Thomas Howard

Died

:

18 December 1869

Age

:

42

Rank

:

Sergeant

Force

:

Bute Docks Police

Cause

:

Drowned

Duty Status

:

On Duty

Roll of Honour Citation

Found drowned in the Junction Canal while on night duty at Bute Docks, after attempting to arrest a sailor on suspicion of deserting his ship.

Close to 10:30pm on the night of 18th December 1869, Sergeant Howard attempted to arrest a foreign sailor whom he suspected of having deserted his ship. Thomas blew his police whistle to summon help but a struggle ensued between the two men and they both fell into the docks, near the viaduct in Tyndall Street.

Two officers responded to the whistle but neither could locate Sergeant Howard.  One of them, however, saw the sailor, who had managed to swim to the side of the dock, and used a boat-hook to pull him from the water.

The sailor had lost a boot and in attempting to retrieve it from the water, the officer caught hold of Thomas’ police cape that he was still wearing and, only then, realised that Sergeant Howard had drowned.