X Collar Number/Rank. PC54 James GREENBorn. 1837 Newport, Shropshire.Date of Entry. 06 December 1867Date of Leaving. 24 February 1873Final Date of Leaving. 24 February 1873How Discharged. Death in service (Murdered)Initial Posting. Bradwall, Sandbach, Cheshire. Miscellaneous Information. Religion Protestant,Height 5' 8", Age 30, Eyes Grey, Hair Sandy,Complexion Fresh, Build Proportional. Wife. MaryB.1845 Christleton, Chester. James W. B.1868.Chester. Joseph B.1870 Bradwall. Death recordednow at Crewe Volume 8a. Gratuity of £66.18s.4dpaid to his Widow. 1871 home address. MiddlewichRoad, Bradwall, Sandbach. Bludgeoned to death whilst attempting to arrestoffender. Offender acquitted insufficientevidence.Promotion/Misconduct. No Misconduct reportsrecorded. Pay 12/1867 20/- pw. 05/1868 21/-.10/1871 22/-. 03/1872 23/4d. 09/1872 24/6d.12/1872 25/8d pw.Awards/Good Conduct/Other information. 05/1871Apprehension of Deserter Thomas Dodd of the 84thRegiment of Foot, 20/- War Office.References. Census. Police Roll of Honor. Book tothe Best of Our Skill. CJP7 Volume 2. CJP27/16/8Murder of PC Green. PRO Chester.James Green was born in Newport, Salop in 1837. Hejoined the Cheshire Constabulary on 6th December1867 at the age of 30yrs. In 1873, Constable JamesGreen, of the County Force was murdered. This isthe only instance of the murder of a Cheshirepolice officer.P.C. 54 Green was thirty years of age had been amember of the County Force for a period of sixyears. He was stationed at Bradwall near Sandbachserving under the command of SuperintendentRowbottom of Middlewich and Inspector Hulme ofSandbach.On the evening Monday 24th February 1873, Greenset off to keep observations to spend some time inplain clothes keeping observation on a JamesBuckley who resided near the hamlet of Elworth.Buckley, a farm worker, had a number of previousconvictions for larceny and was believed to bestill engaged in petty pilfering.Green was not seen again until the followingFriday, when, after continual inquiries, his body,grossly injured, was recovered from the Trent /Mersey canal at Moss Bridge, a quarter of a milefrom Buckley's cottage. Medical evidence ascribeddeath to the rupture of internal organs combinedwith twenty-three cut wounds caused by a sharpinstrument about the head.Following inquiries by Superintendent RichardRowbottom, Buckley was arrested at a farm on whichhe was working at Elton. He was seen to besuffering from injuries to the face, two blackeyes, a bruised forehead and a lacerated nose.These he accounted for by saying he had fell froma tree. They went to the tree but there was nodamage to it.They then went to Buckley's house and carried outa search, they found a waistcoat on the line, wetand Buckley explained that he had been wearing itwhen he killed two pigs. He was arrested and takento the police station, in his pocket was a smallpocket knife; the same is the one missing fromConstable Greens inside pocket. The search ofBuckley's house continued and the officers tookpossession of some sacks and an axe which both ofwhich was blood stained. Blood was also found onthe inside of the knife. These were submitted forexpert examination at Owen's College, Manchester,and the School of Medicine, Liverpool. Insubsequent evidence none would say more than thestains on the implements were "animal bloodstains". A Dr. B of Liverpool said he could notswear positively that the blood was human. "Itmight or might not be pig's blood." WhilstProfessor W said "he could not distinguish betweenhuman and pig's blood especially after it hadbecome dry".After a two-day trial at the Assizes in April1873, Buckley was acquitted by the jury after anabsence of ten minutes.The case is an interesting example of the advanceof forensic science knowledge and methods from astate of almost total ignorance (in thisparticular field) to one by which, to-day, it ispossible to distinguish not only as between humanand base animal blood, but to distinguish asbetween one base animal and another.His personal police file shows PC54 James Green,Born Circa 1837 Newport, Shropshire. He joined theCheshire Constabulary on the 06 December 1867 andobviously his service ended with his death on 24February 1873. Religion Protestant, Height 5' 8",Age 30, Eyes Grey, Hair Sandy, Complexion Fresh,Build Proportional. He was in April 1868 servingwithin the Division of Northwich and in 1871 wasstationed at Middlewich Road, Bradwall, Sandbach.There are no Misconduct Reports recorded. His payis follows 12/1867 20/- pw. 05/1868 21/-. 10/187122/-. 03/1872 23/4d. 09/1872 24/6d. 12/1872 25/8dpw. In April 1871 he was a 20/- gratuity from theWar Office after he apprehended of a deserternamed Thomas Dodd of the 84th Regiment of Foot.The following was taken from the Police OfficersRoll of Honor. 'Bludgeoned to death whilstattempting to arrest offender. Offender acquittedinsufficient evidence. Wife. Mary B.1845Chrisleton, Chester. James W. B.1868. Chester.Joseph B.1870 Bradwall. Gratuity of £66.18s.4dpaid to his Widow.Death recorded at Crewe Volume 8a. Census 1871.Police National Roll of Honor. History of theCheshire Constabulary "To the Best of Our Skilland Knowledge". Chester Record Office ReferencesCJP7 Volume 2. CJP27/16/8.The Curator, Museum of Policing in Cheshire,Warrington Police Station, Arpley Street,Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 1LQ