Name/Title
Hastings Borough Police painted truncheon 1842 -1877Entry/Object ID
218Description
Wooden decorated truncheon, with plain multi turned handle 17 inches (43cm) in length The body is painted black with a large crown painted at the top, over an ornate 'VR" cypher in gold, over a red and gold cartouche, inside which is the word "POLICE". Stamped on the end of the handle is the mark, "Parker 33 Holborn". Attached to the handle is a paper label marked in pen, "Hastings Borough Police B160"Use
For use by a police officer as protection and as a symbol of their authority.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 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. There was no single style of truncheon or design of decoration in the 19th century and individual police forces chose whatever they liked, some adopting truncheons of a reasonably standard design, made by a large supplier, and others purchasing more unique styles made by local manufacturers. As well as being a symbol of authority decorated truncheons were designed to be used in self defence and were not just ornaments.
The truncheon pictured is of a standard design and decoration produced for much of the 19th century. Indeed if you wanted a a typical example of a Victorian painted truncheon , this would be it. This one was made by the London firm of "Parker," also known as "Parker Field" and "Field", who were famous sword makers, gunsmiths and suppliers of police equipment. The company produced thousands of near identical truncheons to this generic design. Sometimes the cartouche would contain the name of a specific police force but this is an "off the shelf" version. Often the word "Police" is replaced with "Special" for special constable. The handle is stamped, "Parker 33 Holborn", though originally it would have been "233 Holborn", and the company were using this stamp from 1842-1877.
This truncheon is thought to have been issued, along with a rattle, to a PC John Dudeney who joined Hastings Borough Police on 25th July 1885, it having come to the museum via relatives. If it was his, given the likely date of manufacture it may have been re-issued or had been in storage prior to coming to him. From local newspaper reports we know that in 1895 Dudeney's collar number was 12 and that by 1902 he had been promoted to a sergeant. We also know that in November 1923, he was 65 and had already retired as another article shows he had made an application to have his pension increased and he was awarded another 4d (pence) a week. The reference to B160 came from the family and is thought to be connected with Dudeney's police service, though it is not his collar number, and is likely to be an administration number, as collar numbers were re -used.
This truncheon and its associated rattle demonstrate what equipment was issued to Hastings Borough Police officers in the 1880s and that items were re-issued. The timing is interesting as at the same time PC Dudeney was allocated these objects, they were beginning to be phased out in the UK. In 1884 the whistle began to replace the rattle in the Metropolitan Police and in 1887 the Met. also began to replace its 17 inch truncheons with shorter plain ones, and reduced in length many older painted ones they still had in stock that were very similar to that pictured, with the exception that they had "MP" in the cartouche (Cook 2014)
By the 1870s the public were well used to the concept of uniformed police and the need for decorated truncheons declined. In the 1880s warrant cards were issued as a form of ID and he truncheon became less symbolic. At the same time there was a move towards smaller 14-15 inch truncheons that could be carried in a pocket sew into the trousers. By the 1890s most police forces had discontinued decoration in favour of plain truncheons of this shorter length.