William Melville is a man who rose from modest origins to become one of the most prominent figures in the history of British intelligence. He was born April 25, 1850 in Sneem, Ireland, the son of parents who owned a pub and a bakery. When he was 22, he journeyed to London and worked at a bakery for a while, later joining the police force of the city. He performed well and in 1879 was promoted to the rank of Detective Sergeant in the Criminal Investigation Department.
In 1883, London was having problems with a group of Irish bombers who were reportedly being funded from the United States. Known as the “Dynamite War,” a special force named the Special Irish Branch (SIB) was organized by Scotland Yard to help combat this activity. Melville was recruited into the SIB as one of its 12 founding members.
