Corruption and Early Chief Constables in the County of Roxburgh: Sexual Misconduct, Thefts, Desertion and a ‘Disreputable Drunkard’

Abstract

This article addresses a subject that has not been examined by scholars: the extent of corruption in early Scottish chief constables. Three men placed in charge of their forces in the county of Roxburgh between 1861 and 1902 succumbed to corruption. There are striking similarities in the backgrounds of the men: they were all married men, experienced police leaders, highly regarded by their previous forces and successful in their new roles. James McMaster abused his position of power to cajole a young constable into a homosexual relationship, Daniel Munro deserted the force with a married woman and John Macdonald experienced alcohol abuse issues. All three men stole from their force. The research presented here is grounded in primary sources ranging from police records, police commissioners’ minute books, the reports of the Inspector of Constabulary, the private correspondence of the Duke of Buccleuch and local newspapers. The article describes the circumstances whereby their crimes were revealed and the reaction of their police commissioners. It also poses an important question: if this examination of one small rural county uncovers such a high level of criminality, how widespread was corruption amongst Scotland's early police leaders?