AS part of a two-feature series, I am exploring the background to two Scottish brothers, my distant cousins, who achieved international recognition - one as a notable Police Detective and the other as a World Champion Strongman.
Both had connections to Bradford in the 1870s and 1880s.
This week’s article highlights Walter Dinnie and next week’s will feature Donald Dinnie, Strongman, Highland Games athlete and professional wrestler.
Walter Dinnie (1850) and his brother Donald (1837) were born in the small Scottish hamlet of Ballnacraig, Aberdeenshire, the sons of Robert Dinnie a stonemason who was a locally renowned amateur strongman.
For both brothers to receive international status in their chosen professions and careers, coming from humble backgrounds in a remote area of Scotland, would nowadays be regarded as a remarkable achievement. In the 1800s it was highly unusual in terms of the lack of structures supporting communication, travel and social mobility as compared to the mobile phone and social networking technologies available today.
A pole jump like the one Walter Dinnie competed in and won at Queensbury in August 1874.
In his youth, Walter was a notable amateur Highland Games athlete. His first job was as a bank clerk in Aberdeen. In February 1873 he joined the West Riding of Yorkshire Constabulary, later stating that it was recognised as one of the best disciplined and most efficient forces in the country.
Chief Inspector Walter Dinnie, Metropolitan Police.
Completing his probation and exams he then served for two years as an Assistant Clerk in Bradford before being transferred to Goole as District Clerk and Acting Sergeant.
Walter was disqualified from the shot putt event because he was wearing a kilt.
During his time at Bradford he competed in two athletics events, a pole jump (vault) competition at Queensbury in August 1874 which he won, and the other putting the stone (shot putt) at Huddersfield in June 1875. Unfortunately, in the latter he was disqualified as his costume was considered inappropriate. He was wearing a kilt!
The Met
In 1876 he resigned and joined the Metropolitan Police, initially as a clerk and Acting Sargeant. Through dedication and a range of experience and specialisation in fraud and forgery cases he progressed from Clerk to Police Officer to Detective.
In 1892 Walter arrested Charles Wells (‘The Man who Robbed the Bank at Monte Carlo’) in Le Havre after Wells had fled England and Walter had tracked him across Europe.
In 1898 he and colleagues tracked international jewel thief William Johnson across London and arrested him after he had stolen £30,000 worth of jewels from the Dowager Duchess of Argyle on a train journey.
He later became Chief Inspector to the Criminal Investigation Department of New Scotland Yard, renowned for his investigative approach and adoption of new technology such as fingerprinting. Latterly his role involved travelling and keeping in touch with other forces, principally in the UK and the Continent.
He visited both the USA and Africa twice to advise and to observe best practice. On his return from Africa in 1903 and after 27 years with the Met he was offered the position of Commissioner of Police for New Zealand, which he took up.
Initially he was successful in spearheading reforms in fingerprinting, mug shot photography, handwriting samples and detailed record keeping as well, as introducing a physical training programme for NZ police officers in 1904.
Walter was Commissioner of Police for New Zealand.
He also appointed his son Edmund (Ted) who had been trained as a civilian by the Met in fingerprinting, as Head of the Fingerprint Branch. Ted would set up a Police Museum in 1908 and later become Senior Sargeant in charge of Criminal Registration until his retirement in 1947.
In 1909 Walter resigned because of professional jealousy/bad press from those who had opposed the recruitment of a foreign national. He fought until his death to clear his name of such claims which affected him both financially and personally.
Dinnie briefly headed the Tokerau District Land Board from 1910 until 1914 when it was abolished by legislation. He then established a private detective agency in Wellington specialising in high profile fraud cases.
He was offered the position of Assistant Police Commissioner of Samoa in 1916 but turned it down as it presented a conflict of interest in his view.
Walter died in 1923 in relative obscurity compared to his once high-profile international recognition and reputation.
His funeral at Karari Cemetery, Wellington, was described as well attended and impressive in its simplicity. As a tribute to his Scottish roots two pipers played a Highland Lament from a nearby hill.
From simplicity to simplicity.
l Images: Dinnie/Lorimer Archives.