Wooden rattle, possibly a local or parish constable's c1850
Name/Title
Wooden rattle, possibly a local or parish constable's c1850
Entry/Object ID
72
Description
Wooden rattle with a long fixed tapered handle, no weights and a small piece of cord attached.
Use
To raise the alarm and summon the assistance of others
Context
Rattles were used since at least the 17th century as a means of raising an alarm. They were used by the first Metropolitan Police officers in 1829, as they had been by the watchmen they replaced. The type of rattle pictured is not of a common type known to have been used by 19th century police officers and its style suggests it was locally made. It was either for a local or parish constable, or was intended for agricultural use as a bird scarer. When it came to the museum from Sussex Police it had a card note attached to it reading, "Around 100 years old. Former PC Lovell of Saltdean. Force unknown". This suggests that PC Lovell was the original source of the item before it came to Sussex Police and that it may have had a police origin.
Rattles were only phased out by police with the widespread introduction of the police whistle in the 1880s. Whistles replaced rattles because not only were they easier to carry than bulky rattles but experiments in London showed they could be heard over a much longer distance than a rattle.
