Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Sir Edwin Frederick Wodehouse, (20 February 1851 – 1 April 1934) was a senior British police officer, serving as Assistant Commissioner of both the

City of London Police The City of London Police is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the City of London, including the Middle and Inner Temples. The force responsible for law enforcement within the remainder of the London region, ou ...

and the

Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...

. Wodehouse was the son of Colonel Edwin Wodehouse of the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

. He also joined the Royal Artillery, passing out from the

Royal Military Academy, Woolwich The Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich, in south-east London, was a British Army military academy for the training of commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. It later also trained officers of the Royal Corps of Sig ...

as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

on 8 January 1870. He served in the

Second Anglo-Afghan War The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ps, د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the l ...

in 1878–1880, fighting at the

Battle of Ali Masjid The Battle of Ali Masjid, which took place on 21 November 1878, was the opening battle in the Second Anglo-Afghan War between the British forces, under Lieutenant-General Sir Samuel James Browne, and the Afghan forces, under Ghulam Haider Khan. ...

. He was promoted

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 29 May 1880, and on 9 June 1881 he was appointed

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

of the Suffolk Artillery Militia (later the 3rd Brigade, Eastern Division, Royal Artillery Militia), holding the position until he was promoted

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

on 24 November 1885. In 1890 Wodehouse joined the

as Assistant Commissioner. In March 1902 he narrowly lost the election (by 95 votes to 100) of the

Court of Common Council The Court of Common Council is the primary decision-making body of the City of London Corporation. It meets nine times per year. Most of its work is carried out by committees. Elections are held at least every four years. It is largely composed o ...

to replace Sir Henry Smith as Commissioner, although he had been Acting Commissioner since Smith's retirement at Christmas 1901. He initially agreed to stay as deputy to the new Commissioner, Captain William Nott-Bower, but on 1 October 1902 he transferred to the

as Assistant Commissioner (Executive), responsible for executive business, supplies and buildings. This post became known as Assistant Commissioner "B" after a fourth Assistant Commissioner was appointed in 1909. Wodehouse retired on 31 October 1918. Wodehouse was appointed

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...

(CB) in the 1909 Birthday Honours,

Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, or ...

(KCVO) in the Coronation Honours of June 1911, and

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

(KCB) in the 1917 Birthday Honours. He was awarded the

King's Police Medal The King's Police Medal (KPM) is awarded to police in the United Kingdom for gallantry or distinguished service. It was also formerly awarded within the wider British Empire, including Commonwealth countries, most of which now have their own hono ...

(KPM) in the 1914 Birthday Honours. Wodehouse married Margaret Repington in 1881. She died in 1927. They had two daughters.

Footnotes

References

* Obituary, ''The Times'', 4 April 1934 {{DEFAULTSORT:Wodehouse, Frederick 1851 births 1934 deaths Assistant Commissioners of Police of the Metropolis Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich Royal Artillery officers British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Afghan War Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Metropolitan Police recipients of the Queen's Police Medal category:English recipients of the Queen's Police Medal

Frederick Wodehouse Major Sir Edwin Frederick Wodehouse, (20 February 1851 – 1 April 1934) was a senior British police officer, serving as Assistant Commissioner of both the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police. Wodehouse was the son of Colonel E ...

British police chief officers