Watchmen (law enforcers)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Watchmen were individuals, or groups of men, usually authorised by a state, government, or society, to deter criminal activity and provide law enforcement. Watchmen have existed in various guises throughout the world and were generally succeeded by the emergence of formally organised policing.
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[edit] Early Origins
An early reference to a watch can be found in the Bible where Torah (citing the Prophet Ezekiel) states that it was the duty of the watch to blow the horn and sound the alarm.
Many passages exist about the watch and it is believed by Catholics that God himself has a watchman (St. Peter) who guards the gates of heaven.
The existence of watchmen have also been found in the Ottoman, Greek and Egyptian Empires.
The Roman Empire turned the role of a watchman into a profession by creating a Praetorian Guard thus establishing a rank and file system with a Captain of the Guard.
[edit] Watchmen in England
In 1252 a royal writ established a Watch and Ward with royal officers appointed as Shire Reeves (Sheriffs):
By order of the King of England the Winchester Act Mandating The Watch. Part Four and the King commandth that from henceforth all Watches be made as it hath been used in past times that was to wit from the day of Ascension unto the day of St. Michael in every city by six men at every gate in every borough by twelve men in every town by six or four according to the number of inhabitants of the town. They shall keep the Watch all night from sun setting unto sun rising. And if any stranger do pass them by them he shall be arrested until morning and if no suspicion be found he shall go quit.
Later in 1279 King Edward I formed a special guard of 20 sergeants at arms who carried decorated battle maces as a badge of official office. By 1415 a watch was appointed to the English Parliament and in 1485 King Henry VII established a household watch that became known as the Beefeaters.
From 1485 to the 1800s it was the Watch and Ward that acted as London's Police Force upholding and enforcing the laws of the land.
[edit] Watchmen in the Unites States of America
The first form of societal protection in the United States was based on practices developed in England. New York (then New Amsterdam) and Jamestown were amongst the first settlements to introduce a Night Watch in 1658.
These early watchmen were precursors to the National Parks Service who were the first guards of the White House.
[edit] Trivia
- Watchmen who operated at night were known as Night Watchmen and this has since become a popular term in the sport of cricket.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
↑ This can be verified by England's Old Bailey court records.
