Police Career
In 1839, during Chartist unrest in North West England, Shaw was appointed by the Government as the first Chief Commissioner of Police in Manchester and Bolton. He endeavoured to create a neutral force that was independent both of the mill-owners (who dominated the municipal authorities) and of the trade unionists and Chartists. In 1841 he led the hunt for the 'Ashton Murderers'. During the Anti-Corn Law Riots and Plug Plot Riots in the summer of 1842, Shaw was forced to call on military assistance. At one point he personally led a charge by a troop of dragoons against a mob of rioters. Shaw had considerable sympathy for the Chartists and the poor of Manchester, and was removed from his post when the Manchester municipal authorities took over responsibility for the Borough Police on 1 October 1842.
Read more about this topic: Charles Shaw (British Army Officer)
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