Francis DRUM
AKA ?
Late of Marengo, NSW
New South Wales Police Force
Regd. # ‘P‘ 0086
For the purposes of this website ‘P‘ = represents those Police joining Pre 1862 when NSWPF “Officially” commenced
Rank: Constable – commenced 24 February 1862
Senior Constable
Final Rank = Senior Constable
Stations: ?, Morangarell ( 1875 ), Murringo, Marengo – Death
Service: From 24 February 1862 to 12 January 1882 = 20 years Service
Awards: No find on It’s An Honour
Born: 31 March 1838, Auchandinard, Bally Connell, Fermanagh, Ireland
Died on: Thursday 12 January 1882
Age: 45
Cause: Fall from horse whilst On Duty – Fractured neck
Event location: near Warrangong Station, Marengo
Event date: Thursday 12 January 1882
Funeral date: Tuesday 17 January 1882
Funeral location: Murringo Cemetery, Murringo Rd, Murringo, NSW, 2586
Wake location: ?
Funeral Parlour: ?
Buried at: Murringo Cemetery, Murringo Rd, Murringo, NSW, 2586
Memorial located at: ?
Widow: Mary Agnes DRUM & 6 children of Marengo in the Colony of NSW
FRANCIS is NOT mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance * BUT SHOULD BE
On Friday 27 September 2019 an omission was rectified with the name of Senior Constable Francis DRUM being added to the NSW Police Wall of Remembrance together with the National Police Wall of Remembrance, Canberra.
FURTHER INFORMATION IS NEEDED ABOUT THIS PERSON, THEIR LIFE, THEIR CAREER AND THEIR DEATH.
PLEASE SEND PHOTOS AND INFORMATION TO Cal
May they forever Rest In Peace
Regarding Senior Constable Francis DRUM. I received a message from Inspector Jacob REEVES, OIC of Young Police 3 days ago. My apologies for not posting earlier, it was in my ‘other’ messages.
“Hello Kevin, just FYI, Senior Constable Patrick Smith of Young Highway Patrol has been lobbying to have S/Cst Drum added to the NSW Police Force Honour Roll in the Domain and has been successful. S/Cst Drum will be added in time for Police Remembrance Day 2019 and will also be sent to Canberra for inclusion on the National Wall. We will be having a ceremony in Murringo to mark this event on Friday 27th September. The Hume Police District Facebook page will have details shortly.”
Outstanding.
In 1882 Senior Constable Francis Drum paid the ultimate price in the execution of his duty. Unfortunately his death has not been accepted as duty-related by the various Commissioners (and Inspectors General) of the Police.
Francis Drum, a twenty year veteran, was thrown from his horse near Murringo while collecting crop returns and electoral lists. Sadly, his fatal fall was not regarded as being in the line of duty.
It has since been shown that in a report by Edmund Fosbery Inspector General of Police to the Principal Under-Secretary of the NSW Police Department that most country police had this task as a normal part of their duties at that time. “These duties and others such as the collection of the Electoral Lists, Jury List, Stock and Crop Returns interfere more or less with legitimate police work and occupy much time, but there is some counter-balancing advantage by bringing the police into contact with people they would not otherwise meet, whereby they acquire information of service to them in a police point of view”. (see Police Duties in NSW 1862 – 1915).
We have been in contact with a serving Police Officer who wishes to facilitate the process of getting Francis Drum recognised as his due right and to have his name included on the Police Honour Roll.
Burrowa News (NSW : 1874 – 1951),
Friday 20 January 1882, page 2
INQUEST ON SENIOR-CONSTABLE DRUM.
The coroner (Mr. S. Robinson) and a jury of five held an inquest at the dwelling house of the late Senior-constable Drum, Marengo, on Tuesday, touching the death of that officer.
John McSpadden deposed : I am boundary rider to Mr. W. B. Suttor ; I know the deceased Senior-constable Drum ; I saw him yesterday morning ; be called at the station and asked me the road to Beplate‘s ; he was collecting the electoral roll ; I went on horseback with him ; we had ridden about three quarters of a mile from Warrangong station ; there was a storm rising ; Drum said he would turn back ; his horse gave two or three turns round ; Drum stuck the spurs into the animal ; she made a bound and deceased’s hat fell off ; the mare then bolted ; deceased could not hold her ; after going about 300 yards I saw the mare fall right through a six-wire fence, on the top of the rider ; I galloped up, and found deceased bleeding copiously from the mouth and ear ; he was quite dead ;
I then went and reported the circumstances to the overseer of the station ; Mr. Johnson, I, and my wife, went to where the body was ; we then took the body to the station ;
Mr. Woodbridge, who is a neighbour, afterwards reported to the police, and the body was then brought to Marengo, by order of the coroner ; the mare from the start was restless ; she appeared to be a very fiery animal ; I thought she was not a safe animal to ride ; I brought the mare here from Warrangong this morning ; she is marked in several places by the wire fence.
