Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 24, 2026

Charles Reith

Charles Edward Williams Reith was a Scottish police historian, best known for distilling the thought of Robert Peel into nine principles in his 1948 book A short history of the British police. He worked in Sri Lanka as a tea- and rubber- planter, where he joined the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps and on its disbandment rose to Captain in the Indian Army Reserve of Officers.

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Charles Edward Williams Reith (27 November 1886 - 7 February 1957) was a Scottish police historian, best known for distilling the thought of Robert Peel into nine principles in his 1948 book A short history of the British police.1 He worked in Sri Lanka as a tea- and rubber- planter, where he joined the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps and on its disbandment rose to Captain in the Indian Army Reserve of Officers.2

Works

  • An Ensign of the 19th Foot. A novel, etc, 19253
  • The Police Idea, 19383
  • Police Principles and the Problem of War, 19403
  • British Police and the Democratic Ideal, 19433
  • A short history of the British police, 19483
  • Comparative systems of law-enforcement, 19483
  • The Blind Eye of History. A study of the origins of the present police era, 19523
  • A New Study of Police History, 19563
References

References

  1. Hjellemo, O., 'A tribute to an unusual historian of police: Charles Edward Williams Reith (1886-1957)', Police College Magazine, 1977,14, p. 5-8.
  2. "Lives of the First World War - Charles Edward Williams Reith". Imperial War Museum.
  3. Works by Charles Reith in the British Library