What was the early modern constable?

A constable was a law enforcement officer that had existed in medieval towns, but in the early modern period the role was expanded.

What were the duties of the early modern constable?

During the early modern period the constable had 4 important duties:

❖ In larger towns they were employed to patrol the streets day and night.
❖ They did not track down criminals themselves, but took charge of them until trial.
❖ They were expected to lead the hue and cry.
❖ They were expected to catch vagabonds and petty criminals, and to carry out corporal punishments on them.

What was the status of the early modern constable?

Constable was a relatively low-status role. They were paid badly in return for undertaking a wide range of tasks.