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watch and ward
watch and ward was an attempt at a more effective policing system, which started in 1233 with a specific incident and became firmly established. After disturbances, Henry III ordered all vills (townships) to arrange guards at night and apprehend suspicious persons. The instructions were repeated in 1242, with details on numbers of men and weapons, again in 1253, and in Edward I's reign were promulgated in the statute of Winchester of 1285. Watch and ward was still being maintained in the 18th cent. and its modern echoes are the neighbourhood watches set up in many suburbs and villages in the 1980s.
J. A. Cannon |
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JOHN CANNON. "watch and ward." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "watch and ward." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-watchandward.html JOHN CANNON. "watch and ward." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-watchandward.html |
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watch and ward
watch and ward The system developed in 13th century England to preserve the peace in local communities. Guards were appointed and the duties of the constables at night (watch) and in daytime (ward) were defined. Town gates remained closed from dusk to dawn, strangers had to produce sureties to prove their identity and business, up to 16 men maintained the watch in cities, twelve in boroughs, and four in smaller communities. Modifications to the system were eventually incorporated in the Statute of Winchester of 1285, a collection of regulations aimed at keeping the peace.
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Cite this article
"watch and ward." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "watch and ward." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-watchandward.html "watch and ward." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-watchandward.html |
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watch and ward
watch and ward was an attempt at a more effective policing system, which started in 1233 with a specific incident. After disturbances, Henry III ordered all vills (townships) to arrange guards at night and apprehend suspicious persons. The instructions were repeated in 1242, and in Edward I's reign were promulgated in the statute of Winchester of 1285. Its modern echoes are the neighbourhood watches set up in many suburbs and villages in the 1980s.
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Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "watch and ward." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "watch and ward." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-watchandward.html JOHN CANNON. "watch and ward." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-watchandward.html |
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