Not the executioner

One London detective used a pseudonym, but was at pains to distinguish himself from the hangman of the same name

In 1906, a new private detective emerged in London: one who would, over the next 11 years, become a well-known individual. Yet although he gave hints, and was even photographed by press photographers, his real identity never seems to have been discovered by the newspapers.

Rough sketch of William Pierrepont, from a contemporary press photo of him attending court as a witness (©️ Nell Darby)

William Pierrepont had offices at 27 Chancery Lane, where other offices in the building were home to the likes of law companies and auctioneers. He was a keen publicist in terms of advertising in the press, and wrote whole articles for the newspapers on the pretext of covering cases he had successfully solved. These included paragraphs about himself as an individual, noting that William Pierrepont was not his real name, but that he was from a background where dealing with the elite members of society was usual:

'The controlling spirit is William Pierrepont himself, or, at least, he is known by that name to his clients, for in private life, he is a different personage, with high social connections and wide influences.' (Daily Telegraph and Courier, 1911)

Pierrepont was a master of hyperbole. Another article, which I strongly suspect is another that he wrote, stated that his organisation was 'as powerful as it is secret' with 'ramifications [that] extend to almost every quarter of the inhabited globe'. He matched the publicity strategies of the big London agencies by stressing his employment of both men and women who could assimilate themselves into any class of society. He selected each one for a quality they had, and then subjected them to a high level of training. He stressed his own superior background, and that of his employees, seeking to both emulate the big agencies while also differentiating himself. Private detectives came from all backgrounds, but scandals over the previous 20 years had exposed many as being from poorer backgrounds, seeking to make money by dodgy deals including fraud. Pierrepont wanted to highlight that his agency was truly a high class one.

However, using his middle name as his professional one was occasionally problematic: Pierrepont was a good name, the surname of the Earls Manvers. However, the similar Pierrepoint was the surname of generations of English executioners: Thomas William Pierrepoint had become a hangman the same year as Pierrepont's detective agency was founded. His brother Henry was also a hangman during the Edwardian era. Pierrepont used this as a publicity tool in a way, in that he placed an advert to stress that he was not related to the Pierrepoints, but he may also have feared that if an unfounded link was made between the two families, it might damage his reputation.

Chancery Lane: Pierrepont’s agency was based at number 27 (©️ Nell Darby)

In 1917, the reputation of Pierrepont's agency looked as though it was being dealt a fatal blow. A court case in Newcastle this September centred around corrupt payments made to Royal Marine officers. Three men were accused, and duly convicted: Colonel Frederick Scott, Captain John Moralee, and Private Hyman Cohen. All were middle aged men. Colonel Scott's office had been searched by police, who found several promissory notes in it. These had been issued by clients of Pierrepont's detective agency, and were for expenses incurred by detectives during their inquiries. Notes totalling £6,000 had been signed by a peer, who had hoped that Colonel Scott might be able to make him a lieutenant.

The accusation was that the three men took money and information from individuals in return for giving them commissions in the Marines. However, the press coverage included an interesting comment, that Pierrepont's agency was not owned by one man: it was 'carried on by William Pierrepont and WP Salter (since dead)' with Colonel Scott holding 'a controlling interest'. I had always assumed that these were three men, and had spent much time trying to track down a Mr Salter who was in business with Pierrepont and Scott. But in fact, Mr Salter WAS William Pierrepont.

His real identity was Walter Pierrepont Salter, and he was born in 1867 in Devon. He was not lying or exaggerating when he noted his comfort with dealing with the wealthy and 'better' members of society. His father, Elliot Henry George Salter, was born in Calvados, France. He grew up to be captain in the 2nd Somerset Militia, eventually becoming a major and governor of Brixton military prison. In 1891, he had retired, after it was found that fewer and fewer members of the military were being convicted of offences, and thus his role was deemed largely redundant. Walter's mother, Edith (nee Priaulx), was from Guernsey, but the Salter children were born in London and Devon.

Before becoming a private detective, ‘Pierrepont’ was ‘Spencer, Wick and Co’, a mantle maker

Walter Salter, prior to opening Pierrepont's, was a mantle manufacturer, operating from offices in Watling Street under the name of Spencer, Wick and Co. As a mantle manufacturer, he joined the Freemasons, and he worked as such until 1906, when he established his detective agency. In 1893, he had married Mary or Maria Julia Poole - like his father, born in France - and by the end of that year, they had had their first son, registered as Pierrepont St George De Castro Salter (he would understandably be known as George). A second son, Geoffrey Elliot, was born in 1900, but the marriage was unhappy. By 1911, Walter was living without his wife, but with his older son, in a mansion flat in St Pancras. His identity should have been more obvious, as Walter didn't keep it a secret: his entry in the 1911 census clearly notes his occupation as private enquiry agent.

Colonel Frederick Scott was a friend as well as a colleague of Walter's. The late and missed Clive Emsley notes that Scott was in the Tyne Electrical Engineers, and that when the Royal Marine Submarine Mining Corps was formed in 1915, Scott commanded it. How the two men met is not known, but despite their different work backgrounds, they formed a lasting partnership. Walter died prematurely, on 3 July 1917, aged only 50. He died at his home in Westminster, with probate also listing his agency address of 27 Chancery Lane. Probate of Walter's estate - worth just under £10,000 - was granted to Colonel Scott. Luckily, Walter did not survive to see Scott convicted of corruption.

Walter Pierrepont Salter was from a wealthy background, with both sides of his family being from the military, and both being financially successful. He saw a gap in the private detection market to offer a 'high class' agency for those who might be embarrassed at visiting one of London's many other agencies. His press articles stress his background, his professionalism, and his methods of working.

The final adverts for Pierrepont's agency were published in June 1918 - nearly a year after Pierrepont's death, suggesting that Scott or someone else tried to continue operating the agency. Without Walter Salter, its days were numbered; however, such was Pierrepont's success in the decade it operated, that in 1939, Tatler referred to someone looking round 'fearfully, in case one of William Pierrepont's private detectives is listening.'