CAMBRIDGE.

 (Taken from Erland Fenn Clarkes book Truncheons there Romance & Reality)

Formerly the Sheriff of a County or Borough had a body of men armed with Javelins, known as javelin men, who acted as Body Guard to the Judges when they went on Assize.

Macaulay's History of England- "There were the Halls where the Judges robed in Scarlet and escorted by javelins and trumpets opened the King's Commission twice a year."

From about 1705 to 1832 the Javelin men and Special Constables ranged themselves in front of the Court Halls.

Section 39 of the Cambridge Corporation Act, 185o, empowered the Watch Committee of the Borough to appoint Chief Constables and Parish Constables and these were appointed in October in each year, and were called out on the few occasions in the year, such as the 5th and 9th November, and at Election times to assist the Police Constables in the performance of their duties.

The Parish Constables consisted of two Chief Constables and thirty other Constables, the numbers being appointed from each of the Parishes in the Borough in proportion to the size, etc. of the Parish. The Parish Constables had issued to them a Short Staff, and sometimes this Staff bore the Royal and Borough Arms, with the name of the Mayor of that year-­at whose expense the Staff was provided.

The High or Chief Constable had a Staff of about the size of a quarter staff, and this also had painted on it the name of the Mayor, in addition to the Royal and the Borough Arms. When in procession the High or Chief Constables always carried their Staves and during the holding of the Mayor's Court the two Chief Constables stood either side of the door with their staves crossed barring the entrance. It is quite possible that these staves were in earlier days used as a weapon in the manner that the old quarter staff was used.

Mr. W. Bishop was Mayor of Cambridge in 1844-5 and as not more than two of these large staves were issued in any one year, and none has been issued for some years now they are getting very scarce.

The Town Clerk has about ten or eleven in his office and the Arms, etc., painted on them are still in excellent condition.

                                                                                                 CAMBRIDGESHIRE.

Nos. 1 and 3 Exhibited in the Museum of Ethnology, CAMBRIDGE. No. 2 in the WISBECH Museum

No. 1  Long Staff Cambridge Crown Royal and Cambridge Arms. Mayor 183-.

No. 3 Long Staff Geo. II discovered by a Miss Parsons late of Horseheath (Cambs.) just in time to prevent it being used as a broom handle !

No.  2 28in. G. 2. R. Royal Arms and Motto. UPWELL. B. Brown 1757. Crossed Keys below. Upwell  is six or seven miles from WISBECH, Cambs., and is partly in Cambs. partly in Norfolk. The crossed keys were without authority for a long time-used on the Corporation seals of WISBECH

CAMBRIDGE (Borough).

Note.-This Set consists of three Head Special Constable's Staves, each 5 ft. or more in length and four highly decorated Truncheons. It was the practice for many years to issue to the two Head Constables (appointed each year) the long Staves and to the Constables the Truncheons, which vary very slightly in pattern, remaining much the same between 1837 and 1883.

No. 1. 15 in. black with V.R. Royal Arms and Arms of the Borough. C. F. Foster, Esq., Mayor 1862.

No. 2. 63 in. Head Constable's Staff, black with V.R. Royal Arms 1845. Arms of Borough and Wm. Bishop, Mayor.

No. 3. 15 in. 1883 V.R. Royal Arms. Arms of Borough. H. Rance, Esq., Mayor.

No. 4. 69 in. Head Constable's Staff, 1849. V.R. Royal and Arms of the Borough on other side H. S. Foster, Esq., 'Mayor 1849.

No. 5. 12 in., otherwise identical with No. 4.

No. 6. Head Constable's Staff identical with No. 2 excepting date 1845.

No. 7. 16 in. (Wm. IV) 1837 W.R. Royal and Borough Arms. The "7" in the date is "upside down." Reverse, Steven Thrown, Mayor.

(Note.-- C. F. Foster was Mayor 1854-5, 186o-61, 1861-2.)

(Mr. E. R. H. Dicken also has No. 1.)

These Truncheons have been presented by Outgoing Mayors as a Souvenir of their year of Office as chief Magistrate of the Borough.

Lent by A. L. Dixon, Esq., The Home Office, Whitehall.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE
and
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY.

No. 1. HARDWICKE (Cambs.) Parish Constable's Truncheon, Georgian. 16 in., bright red, grip black. G.R. Royal Arms Hardwick Castle.

No. 2. Cambridgeshire Tipstaff. Brass and wood. Royal Arms prior to 1801. 12½in., on leather thong (V.R. engraved later on shaft).

No. 3. Crown and V.R. Cambridgeshire Constable on red ground.

NO. 4. CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY, 12 in. Victorian, black with Royal Arms and Arms of The University.

No. 5. LITTLE SHELFORD (Cambs.). 16 in., blue with Royal Arms and Arms of the Borough of Cambridge.Little Shelford, 1844.