History

Albert Carey

Ocean City policeman · active 1894–1895

One of the three men named as Ocean City's police force in July 1895, wearing the town's new badges. Probably the 'Policeman Carey' whom Mayor Wilson set to watch for the two boys who robbed the bridge keeper's store in July 1894.

In the record (1)

  1. 1895 · 1895-07-13

    Ocean City's three policemen are named in print for the first time — Albert Carey, Lemuel Mumford and William Purnell — wearing badges inscribed "Ocean City, Md."

    The Democratic Messenger of July 13, 1895 carries the item in its Ocean City notes: "[The policemen] are in the employ of Ocean City and not of the company. They are this year supplied with badges inscribed Ocean City, Md. The members of the police are Albert Carey, Lemuel Mumford and William Purnell." Three men is exactly the establishment the 1894 charter allowed: new section 156 A let the mayor, with the council's advice, appoint up to three regular policemen and as many specials as he thought necessary [fact:1894-charter-empowers-board-walks-and-police]. The distinction the paper draws — town men, not company men — is the point of the paragraph: the Sinepuxent Beach Company owned the beach, the Atlantic Hotel and most of the lots, and 1895 is the year the town put its own name on the badge. It also very likely identifies the "Policeman Carey" who arrested the two boys who robbed the bridge keeper's till in July 1894 [fact:1894-bridge-store-robbery-first-policeman].

    The Commissioners of Ocean CitySinepuxent Beach CompanyFrancis Henry Purnell

    Source · checked 2026-08-06