Charles Henry Thompson deposed : I am a constable stationed at Marengo ; Senior-constable Drum was in charge of the Marengo station ; from information I received I went yesterday to Bang Bang, distant from here about 25 miles ; I there saw Constable Drum ; he said he had been sick, but that he was then all right ; Mrs. Drum spoke to me on Wednesday night ; she said she had heard her husband was sick at Bang Bang ; she further requested me to take a buggy and bring him home ; I and Mr. Connor, inn-keeper, started at 12 o’clock on Wednesday night, and got to Bang Bang at 5 on Thursday morning ; Drum was better, and started to finish the electoral roll at about a quarter past eight in the morning ; while I was with deceased he had one glass of brandy ; he said he had a touch of sunstroke on Monday last ; I arrived home about noon yesterday, and about two hours afterwards news came to me that Drum had been killed ; I telegraphed to the police, and also to the coroner, and upon the order of the coroner, I had the body brought home ;
he, deceased, left home on Monday morning : I have been ten weeks here ; I have known Drum for nearly four years ; I never saw him drunk ; when he started from Bang Bang on Thursday the mare was very fidgetty, and was prancing about ; I told Drum if the mare was too much for him that I would ride her and finish taking the roll ; I don’t think the mare is safe to ride ; she is flash and has a bad temper ; I would not care to ride or have charge of her ; Drum used to say that she required watching.
Michael O’Connor deposed : I am an innkeeper, residing in Marengo ; I knew the deceased, Senior-constable Drum ; I have known him on and off for about twelve years ; on Wednesday evening about 10 o’clock Mrs. Drum came to my house and said she had heard that her husband was sick at Bang Bang ; she asked me if I would go with my buggy and bring him home ; she said that Constable Thompson would accompany me ; I consented to go ;
I started with Constable Thompson about 12 o’clock, and arrived at Bang Bang at five in the morning ; when we arrived I saw Drum coming out of the stable ; Drum said, “Where are you going ?” I did not tell him my object in coming ; he appeared to have been sick, but not from drink ; I only saw him have one drink that morning ; the mare Drum rode was very fidgetty ; we afterwards left and came home ;
Drum was a very regular man, and not in the habit of drinking.
The verdict of the jury was that deceased met his death by falling from his horse over a six-wire fence on the 12th instant, which fall dislocated his neck.
The jury added a rider to the effect that they were of opinion that the mare was not a fit animal to be supplied to the police force.
The funeral of Senior-constable Drum took place on the evening of the inquest, and was followed by a large concourse of people, vehicles and horsemen.
The burial service was read by the Rev. Father Long, of Burrowa.
A public subscription is being raised for the purpose of erecting a memorial stone over the grave of the deceased.
There is no doubt that the primary cause of the accident was the temper of the mare, which appears to have been very bad. She has passed through several hands and was given up each time by the possessor as being unsafe to ride.
It is said that she killed a man sometime ago in another district, and was brought over here for the use of an officer of rank in the service, who declined to have her, since which she has been sent away from place to place with the object of exchanging her.
Under these circumstances it is not creditable to the authorities to allow animals of this class to be ridden by the police, who, of all men, require horses which can he kept thoroughly under control. It is to be hoped that the rider to the verdict will have some effect in the proper quarter.
Assuming however, that the horse had been a quite animal, then the Government would still be blameable for permitting the use of wire fences without a top rail, at any rate along public roads.
Only a few months back another trooper lost his life over a similar fence to the one in question. And so the affair as usual, rests, until death after death at last compels the selfish red taped authorities to move in the matter.
There is a fence of this class on a main road not many miles from Young, and as a matter of course, it is impossible for man or beast to see it by night, nor indeed often by day. What is of more common occurence than, for say a vehicle to run slightly off the track of a bush road on a night, not necessary dark, and if the fences are not discernible, what guide is there for a driver. A matter of this kind could be easily regulated by a brief Act, and would prevent many an accident to life and limb. — Argus (Young.) .
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/107930196
Burrangong Argus (NSW : 1864 – 1913),
Saturday 1 August 1868, page 2
DRUNK AND DISORDERLY.
Thomas Evans was brought from Murrumburrah by constable Francis Drum, charged with the above offence. Fined 10s., or three days’ imprisonment.
OBSCENE LANGUAGE.
Thomas Evans was charged with using obscene language. Constable Francis Drum deposed that, when attempting to arrest defendant, he made use of the language complained of, a repetition of which would be unfit for publication. Fined 1/., or fourteen days’ imprisonment.
ASSAULTING POLICE.
Thomas Evans was charged with assaulting the constable in the execution of his duty. Constable Francis Drum deposed that, when arrested, defendant refused to walk, after which he got up, kicked him in the stomach, and tried to turn his thumb back. Eventually he had to obtain the assistance of Mr. Dillon. Defendant resisted all the way to the lockup. He was the worst man he (constable) ever had his hand on. Fined 2/., or one month in gaol. Locked up in default.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/247265628
The Hume Police District
Friday 27 September 2019 ( National Police Remembrance Day )
Young Sector – Police Remembrance Day
Today on duty and off duty police from Young Sector gathered at Murringo Cemetery to commemorate Police Remembrance Day and the addition of the Late Senior Constable Francis Drum, Officer in Charge of Marengo, (as it was then known) to the NSW Police Force Roll of Honour.
Senior Constable Drum was killed on duty in a horse riding accident in 1882.
Research and hard work from the Murringo First Families Group, Young and District Family History Group and Leading Senior Constable Pat Smith of Young Highway Patrol, supported by the Mayor and Local Member, saw Senior Constable Drum included on the Roll in time for this year’s Remembrance Day.
A message from the Deputy Prime Minister was read, our Local Member Steph Cooke MP made the opening remarks and a prayer service was officiated by Fr Allen of St Mary’s Young.
Wreaths were laid by our Local Member, our Mayor, the great-grandson of Senior Constable Drum and also by Leading Senior Constable Smith.
We paused for a moment at the grave of another police officer who died of illness in 1904 before we gathered for lunch at the Murringo Memorial Hall.
A day in remembrance of our fallen colleagues.
(Thanks to the Young Witness for the photos)
