SWANSON: THE THURSO BOY WHO BECAME SCOTLAND YARD'S TOP DETECTIVE

SWANSON: THE THURSO BOY WHO BECAME SCOTLAND YARD'S TOP DETECTIVE

by Adam Wood

Donald Sutherland Swanson was born at Geise Distillery and raised at Thurso, leaving for London in 1867 at the age of 19.

The following year he joined the Metropolitan Police and began patrolling the streets of the capital as a uniformed constable. When he retired 35 years later, in 1903, he had risen to the rank of Superintendent of the CID at Scotland Yard, the top detective in the country.

It was a career which inbcluded railway murderers, grave robbers, fraudulent mediums, Jack the Ripper, the Philosopher's Stone and a crazed captain with sea serpents in a bottle.

This 132-page paperback charts Swanson's life and career, from his childhood in Thurso and stellar career toi his return visits to his hometown in his retirement.