The Police Are Nick-named "Old Bill". Why? | Notes And Queries

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G Preston, Oldham UK

• The Metropolitan police's web site (http://www.met.police.uk/history/oldbill.htm) suggests a number of derivations. the most plausible is: The London County Council at one time registered all police, fire and ambulance vehicles with the letters BYL The earliest documented usage traced by the Metropolitan Police Historical Museum is from 1970 and 'Partridge's Dictionary of Slang'. Without giving citations the book dates "Old Bill" from the 1950s "or perhaps earlier". So the term may possibly be post WWII.

  Peter Brooke, Kinmuck Scotland

• It has been said in the past that it has something to do with billhooks. This was the weapon of choice.

  Pete Noctilucence, London UK

• At a guess, doesn't he 'Bill' refer to William Peel the founder of the police force? And as for 'Old' wasn't there a Peel the Younger and a Peel the Elder?

  Frank Nowikowski, Buenos Aires Argentina

• The term comes from the founder of the Metropolitan Police, William Wilberforce. The previous force named "The Bow Street Runners" was founded by Sir Robert Peel, hence another name, the Peelers.

  Steve Leader, ChangAn, China

• The police were named the Old Bill after the act of parliament that empowered them. Apparently, pre-uniform, they were required to show their credentials in order to make arrests etc. So they all carried around a copy of the act of parliament.

  Joe Broadway, London

• It is a reference to William Peel, who originally established modern policing. They were also once referred to as "Peelers."

  Gerry Gunnigan, Dublin, Ireland

• Wasn't the founder of the Mets Sir Robert Peel? And isn't that why police were once referred to as 'bobbies' (or 'peelers')? My theory is that 'Bill' is half of the rhyming slang expression "Bill and Coo" for 'Boys in Blue'. However I have not a shred of evidence for this theory (which I take sole credit for inventing) so it should be interesting to see how long it takes for someone to quote it as the definitive answer.

  Dick Bird, Sydney, Australia

• Although the Bow Street runners may claim to be the first modern police force, they were not founded by Sir Robert Peel. Their founder was Henry Fielding, the novelist, who served as magistrate of the Bow Street court until his death. He was succeeded by his brother, Sir John Fielding, the famous "Blind Beak of Bow Street" who made the runners into an effective crime-fighting organization.

  Ralph Doty, Norman, OK USA

• It was ROBERT Peel, hence 'Bobbies'

  Tim Craig, London UK

• William Wilberforce is guy who abolished Slavery, The guy who founded the police was called Robert Peel who had a genetinc disorder which made his face look like a puffin. (Hence "Old Bill")

  Jim, Sunhill UK

• No-one knows for sure why it's Old Bill, and there are many possible explanations. You will find a number of them here www.met.police.uk. My preferred one is that in the 1860s there was a Sergeant Bill Smith in Limehouse. He was a popular character and people used to ask after 'Old Bill'.

  Will Peel, London, UK

• The modern police force was a uniformed organisation founded in 1829 under the direction of Sir Robert Peel then Home Secretary, hence "Bobbies" and "Peelers". William IV was King and Old Bill is a reference to the King for then as now "constables are citizens locally appointed but have authority under the crown".

  Alan Lewis, Stafford England

• I've heard the name is somehow related to Kaiser Wilhelm I of Prussia.

  Bibi, Tbilisi Georgia

• I like Dick Bird's (Dickie Bird? Really?) answer best and will promote it as authentic whenever possible. It's either true or better than the truth and I think everyone should do the same.

  Gerald Kennally, London, UK

• "Old Bill" was a crusty old soldier depicted in a series of cartoons by Capt. Bruce Bairnsfather. Capt. Bairnsfather's cartoons were quite popular in the U.K. and were published in several books under the title of "Fragments From France". "Old Bill" sported a wildly unkempt walrus mustache, the style of which was also commonly worn by many of England's policemen.

  Robert Hoge, Murfreesboro, Tennessee United States

• I think the answer of Alan Lewis is the more credible in its reference to King William being the 'Old Bill'.

  Brian Whitehouse, Stafford

• It was Robert (not William) Peel. And he founded the London Metropolitan Police, not its predecessor, the Bow Street Runner. The persons generally credited with founding theRunner were Bow Street Magistrate Henry Fielding and his brother (and successor) John Fielding. Of course, none of this has anything to do with why British cops are called "The Old Bill."

  Jim Doherty, Chicago, USA

• Dick Bird's answer is not fanciful - and not just made up (even though he has come on the truth). When I arrived n London first some 50 years ago I heard several people refer to the "Bill and Coo" - with one variant "Bill-y-doo" (billet doux - love letter). The term refers only to the London Metropolitan Police - not every police force - for which Cockney rhyming slang would be appropriate. As a writer I have used the full "Bill and Coo" where approriate for many years.

  Clayton Goodwin, London

• Is it something to do with the magistrates being called 'beaks' and 'bill' being another name for this?

  David Jordan, Cookley, UK

• When I was growing up in Camden Town, North London in the 1950's the terms were "Coppers", "Rozzers", "Bluebottles",& "Bobbies" but I never heard the term "old Bill" until the mid-1960's. Have I had a deprived childhood or just a depraved one ?

  Bruno Illari, Denmark, Western Australia, Australia

• Old Bill was a cartoon character created by Bruce Bairnsfather. He looks like a typical british rozza so I guess it could have come from that.

  Josh, Lower Hutt, UK

• Bill is a nickname for Robert.

  thomas ritchie , glasgow scotland

• When the police force was first formed the officers were required to carry a copy of (the bill of parliament) that enabled them to make arrests. Hence The Old Bill.

  Bill Evans, London England

• I've always preferred "tit head" after the nipple shaped piece on their hat.

  Daniel , Doncaster England

• Old Bill became the nickname for the Met police following the Great War after the fashion for wearing moustaches that looked very like the soldier cartoon character Old Bill, by George Bairnsfather. The most famous of the cartoons is of Old Bill in a shell hole saying to another, "If you know a better hole, go find it."

  Chris Richford, Whitstable Kent

• When I was a boy in the 1950s someone told me that it was rhyming slang: Old Bill Peace = Police. No idea who William Peace esq. was.

  David Santamaria, Barnet, United Kingdom

• Growing up in South London the term 'old bill' came from Bill and Ben the flower pot men, a children's puppet show on TV. The Police always patrolled in two's, hence people would say here comes Bill & Ben which then got shortened to here comes the bill.

  Jim Delaney, Surrey, Canada

• It's something I've wondered about for a long time after living in England, and Jim Delaney's answer is about the best and the funniest!

  Bernard, Waihi Beach, New Zealand

• On 20 August 1919 in the magazine,'Fragments', Bruce Bairnsfather the famous WW1 cartoonist, announced the 'Old Bill Double' Competition to find the ex soldier who most fully matched the cartoon character Old Bill. The winner was promised £5 a week for a year. The winner, announced on 11 October, was Samuel Birkenshaw an ex-policeman. Hence the police became Old Bill. See 'In Search of the Better 'Ole' for more details

  Tonie and Valmai Holt,

• I also grew up in south London and I would go with Jim Delany's answer. I was born in 1944 and can't remember the "old bill" before the early 60s.

  James Atton, South London