FAMILY TREES

NICOD

WILLIAM HENRI - ALICE MARY BLOWER

(6 May 1872 - 1927) --- (17 March 1884 - 1917)

( Marriage date? )
William had a second marriage to Amy Kettley, his housekeeper.

WILLIAM (1904 - 1947) Willy ARTHUR (1907 - ....) Arthur VIOLET EVELINE (1910 - ....) Vi KATHLEEN ANNE (1914 - 1991) Kath

WILLIAM HENRI

Lived in London at 3 Lancaster Road, Silver St, Edmonton,where his two sons, William and Arthur were born. He was 6ft 0in tall and weighed 11st 10 lbs, had light brown hair and brown eyes with a fresh complexion. Before joining the forces, he was a painter by trade.
He was in the army in the Middlesex Regiment and served in the Boer War in South Africa. (Dates not yet known) He took part in the Ladysmith & Cape Colony campaigns. He was taken P.O.W. and was in the same camp as Winston Churchill. In the camp he learned to make tapestries from any odd pieces of materials.

He joined the London police force 'N' Division on 8th May 1899 and retired on 11th May 1924 after 25 years service. During his time in 'N' Division, he was involved in a shooting incident (see below) in which he sustained two bullet wounds to his left leg, in the calf and thigh and spent some time in hospital. Also, he was involved in the 'Siege of Sidney Street' in January 1911. He was awarded the Carnegie Medal for bravery.The wording from the Dagenham Post newspaper, recording his retirement is given below.

He was later transferred to 'K' Division (Dagenham) as a sergeant. His two daughters were born in Dagenham. Their house was called Primrose Villa.

His pension on retirement was £181.19s.7d (My Aunt Vi says she remembers this amount well £3. 10s. 0d per week.)

William's wife died in 1917 when my mother Kathleen was only 3 years old. Other than her name, no information is known about Alice Mary Blower.

My mother Kathleen was sent away to stay with some relative somewhere by the sea(I think Southsea). William employed a housekeeper AMY KETTLEY, whom he later married. When my grandfather Charles Nicod (who was living with them) died in 1917, she brought up all four children although she never had any children of her own. (I remember her well).

William learnt to knit and sew and made all the children jerseys. He did the most beautiful embroidery. I remember seeing some when I was young but none exists today.
When William died, there was a choice of a police or army funeral at East Brook End on a snowy December day. The hearse was drawn by horses wearing black plumes and the roses in the graveyard appeared to bloom. (Violet/Joyce)

The retirement during this weekend of P.s.William Henry Nicod, of Dagenham, from the Metropolitan Police Force after completing 25 years service, recalls the senseless murder of P.c. Tyler at Tottenham, January 23rd, 1909. Mr. Nicod was one of the officers who gave chase to the two assassins - Alicus Jacope Lapidus and Paul Hefeld-and was shot and wounded severely in the leg by one of them. For his devotion to duty and great courage on this occasion he was specially promoted without examination from the rank of police constable to police sergeant. His gallant action also secured other recognition, for subsequently he was awarded the Carnegie medallion for heroic endeavours to save human life, the presentation being made by the then Lord Mayor of London.

The medallion contains on one side the inscription, "Presented to P.c. William Henry Nicod for heroic endeavour to save human life" and on the reverse side, "He serves God best who most nobly serves humanity."
Before being stationed at Dagenham nearly 15 years ago, P.c. Nicod served in "S" (Albany-street) and "N" (Edmonton) Divisions, having joined the Force on May 8th, 1899

He was born at St. Pancras and prior to becoming a police officer served in the 'Middlesex Regiment' for nearly eight years. A few months after entering the police he was called up for the South African War and served during the whole of the campaign with his old regiment.
Mr. Nicod, who has fulfilled his duties of Coroner's officer ever since he came to Dagenham, will leave the Force with the best wishes of his comrades.

ASSAULT ON A CONSTABLE

The following is another reported incident in William's career. It was copied and forwarded to his brother Alfred by the father Charles. The handwriting is excellent.

Weekly Herald. Tottenham. August 21. 08

Wm. Barber (20), labourer of Railway terrace, White Hart Lane was charged with assaulting P.c, Nicod, 313 N. W Chamberlain prosecuted for the commissioner of Police and said that a number of charges could be preferred against the prisoner, but he asked the Bench to deal with him only on the present accusation. P.c. Nicod said that on July 3rd the prisoner was behaving in a disorderly manner in White Hart Lane, and a caution not being regarded, witness apprehended him. The prisoner escaped, then threw him to the ground, and while he was down kicked him on the face and elsewhere. A hostile crowd collected and the prisoner got away again, and ran into a private house, the door of which was locked against witness. As a consequence he avoided apprehension. A warrant was obtained, and the prisoner was apprehended at a later date. The injuries to the constable were not serious.

It was proved that the prisoner had been previously convicted for assaulting the police and a publican. He was sentenced to six weeks hard labour.

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