Help to i.d. painted Victorian truncheon

[5016]

Hi, I'm new to this forum. Can anyone offer any opinions / info about this painted truncheon. It is said to have originated from HMP Parkhurst and recently came from a house clearance on the Isle of Wight. Being retired police, I'd hoped it was of police origin. Any thoughts?

The yellow painted writing, in three rows, says:

S.C.

Jan 2 Y 1868

V. R.

I assume this to be owner's initials / date (of issue / appointment) / Monarch's initials.

Can anyone confirm whether Police or Prison and, if permitted on this forum, a rough guide price please.

Thanks in anticipation.

Kevin E.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Hi - Kevin and welcome to GMIC - we like new members with a police background and I like them even better when they show truncheons.....

You say ex-police , which was your Force ?

Your truncheon is quite straightforward - it is a Special Constables and the date was for the 1868 Sein Fein up-rising. The original plan was to seize Chester Castle and take the weapons stored there back to Ireland for a full revolution. This came to an end when Sgt. Brett was shot and the three attackers hanged - the two ringleaders escaped to the US and fomented two attacks on Canada. Go back on this page and you will find quite a lot of history from this time is outlined. However, the Government panicked with the thought of this happening and thousands of men were sworn in as Special Constables all over the Country. The truncheon is a properly made one - probably intended for issue to regulars, however, the great intake of Specials left shortages and you can see that it was quickly painted with relevent details. The strange yellow colour is because the original white has faded. White was a difficult colour when they didn't have the correct sizings and fixatives and this often happens.

Value wise - because of it's history and it being properly turned - about £100 ($160)

I missed your other question - VR is for Queen Victoria and the 'Y' must be for January. Hard to say where it was intended for - things move around on this time scale.

Edited March 22, 2010 by Mervyn Mitton

[5016]

Thank you very much Mervyn. Fascinating bit of history. I will enjoy reading some of the old threads and improve my understanding of our police history and traditions.

I'm retired from the Hampshire Constabulary. Most of my time being on the Traffic Department (now called Roads Policing Unit) where they actually paid me good money to ride a big motorcycle . I was a Traffic Sgt for over 20 years - round peg in round hole. Happy Days.

I've got a couple of other police-related items on which I'm hoping to get some advice. Who's the egg-head on medals and whistles please?

Kind regards,

Kevin E.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Hi - Kevin. Pleased we could help - post the other items - I'm sure we can help.

I have some frinds in Hants. Constabulary - but, since I have a home in Dorset I'm slightly more biased to our small Force (2000 people)

[Peter Mc]

Mervyn - you are very probably correct in that this could be a relic of the Fenian disturbances but there is another possibility. Around the same period (1867-8) there was industrial unrest in Britain centred around the coal field areas of the Midlands and Derbyshire. The colliery owners got permission for, and enrolled, numerous special constables (who often had some affiliation with the colliery itself) to help control the rioters. What success they had I'm not sure. But they appear to have had some sort of uniform and almost certainly would have carried sticks or truncheons.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Peter - that period had so many disturbences - however, the date 1868 makes it almost certain to be the Irish troubles of that year. There are too many in existence.