Name/Title
Plain wooden police special constable's truncheon c1914Entry/Object ID
2177Description
Undecorated light coloured wooden truncheon, 14 1/4 inches (35.5 cm) long. The handle has a multi turned grip with a riveted leather wrist strap. On top of the handle is stamped "SC 245"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 is difficult to date but is of a style very similar to late Victorian East Sussex Constabulary painted truncheons that are thought to have been re-used during the First World War and also have "SC" number stamps. There is no evidence that it was ever painted and by 1914 British police truncheons had moved away from this style of grip. It is possible that this truncheon represents an attempt by East Sussex Constabulary to quickly equip special constables, perhaps cheaply, with plain copies of the painted examples that they had re-issued already. The style and lack of a maker's mark suggests that these truncheons were locally made and as it came from Sussex Police, it would have appear to have been used in one of the Sussex police forces. The "SC" mark most likely stands for Special Constable" or "Special Constabulary" and the number could either be a special constable's number or an asset number. At the start of the First World War there was a huge national increase in the numbers of Special Constables, resulting in shortages of equipment which may explain this truncheon. It was only with the Special Constables Act of 1914, that a permanent special constabulary was formed. Prior to that special constables could only be sworn in for very short periods of time if there was an imminent risk of disorder.
It is also possible that this truncheon is of a type that was introduced in 1882 in East Sussex Constabulary for summer use. These were of 14 inches in length and adopted so that they could be carried in trouser pockets, the new summer tunics not having any pockets (Kyrke 1969 page 78). Though the right size this example, does not appear to have the wear associated with being from that period, before being re-issued in 1914.