Whistory
The Metropolitan as a name was registered in 1884 by Joseph Hudson & Co. in Birmingham UK. The Metropolitan tubular whistles were stamped with Metropolitan REGISTERED on them at the time and were thought to have been done so for the latter half of 1884. Ergo this was after Hudson made the iconic Metropolitan Police and issued its first order of 7000 whistles. It was not a longed lived issuance of these whistles.
Why is this Metropolitan Registered different from typical Metropolitan whistles?
In tracking these specially stamped whistles, this is complicated by the fact that once stamps were created & an order came in from that dated order it may have been ceased to be used BUT with a reorder if another stamp more current was ‘busy’, then the old stamp would still be used to complete any orders started with the original stamp. Thus, if an order was started with REGISTERED, then although the name with REGISTERED was no longer being used, that particular order would still feature it on the whistle. Quite confusing for dating purposes.
Thus, an order could be half completed and come in again, but the old stamp is now required to fill the order, because it would fall into a contractual agreement.
What does this amount to? Although a whistle stamped with REGISTERED may have ceased by sometime during 1885, they might still have been made after that date.
Can Metropolitan Registered whistles be closely dated?
Perhaps the best way to date them would be to look for the patent 435 disc change. The name registration took place on November 25, 1884. Yet Gilchrist states that it was early 1884 (pg. 8 Collecting Police Whistles and Similar Types) The patent for a diaphragm change was registered January 13, 1885, following its design sometime prior in 1884. The move from 84 Buckingham St. to 131 Barr St occurred in 1884 or 1885 (or both).
Two Metropolitan REGISTERED Kent County Constabulary whistles here at The Whistle Gallery, have a cast mouthpiece and also a machined rolled mouthpiece. Hudson transitioned from cast mouthpieces to rolled mouthpieces in the year 1885.
Thus, we see inside some whistles stamped for 131 Barr Street as having the modified disc made to patent 435 and rolled mouthpieces put into production in the year 1885. The stamp for REGISTERED began in 1884 and only generally ceased in 1885.
Whistle Classification
| Type | tubular |
| Maker | Hudson |
| Category | police fire brigade civil advertising asylum |
| Material | nickel silver |
| Features | cast mouthpiece |
Whistle Archaeology
Records for the use of the Metropolitan REGISTERED stamp are scanty at best. No records were kept for when it started to be used, for how long and when it is ceased (Topman).
Timeline:
1882-4 — premises at 84 Buckingham
1884 –— November registers name Metropolitan, possibly early 1884.
1884-5 — moves to 131 Barr St.
1885 —– January, patent 435 filed
Whistles stamped Metropolitan REGISTERED 84 Buckingham were possibly made before the registration.
We found the registration stamp on asylum, civil, fire brigade, suppliers, and police force issued whistles.
List of known stamped whistles as of this posting, as follows:
Civil
- 84 Bucks
- Metropolitan Plain
- JH & Co. Birm.
- Reynolds & Co. Belvedere London
- Stacy and Newgate St. London, cutlery supplier
- Metropolitan Police MP2
- East & West India Docks Company
Police Forces
- Burgh of Govan
- Carnarvan
- Dorchester City Police
- Dumfires-Shire
- Dundee Burgh Police
- Grimsey Police
- Hants Constabulary
- Hastings Police – 131 Barr St.
- Kent County Constabulary — 131 Barr St.
- Manchester County Police
- Norwich City Police
- Oxon Constabulary
- Preston – no permission
- Rochadale – can’t find again
- Staffordshire Constabulary
- Stirlingshire Police
- West Bromwich Fire Brigade
- Wilts Constabulary
Fire Brigade or Suppliers
- Shand Mason
- Merryweather London
Asylum
- Three counties asylum
- Kent Asylum Barming Heath
- Laverstock
Whistology
Photo examples from each subsection.
Civil
Left, The Whistle Gallery Reference Collection. Right, courtesy of Pete Owen Collection.
Police Forces
Left, courtesy of Leif Bailey Collection. Right, photo credit pending.
Left, courtesy of Tackagain Collection (refurbished). Right, The Whistle Gallery Reference Collection.
Fire Brigade or Suppliers
Left, The Whistle Gallery Reference Collection. Right, courtesy of Pete Owen Collection.
Asylum (picture left by permission Leif Bailey, right unknown)
Left, courtesy of Leif Bailey Collection. Right, photo credit pending.
Left, courtesy of Tackagain Collection. Right, photo credit pending.
Comparison of Kent issues one with cast mouthpiece, one with machine rolled.
The Whistle Gallery Reference Collection.
Conclusions
The REGISTERED stamp on Hudson tubular whistles was used for a very brief period, mere months before ceasing.
Although rare, it still can be found, and new combinations are still surfacing. Their history, although enigmatic, has been traced out and now recorded.
Currently, as of this posting, four categories have been found, and a list of stamps is now available.
TWG
Reviewed October 25, 2024
Modified February 27, 2026
Posted May 5, 2026
Bibliography:
- TWG Reference Collection
- TWG Reference Archives
- Simon Topman Emails
- More Whistles, by Martyn Gilchrist
- Collecting Police Whistles and Similar Types, by Martyn Gilchrist and Simon Topman
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