Frederick Wodehouse

Who was Frederick Wodehouse?

Major Sir Edwin Frederick Wodehouse KCB KCVO, known as Sir Frederick Wodehouse, was a senior British police officer, serving as Assistant Commissioner of both the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police.

Wodehouse was the son of Colonel Edwin Wodehouse of the Royal Artillery. He also joined the Royal Artillery, passing out from the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich as a Lieutenant on 8 January 1870. He served in the Second Anglo-Afghan War in 1878–1880, fighting at the Battle of Ali Musjid. He was promoted Captain on 29 May 1880, and on 9 June 1881 he was appointed Adjutant of the Suffolk Artillery Militia, holding the position until he was promoted Major on 24 November 1885.

In 1890 Wodehouse joined the City of London Police as Assistant Commissioner. In March 1902 he narrowly lost the election of the Court of Common Council to replace Sir Henry Smith as Commissioner, although he had been Acting Commissioner since Smith's retirement at Christmas 1901. He initially agreed to stay as deputy to the new Commissioner, Captain William Nott-Bower, but on 1 October 1902 he transferred to the Metropolitan Police as Assistant Commissioner, responsible for executive business, supplies and buildings. This post became known as Assistant Commissioner "B" after a fourth Assistant Commissioner was appointed in 1909. Wodehouse retired on 31 October 1918.