Metropolitan Police: Office of the Commissioner: Correspondence and Papers, Special...

MEPO 3

1830-1974

Files of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner's Office dealing with special police duties, attempted royal assassinations, the lunacy laws, baby farming, murder and other matters. Also general orders of the Commissioner and personal files of senior officials and selected women police officers. There are also papers which formed part of a special collection of Commissioner's Office papers preserved in the Receiver's private office. The series contains some documents relating to the Whitechapel murders (Jack the Ripper) sent anonymously to New Scotland Yard in 1987.

The naming of a defendant within this catalogue does not imply guilt.

Between 1830 and July 1882 the papers are arranged under subject headings without reference to the original file numbers.

Between August 1882 and 1919 the papers are arranged in the order of their former departmental references, which consist of a number preceded by the letters 'ON' (Old Number) or 'GR' (General Registry).

The registration system in use from 1921 to 1940 provided for the classification of papers under a large number of subject headings, each keyed to a particular number (eg '1' - complaints against police). Any sub-classification within these subject categories is indicated by a letter or combination of letters.

The registration system in use for 1940 onwards consists of three numbers. The first number indicates the particular subject, the second the year in which the file was created, and the third the serial number of the file within its series for that particular year.

Information on the outcome of cases referred to is not held by The National Archives.

Registers of some of this correspondence are in MEPO 18

Public Record(s)

English

3156 files, photographs and volumes

Subject to 30 year closure unless otherwise stated