WRITE IN
Your ideas, comments and advice
I can’t tell you how shocked I was when I bought the February edition of WDYTYA? to see the face of my detective great grandfather on the cover! He is pictured on the left.
My great grandfather James Beattie Anderson (JBA) was born in New Machar, Aberdeenshire, in 1864. The records I have for him show he spent 83 days in the Scots Guards before joining the Kent Constabulary for seven months ( I would love to know why he only spent 83 days with the Scots Guards, but sadly his records have not survived).
JBA then moved to the Reading Constabulary in 1881, where he married his wife, Mary Ann, and there he stayed until his retirement as a detective inspector in 1914.
We grew up hearing the story of the ‘Reading Baby Farmer’ Amelia Dyer, but as children it didn’t interest us much. On my father’s death, I did find some newspaper articles featuring the case, and also about the high esteem in which JBA was held on his retirement. I have since discovered at Cecil Sharp House they have transcripts of folk songs about ‘ The Reading Baby Farmer’.
JBA continued to live in Reading after his retirement and died there in 1929.
Apart from the articles about him, which my father kept, I have a photo of him in full Highland dress with his police truncheon! Seeing your article and photo I wish I had known more about him. Jenny Taylor née Anderson Editor replies: Well that must have been a surprise for you! I hope our article gave you some insight as to what life as a police detective was like in the 19th century.