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The London policeman ... knows every nook and corner, every house, man, woman and child on his beat. He knows their occupations, habits and circumstances. This knowledge he derives from his constantly being employed in the same quarter and the same street, and to - and surely a mind on duty bent may take great liberties with the conventional moralities - that platonic and friendly intercourse which he carries on with the female servants of the establishments which it is his vocation to protect. An English maid-servant is a pleasant girl to chat with, when half shrouded by the mystic fog of the evening and with her smart little cap coquettishly placed on her head, she issues from the sallyport of the kitchen, and advances stealthily to the row of palisades which protect the house. And the handsome policeman too, with his blue coat and clean white gloves, is held in high regard and esteem by the cooks and housemaids of England. His position on the beat is analagous to that of the porter of a very large house; it is a point of honour with him, that nothing shall escape his observation.

Max Schlesinger, Saunterings in and about London, 1853