Conrad Jack Glass (born 20 January 1961) is a Tristanian

police inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...

and civil servant who was

Tristan da Cunha Tristan da Cunha (), colloquially Tristan, is a remote group of volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, lying approximately from Cape Town in South Africa, from Saint Helena a ...

's former Chief Islander from 2007 to 2010. Glass is the first islander to have written a book about the island: ''Rockhopper Copper'' (2005).

Early life

Glass was born on Tristan da Cunha on 20 January 1961 to Noel Edwin (Spike) and Monica Rose Glass (Rogers). When Queen Mary's Peak erupted later that year, he and his family were evacuated to the United Kingdom. His family stayed in

Calshot Calshot is a coastal village in Hampshire, England at the west corner of Southampton Water where it joins the Solent.OS Explorer Map, New Forest, Scale: 1:25 000.Publisher: Ordnance Survey B4 edition (2013). History In 1539, Henry VIII order ...

, Hampshire, for two years before returning to the South Atlantic island. Glass began his schooling in World War II-era navy huts on Tristan at the age of five, and in 1974, continued to study at the island's new school. He left school at the age of 15, but took further studies a year later so he could pass British exams.

Career

After completing his schooling, Glass worked at the island's fish factory for eight years. In 1985, having decided that future prospects in the

fishing industry The fishing industry includes any industry or activity concerned with taking, culturing, processing, preserving, storing, transporting, marketing or selling fish or fish products. It is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization as including ...

were dismal, Glass gained employment with the island's government in its supermarket warehouse. After a year working in the warehouse, Glass left Tristan with his family for Saint Helena, where he trained with the

Saint Helena Police Service The Royal Saint Helena Police Service, formerly the Saint Helena Police Service, is the local police force for the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, consisting of the South Atlantic islands of Saint ...

. One year later, Glass returned to his island home and started working as a storekeeper and tool clerk. Concurrent to that employment, Glass began to work part-time for the police service. Upon the retirement of Albert Glass, he assumed command of the police department on Tristan da Cunha. In 1992, Glass went to Britain for training with the

Hertfordshire Constabulary Hertfordshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Hertfordshire in England. Its headquarters is in Welwyn Garden City. The current chief constable is Charlie Hall. As of March 2019, the force consi ...

. Upon his return to Tristan, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant. He was promoted again in 1998, to inspector. Glass became the first Tristanian to write a book on island life, its history and legends, when ''Rockhopper Copper'' was published in 2005. In 2007, Glass stood in elections for the position of Chief Islander in the

Tristan da Cunha Island Council The Tristan da Cunha Island Council is the legislature of the island of Tristan da Cunha in the Atlantic Ocean. The composition of the Island Council consists of the Administrator of Tristan da Cunha as the presiding officer, plus three appointed ...

; which he won, serving three years until 2010. In June 2010, Glass became a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in honour of his years of dedicated service to the Tristanian community. Glass continued as the island's only police officer. In 2010, he told ''The Guardian'' that in his then-22 years of service on the almost crime-free island, he had not had to use its sole holding cell since he took on the job. Glass also said that as his retirement approaches, no one has appeared to want to take over his position. Two special constables show no interest in doing so. As of 2021, he is still the island's only police officer.

Family

Glass’ father Noel Edwin (Spike) Glass was born on 7 December 1928. He was the eldest of five children born to George Allen Glass. He passed away at the

Camogli Hospital The Camogli Hospital is a public hospital located in Edinburgh of the Seven Seas on Tristan da Cunha. The building was replaced by a new build in 2017 to meet NHS standards. History Throughout the 19th Century, the islands had no resident heal ...

on 27 May 2015. The family is directly related to the founder of Tristan,

William Glass William Glass (11 May 1786 – 1853) was a Scottish Corporal and settler. He established the settlement that would become Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, the main settlement on Tristan da Cunha. Early life William Glass was born William Glasgow in ...

, a native of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. William’s son Thomas Jordan Glass perished during the 1885 lifeboat disaster. Thomas’ son Robert Franklin Glass was the father of George Allen Glass.

Publications

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Glass, Conrad 1961 births Chief Islanders of Tristan da Cunha Living people Members of the Order of the British Empire Tristanian police officers category:Saint Helena Police Service officers