~ Gallery - Amenities ~
The Police Presence in Lower Gornal and Gornal Wood.
At one time Lower Gornal did have it's own police station or police house, where this was actually located is not confirmed, but thought to be in the vicinity of the Five Ways.
Early references suggest that the constabulary was at No. 88 Ruiton Street, very near to the 'Chapel House Inn' (Miner Arms) .
Constables, William Worsey and Charles Longsdale lived at that address in 1881, this could have been the police house from that time.
The 1891 Census reveals that police constables, Henry Sutton & Oliver Harvey were now resident at No. 88 Ruiton Street.
After 1901, it is thought that the station moved to Lake Street, again the location is not known.
The only references found of a police station at Lower Gornal, span the 1880 to 1910 period.
The Lower Gornal police station is mentioned in a couple of newspaper reports.
A disturbance in 1903, refers to P.C. Hopson having to "take the prisoner to the Police Station at Lower Gornal"
And in 1907, another disturbance, where six persons raided Lower Gornal Police Station and assaulted two police officers.
There was also an inference about the police station in the attempted murder of the Vicar of St. James in 1879.
More recently, two houses were erected in Ellowes Road, and were known as the 'Police Houses', these were indeed put to that use during the 1960's.
Gornal Wood did have it's own Police House at No.8a Bull Street, possibly acting as a Police Station too.
In 1891 the house was occupied by Police Constable James Happey (Heappey?) and family, and in 1901, Charles Lewis was the Police Constable at that address.
Most of the minor offences like drunkenness and affrays were dealt with by Sedgley Magistrates, more serious crimes at Stafford.
Several dignitaries from Gornal were JPs, including Rev. James Yates Rooker and John Lloyd Gibbons
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