Dear moe12-ga;
Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to answer your interesting
question.
I am somewhat of a law enforcement history buff and the topic has
already intrigued me. Especially after spending more than 20 years in
the career myself and becoming part of the noble profession’s history
in my own small way.
England 14th Century:
The head of law enforcement was the Justice of the Peace. This
position was established by statute and he was responsible for
enforcing the laws of the land. “Law and order in the town was
enforced by the “beadle” or constables, who would could call on
citizens to form a night “Watch”. If a "hue and cry" was raised to
chase a criminal all citizens had to join in or risk being fined.”
CRIMINAL JUSTICE TIMELINE
http://other.cerrocoso.edu/studenthelp/links/justice_timeline.htm#1300
MEDIEVAL ENGLAND
http://www.britainexpress.com/History/Townlife.htm
England 16th Century:
“During the Middle Ages, policing authority, particularly in England,
was the responsibility of local nobles on their individual estates.
Each noble generally appointed an official, known as a constable, to
carry out the law. The constable's duties included keeping the peace
and arresting and guarding criminals. For many decades constables were
unpaid citizens who took turns at the job, which became increasingly
burdensome and unpopular. By the mid-16th century, wealthy citizens
often resorted to paying deputies to assume their turns as constables;
as this practice became widespread, the quality of the constables
declined drastically.”
HISTORY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
http://www.artechniques.com/waitingroom_kids/History_Law.htm
France 14th – 17th Century:
I found some difficulty in locating the information for France and
then I realized that during this period most of France (and indeed,
many parts lesser civilized of Europe) was under martial law. I
directed my search toward the military and found what you needed
there:
“During the French Middle Ages members of an aristocratic order that
called themselves "Gens d'armes" (literally Gentlemen at Arms") swore
a solemn oath to devote themselves of liberty and the law; and to
maintain their chivalrous ideals of service to God and country. Loyal
servants to the sovereign, these "marechaussee" aided the government
against rebels, ambitious marshals, scheming seneschals and
adventurers who spread disorder throughout France. The "marechausee"
were organized in companies under their own provosts and marshals, and
were tasked to supervise the behavior of troops, to repress disorders,
to arrest thieves and arsonists, and to safeguard hunting, fishing and
forestry.”
They were officially recognized in 1700 and proclaimed “Royal
Gendarmes”.
MILITARY POLICE OF FRANCE
http://home.mweb.co.za/re/redcap/france.htm
Germany 14th – 16th Century:
Germany (and the lands now known as Germany) poses a rather different
set of circumstances. The country we know as Germany today was
actually under several different forms of rule between the
1300-1500’s. Because this region has changed so dramtically
geographically, demographically and politically numerous times
throughout it’s history, the organizational landscape tended to change
along with it. By and large, soldiers were charged with enforcing the
laws at the will and under the authority of the reigning government.
Here are some historical examples:
“The “Golden Bull“ (imperial constitution) issued by Charles IV in
1356 regulated the election of the German king by seven electors
privileged with special rights. These sovereign electors and the
towns, because of their economic power, gradually gained influence
while that of the small counts, lords and knights declined. The towns’
power further increased when they linked up in leagues. The most
important of these, the Hanseatic League, became the leading Baltic
power in the 14th century.”
GERMAN INFORMATION CENTER
http://www.germany-info.org/relaunch/info/facts/facts_about/history.html
“Each Imperial city had to make its own arrangements for security, its
own contracts and alliances and its own foreign policy. The idea of an
Imperial police force to impose order centrally, although it excited
the theorists, was not a practical proposition in late medieval
Germany.”
Another historical account explained the rare and expensive necessity
or hiring a police force this way:
“The cost of mercenaries was so exorbitant that even large towns found
it inadvisable to employ more than thirty, or at most a hundred in
peacetime. Wages for even short periods were high. The pay of
twenty-eight foot soldiers, required to police Nuremberg for
twenty-two nights of Frederick III’s stay in the city in Spring 1442
came to a substantial 215 pounds heller. Actual campaigns involved far
greater cost.”
TOWNS AND DEFENCE in LATER MEDIEVAL GERMANY
http://www.deremilitari.org/eltis.htm
Below you will find that I have carefully defined my search strategy
for you in the event that you need to search for more information. By
following the same type of searches that I did you may be able to
enhance the research I have provided even further. I hope you find
that that my research exceeds your expectations. If you have any
questions about my research please post a clarification request prior
to rating the answer. Otherwise, I welcome your rating and your final
comments and I look forward to working with you again in the near
future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.
Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga
INFORMATION SOURCES
CRIMINAL JUSTICE TIMELINE
http://other.cerrocoso.edu/studenthelp/links/justice_timeline.htm#1300
HISTORY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
http://www.artechniques.com/waitingroom_kids/History_Law.htm
MEDIEVAL MESSENGERS
http://www.florilegium.org/files/COMMERCE/Messengers-art.text
TOWNS AND DEFENCE in LATER MEDIEVAL GERMANY
http://www.deremilitari.org/eltis.htm
GERMAN INFORMATION CENTER
http://www.germany-info.org/relaunch/info/facts/facts_about/history.html
MILITARY POLICE OF FRANCE
http://home.mweb.co.za/re/redcap/france.htm
SEARCH STRATEGY
SEARCH ENGINE USED:
Google ://www.google.com
SEARCH TERMS USED:
Each country was used in conjunction with these search terms:
EARLY POLICE
POLICE HISTORY
LAW ENFORCEMENT HISTORY
“ENFORCED THE LAW”
HISTORY “CIRIMINAL JUSTICE”
MILITARY POLICE
MILITARY LAW
SHERIFF HISTORY
DEPUTIZED HISTORY |
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