Name/Title
Black painted wooden truncheon c1890 - 1900Entry/Object ID
938Description
Wooden truncheon, painted black, approx. 14 inches (360mm) long. Has the remains of a riveted leather wrist strap attached to the top of the handle, which has an unusual "bobbin turned" type grip.Use
For a constable to use for self defenceContext
By the 1880s in the UK police, there was a move away from longer and decorated truncheons. Previously lengths had been approximately 17 inches and they were often highly decorated. However in the 1880s shorter truncheons began to be adopted so that they could be carried in special pockets sewn into officer's trousers. Prior to this the longer truncheons had been often carried in leather truncheon cases, which were seen as a liability.
The short size of this example and the fact that it has no decoration, suggests that it dates from this period. By the early 20th century most police truncheons had a grip consisting of 4 groves. The fact that this does not, indicates that it maybe earlier possibly from the 1890s. As it came from Sussex Police, it may have originally been used somewhere in East or West Sussex.