Inspector Denning's Occurence Book

This Occurrence Book is dated 1848 to 1885 and records the daily incidents which were dealt with by the police on duty at the Palace of Westminster. It is completed in manuscript, mainly by Inspector Eleazor Denning who was in charge of police arrangements in the House of Commons from 1864. A police officer in the Victorian age would have been able to give an accurate account of anything that happened during his duty, by recording in his pocket book the time and particulars of any occurrences, together with the names and address of parties concerned, witnesses and their statements in the exact words used. Occurrence books were kept at all police stations so there was a daily record of all incidents which took place. Inspector Denning carefully recorded the daily events in Parliament at a time of political volatility. His descriptions of protesters, suspended MPs, incidents involving explosives, lost umbrellas, local earthquakes, visits from Chinese circus performers and staff outings on steam boats down the River Thames provide an insight into the life and responsibilities of a police officer on duty, and the broad range of events that occurred in the Palace in the late 19th century.