Wooden rattle with fixed handle, no weights and a turning knob attached to the top. No marks.
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 of an early type used by police in the UK. It is not designed to be swung to spin it around, instead it has a small handle on top with which it was turned. These rattles are though to precede smaller weighted ones (item 1182), because they are larger and require two hands to operate. Similar style rattles are thought to have been used by the original London watchmen. Rattles were only phased out by police with the widespread introduction of the police whistle in the 1880s.
The fact that this particular rattle came from Sussex Police suggests it may have been used by police.
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.
