Name/Title
Plain East Sussex Constabulary truncheon c1880 -1900Entry/Object ID
940Description
Dark stained plain wooden truncheon, 14 inches (36cm) long with a multi turned grip. No strap or maker's markings. Stamped at end of handle "SC no. 498"Use
For use by a police officer for protectionContext
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 very similar in style to a number of decorated and numbered examples from East Sussex Constabulary that are thought to date to c1880. The "SC" stamp probably stands for "Special Constable" and interestingly a number of East Sussex Constabulary short decorated truncheons have similar stamps in the handles. This possibly suggests that they were re issued during the First World War to special constables, any numbers stamped on them being different to those painted on. Given the similarity in style and the fact that this truncheon came direct from Sussex Police, this particular example 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 plain. The style and lack of a maker's mark suggests that these truncheons were locally made.
Of interest is the fact that this truncheon, whilst of a very similar style to others known to have come from East Sussex Constabulary, is 2 inches (5 cm) shorter. This may indicate that it was initially intended for summer use as from 1882 14 inch truncheons were issued within the force for the summer months (Kyrke 1969 page 78). This was because the new summer lightweight jackets issued that year had no pockets and a shorter truncheon was needed to enable it to be carried in a trouser pocket.