“Sir Edward Henry 1850-1931 Metropolitan Police Commissioner 1903-1918 and Pioneer of Fingerprint Identification lived here 1903-1920.” The Edward Henry Blue plaque commemorates a man who revolutionized crime detection. It marks the London home of Sir Edward Henry.
Edward Richard Henry was born in Shadwell in 1850. He became the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. He served from 1903 to 1918.
Before his work in London, Henry served in India. He was the Inspector-General of Police of Bengal. Here he began his work with fingerprinting. Henry sought a better way to identify criminals. The anthropometric method of Alphonse Bertillon was already in use.
Henry worked with Azizul Haque and Hemchandra Bose. Together they developed a fingerprint classification system. This system allowed for easy organization and searching of fingerprint records. Haque created a mathematical formula. It supplemented Henry’s sorting idea. The British Government later recognized Haque and Bose for their contributions.
In 1897, the Government of India published Henry’s monograph. It was titled “Classification and Uses of Fingerprints”. The Henry Classification System quickly spread. In 1899, Indian Evidence Act recognized fingerprint experts in court.
In 1901, Henry returned to Britain. He became Assistant Commissioner Crime at Scotland Yard. He established the Metropolitan Police Fingerprint Bureau. This was Britain’s first. Initially, it aimed to prevent criminals from hiding previous convictions.
The bureau soon helped convict burglar Harry Jackson in 1902. Fingerprint evidence secured convictions for murder in 1905. This cemented its importance.
Henry introduced other innovations. He bought the first typewriters for Scotland Yard. In 1902, he ran a private telegraph line to his home. Later, he installed a telephone.
In 1903, Henry became Commissioner. He is seen as one of the great Commissioners. He modernized the Metropolitan Police. He installed telephones in all divisional stations. He standardized police boxes. He increased the force and introduced proper training.
In 1912, Alfred Bowes attempted to assassinate Henry at his home. Bowes was a disgruntled cab driver. He shot Henry. Sir Edward survived. He even pleaded for leniency for his attacker.
Henry remained in office through World War One. The police strike of 1918 led to his resignation. He felt let down by his men and the government.
In 1920, Henry retired to Cissbury near Ascot. He remained involved in fingerprinting. He died in 1931.
The Edward Henry Blue plaque reminds us of his lasting impact. His work transformed policing. Fingerprint identification is still crucial today. The plaque was erected in 2001. It marked the centenary of the Metropolitan Police Fingerprint Bureau. It stands at 19 Sheffield Terrace.