A PLAIN CLOTHES POLICEMAN, EXETER, 1848.

 In February 1848 at the Exeter Guildhall before the Mayor and a full Bench of magistrates:

"several Irish and other vagrants, men, women and chldren, were brought up by Fulford, who had been sent out in civilian clothes to catch them, for begging in the streets.  The city is over-run with vagrants and charitable people act injudiciously in giving to persons whom they do not know.

"One or two persons were summoned for using obscene language in the public streets;  and the magistrates, having expressed their determination to put a stop to this disgusting practice, imposed heavy fines.

For example, the cases of Tom and Jerry.  First,  the case of Tom Hamlin and family:

"THOS. HAMLIN, MARY HAMLIN, and MARGARET HAMLIN, were charged with offering needles and laces for sale in Magdalen-road, on Saturday last.  The case was proved by Policeman Fulford, who had been perambulating the streets in private clothes for the last two or thee days for the purpose of detecting vagrants.  The Defendant complained that Fulford had not taken other beggars into custody, but had pounced on him and his family because they were Irish.  Fulford said he could not catch them, or he should have teken them into custody.   Sent to prison for a week, hard labour."

The case of Jeremiah Macarthy:

"A very old offender, who, Mr Justice Kingdon said had been before them 100 times, was brought up on this 101st time for vagrancy.  He had been convicted of using abusive language on the 7th and fined 5s. or a week's imprisonment, with a hint to make himself scarce.  He had not done so but had been found begging on Sunday.  He was sent to prson for a week, on the previous conviction at the expiratin of which he is to be brought up again."

And so on ad infinitum.  The truth would seem to be that there is no easy answer to clearing the streets of vagrants.  

Vagrant and beggar have both become boo-words these days but the 'homeless' are still with us.  Let's face it, they are still begging and still vagranting but at least nowadays they don't bring their little ones with them..  The injudicious giving by citizens to persons whom they do not know seems also to be a constant. .   How some other countries manage to keep their city streets clear of the homeless I do not know but I suspect their methods must be un-English.  Mind you, sending that Policeman Fulford out in civilian clothes to round them up also seems pretty un-English.

Source: The Western Times, 19th February 1848.