Metropolitan Police Early Police Weapons

[Mervyn Mitton]

                                                           http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-6209-0-42155200-1422530517.jpgclick

 

 

QUICK TEASER :    Both of these had a Police associated function.   No prizes  -  but, can you

tell me their names   -  who carried them   -  and what fashion were they carried.  Extra points

for an approx. age  ?    Mervyn

[peter monahan]

'Skull knockers' or 'Head knockers' and, I believe, perhaps first carried by both police and civilian 'volunteers' during the Emancipation Riots of the 1830s.

[peter monahan]

carried up the sleeve, i THINK.

[Mervyn Mitton]

The top one is a FLAIL.

 

The second a BLUDGEON.

 

Does that help members for where it was carried and by whom ?   Think of the early days of Policing  -

although I am not saying these were Police.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Flails are a rare weapon in the catalogue of items used by law enforcement over the past hundreds of years.  They were

usually carried by Governors of prisons  -  who might want to conceal a weapon  -  but, have it readily available in need.

Being wood and metal the leverage action would be strong and it must have been a very dangerous deterrent.

 

The Bludgeon was carried by both civilians and early Constables  -  even later and dating to the regular police in the 1850's.

I had several where they had been painted and the words Police printed on.  Again you have a lever action which increases

the swing and the blow.    Bludgeons were also used by criminals and gave rise to the expression - " to bludgeon"  - or, cause

severe injuries.     The word is still in use today.

 

Both of these weapons were intended to be carried in the pocket in the rear of the short tailed frock coat worn in the 1800's

period.          Mervyn

[Brian Wolfe]

I missed this post when you first entered it but I'm glad I saw it this morning.

Thnaks for an interesting post, Mervyn.

 

Regards

Brian