History of Kilburn and West Hampstead

Harry Coles was born in 1866 in Devizes Wiltshire, the son of a labourer. On 1 January 1888 when he married Harriett Randell, Harry was an attendant at the County Asylum in the town. While living in Devizes the couple had two sons Clifford (1889) and James (1890), baptised a month before they moved to London , where Harry joined X’ division of the Metropolitan Police in September 1890. In the early hours of 13 January 1897 PC Harry Coles 340X was on his routine patrol in Kilburn when he saw two powerfully built men acting suspiciously near No.91 Brondesbury Villas. The old hob-nailed boots which could make a noise as a policeman approached had been replaced by rubber-soled boots, so PC Coles was able to get right up to the men in the dark. When they saw him one of them tried to hit the constable with a jemmy before they made off down the street towards Woodville Road . There they climbed a fence onto the London and North Western Railway (today’s London Overground). PC Col...