Editing Constable (section)

===United Kingdom===
{{See also|Lord High Constable (disambiguation)|Parish constable}}
{{Anchor|England}}The office of the constable was introduced in England following the [[Norman conquest of England|Norman Conquest of 1066]] and was responsible for the keeping and maintenance of the king's armaments and those of the villages as a measure of protecting individual settlements throughout the country.<ref>{{cite web|last=Vronsky|first=Peter|title=A Brief History of Constables in the English Speaking World|url=http://www.russianbooks.org/crime/cph1.htm|access-date=2007-09-14}}</ref> Some authorities place the origins of constables in England earlier, attributing the creation of the office to during the reign of King Alfred (871 A.D.).<ref>Hanes, ''A Practical Treatise on the Powers and Duties of Justices of the Peace and in the State of Illinois'' (4th Ed., 1868) at p.688. See, also, Sir William Blackstone, ''Commentaries on the Laws of England in Four Books'', Vol. 1 (1753) at p. 229.</ref>

The office of [[Lord High Constable (disambiguation)|Lord High Constable]], one of the [[Great Officer of State|Great Officers of State]], was established in the kingdoms of [[Kingdom of England|England]] and [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]] during the reigns of [[Stephen of England|King Stephen]] (1135–1154) and [[David I of Scotland|King David]] (1124–1154) respectively, and was responsible for the command of the army. However, the term was also used at the local level within the [[feudal system]], describing an officer appointed to keep order.<ref>Bruce, Alistair, ''Keepers of the Kingdom'' (Cassell, 2002), p. 72, {{ISBN|0-304-36201-8}}</ref> One of the first descriptions of one of the legal duties of a constable, that of the collation of [[evidence]], comes from [[Bracton]], a jurist writing between 1220 and 1250:<ref>{{cite web|title=Bracton Online |publisher=Harvard Law School Library |url=http://bracton.law.harvard.edu/ |access-date=2007-09-06 }}</ref>
<blockquote>In whatever way they come and on whatever day, it is the duty of the constable to [[wikt:enroll|enroll]] everything in order, for he has record as to the things he sees; but he cannot judge, because there is no judgment at the [[Tower of London|Tower]], since there the third element of a judicial proceeding is lacking, namely a judge and jurisdiction. He has record as to matters of fact, not matters of judgment and law.<ref>{{cite book|author=Henry of Bratton|others=Translated by Samuel E. Thorne|year=1968|publisher=Belknap Press|title=Bracton On the Laws and Customs of England|location=Cambridge, MS|url=http://hlsl5.law.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/brac-hilite.cgi?Unframed+English+4+136+constable|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711202113/http://hlsl5.law.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/brac-hilite.cgi?Unframed+English+4+136+constable|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-11|isbn=0-19-626613-0}}</ref></blockquote> In Bracton's time, anyone seeing a "misdeed" was empowered to make an arrest. The role of the constable in Bracton's description was as the "eyes and ears" of the court, finding evidence and recording facts on which judges could make a ruling. By extension, the constable was also the "strong arm" of the court (i.e., of the [[common law]]), marking the basic role of the constable that continues into the present day.<ref>{{Cite book|first=DeLloyd J.|last=Guth|contribution=The Traditional Common Law Constable, 1235–1829: From Bracton to the Fieldings to Canada|editor-last=Macleod|editor-first=R.C.|editor2-last=Schneiderman|editor2-first=David|title=Police Powers in Canada: The Evolution and Practice of Authority|publisher=University of Toronto Press|place=Toronto|year=1994|page=6|isbn=0-8020-2863-2}}</ref>

In 1285, King [[Edward I of England]] passed the [[Statute of Winchester]], with provisions which "constituted two constables in every [[hundred (county subdivision)|hundred]] to prevent [[wikt:default|default]]s in towns and [on] highways".<ref name="fm">p276-7, Markham, Sir Frank, ''History of Milton Keynes and District'', vol.1 (1973), {{ISBN|0-900804-29-7}}</ref> Records of their narrower area successors, [[ecclesiastical parish|parish]] constables, appear in the early 17th century in the records of [[Buckinghamshire]]; traditionally they were elected by the [[vestry|parishioners]], but from 1617 onwards were typically appointed by [[justices of the peace]] (magistrates) in each county.<ref name="fm"/>

The system of policing by unpaid parish constables continued in England until the 19th century; in the [[London]] metropolitan area it started to be ended with the creation of the [[Metropolitan Police]] by the [[Metropolitan Police Act 1829]], and was completely ended by the [[Metropolitan Police Act 1839]].<ref>{{cite book|pages=591|last=Inwood|first=Stephen|title=A History of London|publisher=Macmillan|date=1998|isbn=0-333-67154-6}}</ref> Outside London, the mandatory introduction of county police forces by the [[County and Borough Police Act 1856]], after nearly 20 years of the permissive [[County Police Act 1839]], finally ended parish constables. After 1856, all areas of England and Wales were covered by a police force. The lowest rank of the police forces and constabularies is "constable", and most outside London are headed by a [[chief constable]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.wiltshire.police.uk/history/1839.asp |title=Wiltshire Constabulary History - "The First and the Best" |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218212229/http://www.wiltshire.police.uk/history/1839.asp |archive-date=2007-12-18 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[http://www.essex.police.uk/offbeat/o_mu_25.php The Making of a Chief Constable] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927092346/http://www.essex.police.uk/offbeat/o_mu_25.php |date=2007-09-27}}, Essex Police website</ref>

The unique office of 'Parks Constable' was first created when section 221 of the [[Liverpool Corporation Act 1921]] ([[11 & 12 Geo. 5]]. c. lxxiv) allowed for their appointment;<ref>{{cite web |title=Liverpool Parks Police History 'Timeline' |url=http://www.liverpoolparkspolice.co.uk/parks-police-history.htm |website=www.liverpoolparkspolice.co.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803132434/http://www.liverpoolparkspolice.co.uk/parks-police-history.htm |archive-date=2018-08-03 |url-status=dead |access-date=2014-01-26 }}</ref> prior to that a body of constables, whom were attested as special constables, had policed the parks. Specific legislation for the [[Royal Parks of London]] continued the unique office of 'Parks Constable'. However, the Royal Parks Constabulary was disbanded in 2001. The [[Kew Constabulary]] are sworn in under the same legislation and remain as the holders of the office of Parks Constable. Whilst some local authorities have parks constabularies, their officers are attested as constables, not parks constables.