Constable William Balfour URQUHART (49)

22 Mar 1904
Aberdeen City Police

PC Urquhart was dealing with youths causing annoyance in Cuparstone Lane Aberdeen when he collapsed and died of heart failure.

I’m sure most police officers have had a parade of shops on their beat where young people like to hang around, usually to the annoyance of the staff and people trying to go about their business. Holburn Street, Aberdeen certainly did in March 1904. The shops near to the junction of Great Western Road were being plagued by a group of youths whose idea of a good time seems to have been carrying off the billboards from the stationers and generally misbehaving in shop doorways.

PC William Urquhart had 25 years’ service and had been the Ruthrieston and Holburn area beat man for about nine years. He was a ‘kindly disposed man’ but, taking advantage of his good nature; the youths began goading him in an attempt to have him chase them for some sport.

He bided his time and on the evening of Tuesday 22^nd March 1904 enough was enough and he caught one of the ringleaders in Cuparstone Lane. The youth struggled to escape and PC Urquhart collapsed, apparently suffering a heart attack. He had been in poor health for some time and was subsequently found to have suffered a burst aneurism, brought on no doubt, by his exertions.

A large contingent of Aberdeen City Police officers attended PC Urquhart’s funeral, including the Chief Constable and other senior officers. The Deputy Chief Constable of the County force was also in attendance as were many people from his beat.

In a tragic footnote, William’s 72 year old father Thomas Urquhart took ill on his croft near Stonehaven that same day and took to his bed, when his wife and another son tried to wake him next morning to deliver the bad news, they found him dead in bed. Both men were buried on the same day.

PC Urquhart`s name is engraved on the Scottish Police Memorial and will never be forgotten.

---