The first Lock-up matron was employed in 1895  to look after the female prisoners and take care of prisoner welfare needs.

These were the first women in the Birmingham Police with operational responsibility, walking the same landings that we now walk at the museum. The uniform was originally a simple black dress, with a white collar and cuffs. Later years saw a white pinafore over the dress.

The matrons would often spend time talking to the women, who sometimes desperately needed a kind word and a listening ear.