Parkes Police

Robert remarked that he’d seen a plethora of Parks Police cars; a lot of alliteration today. Today Hammersmith and Fulham have a joint police force (the Parks Police Service) to patrol the parks on their patch. They look like police but in fact only have the same powers as any other citizens.

Looking back, the Royal Parks Keepers was formed in 1872. Prior to that Hyde Park was patrolled by constables who lived in some of the lodges in the park and operated from Wellington Arch. It is often cited as having been the smallest police station in London and that is how it came to be used for this purpose. In this early period one of the last Inspectors of the Park Constables was one Samuel Parkes. It would be charming to imagine that he had been appointed on the strength of his name but in fact it must have been to provide him with dignified employment as a war hero and former prisoner of war.

He did not have a distinguished career in the army, remaining a Private for twenty-six years and getting into a series of scrapes including serving sixty-seven days in Galway gaol for being drunk on duty. However, he redeemed himself in the Crimean War at the Battle of Balaclava. Here is the citation for his Victoria Cross.

On 25 October 1854 at Balaclava, Crimean Peninsula, (Charge of the Light Brigade)

4th Light Dragoons No. 635 Private Samuel Parkes

In the charge of the Light Cavalry Brigade at Balaklava, Trumpet-Major Crawford’s horse fell, and dismounted him, and he lost his sword; he was attacked by two Cossacks, when Private Samuel Parkes (whose horse had been shot) saved his life, by placing himself between them and the Trumpet-Major, and drove them away by his sword. In attempting to follow the Light Cavalry Brigade in the retreat, they were attacked by six Russians, whom Parkes kept at bay, and retired slowly, fighting, and defending the Trumpet-Major for some time, until deprived of his sword by a shot.

Parkes and Crawford were taken prisoner by the Russians and released in 1855. This is the sort of sabre he used.

As an Inspector he lived in Stanhope Lodge in Hyde Park, near Marble Arch and Stanhope Gate. It was demolished when Park Lane was widened. Samuel Parkes VC died of apoplexy there in 1864 and is buried in Brompton Cemetery. His grave was unmarked until 1999 when this marble slab was placed.

The inscription reads:

Private Samuel Parkes, VC. 1813-1864

He served his Queen and Country for 26 years and 41 days with
the 4th Light Dragoons. He won his VC in the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava. During his time of service he received the Ghuznee Medal, the Crimean medal with the 3 clasps for Alma, Balaklava and Sebastopol, also the Turkish Crimean medal and the coveted Victoria Cross.
R.I.P.

Incidentally, he is one of thirteen holders of the Victoria Cross either buried or commemorated in Brompton Cemetery and Wellington Arch is still sometimes used by the police.