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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

1850

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

1875

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

1900

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

1925

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

1950

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

1975

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

1988

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

1850-74       1875-99   1900-24      1925-49    1950-74       1975-84     1988-2000

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