John Harriott, Esq.

This print and the text are possibly taken from 'The lives of eminent and remarkable characters in the counties of Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk, London' : Longman, Hurst, Ress, Orme, and Brown, 1820.. originally reproduced as frontispiece in Harriott's, 'Struggles through life', London: printed (for the author) by C. and W. Galabin, etc.,1807.. 2 vols.

Master Mariner Harriott formed the Marine Police Force, sometimes known as the Thames River Police and said to be England's first Police force with magistrate Patrick Colquhoun in 1798 to tackle theft and looting from ships anchored in the Pool of London and the lower reaches of the river. After its first year, they had "established their worth by saving £122,000 worth of cargo and by the rescuing of several lives." Word of this success spread quickly, and the Government passed the Marine Police Bill on 28 July 1800, transforming it from a private to public police agency.