Black painted plain truncheon probably from East Sussex Constabulary c1880s
Name/Title
Black painted plain truncheon probably from East Sussex Constabulary c1880s
Entry/Object ID
939
Description
Black painted plain wooden truncheon, 16 inches (40cm) long with a multi turned grip. No strap or maker's markings.
Use
For use by a police officer for protection
Context
The earliest police truncheons tend to be 17-20 inches (43-51cm) long and are often highly decorated, usually with a crown and sometimes with the addition of a royal coat of arms. This was because in the days before police warrant or ID cards, the truncheon was the officer's badge of office and symbolised his authority from the crown for carrying out his duties.
However by the 1870s the public were well used to the concept of uniformed police and the need for such decorated truncheons declined. By 1880 warrant cards were issued as a form of ID and the truncheon became less symbolic. At the same time there was a move towards smaller 14-15inch truncheons, that could be carried in a pocket sewn into the trousers. By 1890s most police forces had discontinued decoration in favour of plain truncheons of this shorter length.
This truncheon though undecorated is identical in style to a number of decorated and numbered examples from East Sussex Constabulary that are thought to date to the 1880s. Given the similarity and the fact that this particular one came direct from Sussex Police, it is thought to be contemporary and probably also originally from East Sussex Constabulary. It may have lost its original decoration or could always have been simply painted black. The style and lack of a maker's mark suggests that these truncheons were locally made.
In 1886 East Sussex Constabulary adopted short truncheons for all year use and this example is thought to date from then until c1900.
