278 | 12333 | ||||
| 1837 | 12334 | 13454 | ||||
| 1838 | 13455 | 14550 | ||||
|
1839 |
14551 | 15805 | ||||
|
1840 |
15806 |
17889 |
||||
|
1841 |
17890 | 19019 | ||||
|
1842 |
19020 | 19888 | ||||
|
1843 |
19889 | 20931 | ||||
|
1844 |
20932 | 21751 | ||||
|
1845 |
21752 | 22772 | ||||
|
1846 |
22773 |
23994 |
||||
|
1847 |
23995 |
25075 |
||||
|
1848 |
25076 | 26454 | ||||
|
1849 |
26455 | 27295 | ||||
| 27296 | 28154 | |||||
|
1851 |
28155 | 29900 | ||||
|
1852 |
29901 |
30746 |
101 |
|||
|
1853 |
30747 | 32012 |
119 |
|||
|
1854 |
32013 |
33213 |
120 |
720 |
||
|
1855 |
33214 | 34323 |
721 |
1000 |
||
|
1856 |
34324 | 35345 |
1200 |
|||
|
1857 |
35346 |
36633 |
1400 |
|||
|
1858 |
36634 | 37702 | ||||
|
1859 |
37703 | 38602 |
1764 |
|||
|
1860 |
38603 |
40126 |
||||
|
1861 |
40127 |
41180 |
||||
|
1862 |
41181 | 43505 |
2000 |
|||
|
1863 |
43506 | 44581 | ||||
|
1864 |
44582 | 45647 | ||||
|
1865 |
45648 |
46869 | ||||
|
1866 |
46870 |
47941 |
2300 |
|||
|
1867 |
47942 | 49153 |
2600 |
|||
|
1868 |
49154 | 51382 | ||||
|
1869 |
51383 |
52319 |
3000 |
|||
|
1870 |
52320 | 53466 | ||||
|
1871 |
53467 | 55018 | Top |
3400 |
||
|
1872 |
55019 |
56399 |
||||
|
1873 |
56400 | 57488 |
3800 |
|||
|
1874 |
57489 | 58561 | ||||
| 58562 | 59819 |
4200 |
||||
|
1876 |
59820 | 61042 | ||||
|
1877 |
61043 |
62114 |
4600 |
|||
|
1878 |
62115 |
63173 |
||||
|
1879 |
63174 | 64172 |
5000 |
|||
|
1880 |
64173 | 65149 | ||||
|
1881 |
65150 | 66159 |
5500 |
|||
|
1882 |
66160 | 67354 | ||||
|
1883 |
67355 |
68830 |
||||
|
1884 |
68831 |
69957 |
6000 |
|||
|
1885 |
69958 |
71048 |
||||
|
1886 |
71049 |
72224 |
||||
|
1887 |
72225 | 73144 |
6500 |
|||
|
1888 |
73145 |
74142 |
7000 |
|||
|
1889 |
74143 |
75054 |
||||
|
1890 |
75055 | 76480 |
7500 |
|||
|
1891 |
76481 |
77318 |
10001 |
10500 |
||
|
1892 |
77319 | 78187 | ||||
|
1893 |
78188 | 79277 | Top |
11000 |
||
|
1894 |
79228 | 80147 |
11001 |
11500 |
||
|
1895 |
80148 | 80903 |
11002 |
12000 |
||
|
1896 |
80904 | 81811 |
12001 |
12500 |
||
|
1897 |
81812 |
83496 |
||||
|
1898 |
83497 |
84741 |
13000 |
|||
|
1899 |
84742 | 85895 |
13500 |
|||
| 85896 |
86986 |
14000 |
||||
|
1901 |
86987 |
88150 |
14500 |
|||
|
1902 |
88151 |
89422 |
15000 |
|||
|
1903 |
89423 |
90387 |
15500 |
|||
|
1904 |
90388 |
91356 |
16000 |
|||
|
1905 |
91357 |
92760 |
16500 |
|||
|
1906 |
92761 |
94152 |
17000 |
|||
|
1907 |
94153 |
95313 |
17500 |
|||
|
1908 |
95314 |
96457 |
18000 |
|||
|
1909 |
96458 |
97734 |
18500 |
|||
|
1910 |
97735 |
99563 |
19000 |
|||
|
1911 |
99564 |
100928 |
19500 |
|||
|
1912 |
100929 |
102128 |
20000 |
|||
|
1913 |
102129 |
103574 |
20500 |
|||
|
1914 |
103575 |
104647 |
21000 |
|||
|
1915 |
104648 |
105205 |
21500 |
|||
|
1916 |
105206 |
105209 |
||||
|
1917 |
105210 |
105222 |
22000 |
|||
|
1918 |
105223 |
105261 |
22500 |
Top | ||
|
1919 |
105262 |
108413 |
23500 |
5 |
124 |
|
|
1920 |
108414 |
111241 |
24000 |
126 |
161 |
|
|
1921 |
111243 |
112137 |
25000 |
162 |
168 |
|
|
1922 |
112138 |
112268 |
25500 |
|||
|
1923 |
112269 |
112531 |
26000 |
|||
|
1924 |
112532 |
113555 |
27000 |
|||
|
113556 |
115085 |
28000 |
196 |
221 |
||
|
1926 |
115086 |
116068 |
28500 |
222 |
227 |
|
|
1927 |
116069 |
117122 |
29000 |
231 |
||
|
1928 |
117123 |
118042 |
30000 |
232 |
235 |
|
|
1929 |
118043 |
119309 |
30500 |
238 |
241 |
|
|
1930 |
119310 |
120633 |
31500 |
243 |
251 |
|
|
1931 |
120634 |
121059 |
32500 |
254 |
263 |
|
|
1932 |
121060 |
122676 |
33000 |
266 |
268 |
|
|
1933 |
122677 |
123179 |
273 |
277 |
||
|
1934 |
123180 |
123898 |
286 |
|||
|
1935 |
123899 |
124677 |
290 |
295 |
||
|
1936 |
124678 |
125442 |
304 |
|||
|
1937 |
125443 |
126591 |
326 |
348 |
||
|
1938 |
126592 |
127433 |
351 |
373 |
||
|
1939 |
127434 |
128336 |
378 |
420 |
||
|
1940 |
128337 | 128340 |
426 |
463 |
||
|
1941 |
128341 | 128342 |
465 |
488 |
||
|
1942 |
128343 | 128343 | ||||
|
1943 |
128343 | 128343 | ||||
|
1944 |
128344 | 128345 | Top | |||
|
1945 |
128345 | 128347 | ||||
|
1946 |
128348 |
130122 |
552 |
606 |
||
|
1947 |
130123 | 132418 |
607 |
677 |
||
|
1948 |
132419 | 134162 |
678 |
741 |
||
|
1949 |
134163 | 135258 |
742 |
819 |
||
| 135259 | 136624 |
820 |
943 |
|||
|
1951 |
136625 | 137505 |
944 |
1031 |
||
|
1952 |
137506 | 138816 |
1032 |
1110 |
||
|
1953 |
138817 |
139849 |
1111 |
1246 |
||
|
1954 |
139850 |
141157 |
1247 |
1346 |
||
|
1955 |
141158 |
142540 |
1347 |
1432 |
||
|
1956 |
142541 |
144298 |
1433 |
1527 |
||
|
1957 |
144299 |
145873 |
1528 |
1616 |
||
|
1958 |
145874 |
147250 |
1617 |
1689 |
||
|
1959 |
147251 |
148595 |
1690 |
1756 |
||
|
1960 |
148596 |
149657 |
1757 |
1813 |
||
|
1961 |
149658 |
150882 |
1814 |
1884 |
||
|
1962 |
150883 |
152070 |
1885 |
1953 |
||
|
1963 |
152071 |
153315 |
1954 |
2047 |
||
|
1964 |
153316 |
154372 |
2048 |
2126 |
||
|
1965 |
154373 |
155587 |
2127 |
2226 |
||
|
1966 |
155588 |
156962 |
2227 |
2322 |
||
|
1967 |
156963 |
158570 |
2323 |
2452 |
||
|
1968 |
158571 |
159825 |
2453 |
2540 |
||
|
1969 |
159826 |
161018 |
2541 |
2638 |
||
|
1970 |
161019 |
162175 |
2639 |
2765 |
||
|
1971 |
162176 |
163210 |
2766 |
2864 |
||
|
1972 |
163211 |
164320 |
2865 |
2980 |
||
|
1973 |
164321 |
165326 |
2981 |
3086 |
||
|
1974 |
165327 |
166626 |
3087 |
3319 |
||
|
166627 |
168043 |
3320 |
3607 |
|||
|
1976 |
168044 |
170080 |
3608 |
4143 |
||
|
1977 |
170081 |
171503 |
4144 |
4600 |
||
|
1978 |
171504 |
172751 |
4601 |
4916 |
||
|
1979 |
172752 |
174434 |
4917 |
5394 |
||
|
1980 |
174435 |
176305 |
5395 |
5946 |
||
|
1981 |
176306 |
178761 |
5947 |
6382 |
||
|
1982 |
178762 |
180947 |
6383 |
6718 |
||
|
1983 |
180948 |
182422 |
6719 |
6913 |
||
|
1984 |
182423 |
183493 |
6914 |
7063 |
||
|
1985 |
183494 |
184560 |
7064 |
7270 |
||
|
1986 |
184561 |
186018 |
7271 |
7562 |
||
|
1987 |
186019 |
187426 |
7563 |
7580 |
||
|
187427 |
188499 | |||||
|
1989 |
188500 | 188699 | ||||
|
1990 |
188700 | 192399 | ||||
|
1991 |
192400 | 192449 | ||||
|
1992 |
192550 | 193479 | ||||
|
1993 |
193480 | 194255 | 9994 | |||
|
1994 |
194256 |
195580 |
||||
|
1995 |
195581 |
196689 |
||||
|
1996 |
196690 |
197746 |
||||
|
1997 |
197747 |
198834 |
||||
|
1998 |
198835 |
200199 |
||||
|
1999 |
200200 |
201453 |
||||
|
2000 |
201454 |
202648 | ||||
| 2001 | 202649 | 205107 | ||||
| 2002 | 205108 | 208350 | ||||
| 2003 | 208351 | 217921 | 210000-214999 not issued. | |||
| 2004 | 217922 | 220926 | ||||
| 2005 | 220927 | 222965 | ||||
| 2006 | 222966 | 224740 | ||||
| 2007 | 224741 | 226712 | ||||
| 2008 | 226713 | 229031 | ||||
| 2009 | 229032 | 232026 | ||||
| 2010 | 232027 | 232548 | ||||
| 2011 | 232549 | 233246 | ||||
| 2012 | 233139 | 235000 | ||||
| 2013 | 235001 |
236004 |
||||
| 2014 | 236005 | 238348 | ||||
| 2015 | 238348 | 241726 | ||||
| 2016 | 241727 | 243608 | ||||
| 2017 | 243415 | 244859 | ||||
| 2018 | 244853 | 251760 | 245000-250000 believed not issued | |||
| 2019 | 251761 | 255709 | ||||
Figures in italics are estimates