A cathedral constable is a

constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. ''Constable'' is commonly the rank of an officer within a police service. Other peo ...

employed by a

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

of the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

. They have been appointed under common law and cathedral statutes (

ecclesiastical law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

) for nearly 800 years.

History

Cathedral constables have a long history and can trace their lineage back to the 13th century. Before the onset of professional policing something often overlooked is the close relationship which once existed between the church and the imposition of law and order. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

was the smallest unit of local government in the country. Every parish was centred around the local church, and after the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

was responsible for administering civil and religious government at a local level. Many parishes developed a

vestry A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government of a parish in England, Wales and some English colony, English colonies. At their height, the vestries were the only form of local government in many places and spen ...

– a small body of village officials, answerable only to the

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

and the local justices, and who were responsible for the ecclesiastical and secular well-being of the parish they served.

Parish constable A parish constable, also known as a petty constable, was a Law enforcement agency, law enforcement Police officer, officer, usually unpaid and part-time, serving a Civil parishes in England, parish. The position evolved from the ancient ''headboroug ...

s, sometimes referred to as petty constables, were attested by justices of the peace but accountable to the local churchwardens. Like parish constables, church wardens were locally appointed and oversaw the administration of the parish, good order during services, and the upkeep of the church fabric and property. Similarly, many cathedrals employed constables to keep watch and maintain law and order within the cathedral and its precincts; an area often known as the Close. These officers were appointed by, and answerable to, the cathedral Dean and Chapter.

Current operations

Canterbury Cathedral Constable in uniform

Constables are employed at three cathedrals: * York Minster Police at

York Minster York Minster, formally the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, is an Anglicanism, Anglican cathedral in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. The minster is the seat of the archbishop of York, the second-highest of ...

* Liverpool Cathedral Constables at

Liverpool Cathedral Liverpool Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Liverpool, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Liverpool and is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool, diocese of Liverpool. The church may be formally re ...

* Canterbury Cathedral Close Constables at

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Located in Canterbury, Kent, it is one of the oldest Christianity, Ch ...

During the 21st century, constables have also operated at: * Salisbury Cathedral Constables (abolished 2010) * Hereford Cathedral Constables (abolished 2014) * Chester Cathedral Constables (abolished January 2021)

Training, equipment, and uniform

Cathedral constables wear a uniform very similar to British territorial police forces.

Attestation

Some officers are attested and hold the office of

within the cathedral's

curtilage In common law, the curtilage of a house or dwelling is the land immediately surrounding it, including any closely associated buildings and structures, but excluding any associated " open fields beyond". In feudal times every castle with its depen ...

, whilst others remain un-sworn. Constables who are attested wear a distinguishing royal blue and white

Sillitoe tartan Sillitoe tartan is a distinctive chequered pattern, usually black-and-white or blue-and-white, which was originally associated with the Police Scotland, police in Scotland. It later gained widespread use in the rest of the United Kingdom and ov ...

chequered cap band to distinguish them from their Home Office police colleagues (black and white chequered cap band) and their un-sworn colleagues (plain hat bands). A number of officers at Canterbury, York and Liverpool are attested and hold the powers of constable in their respective cathedral and precincts. Newly appointed officers undertake pre-attestation training (provided by the CCA) together with training delivered by their own cathedral. Upon completion, officers are attested and can undertake officer safety training (OST).

Chief Officers

Most of the current constabularies distinguish their chief officer with the rank markings used by a police Inspector in a territorial force. This officer generally bears the title head constable or inspector. There is a formal command structure in each constabulary of chief inspector (Canterbury Cathedral only), inspector, sergeant, constable and unattested warden. The position of chief officer exists within the Cathedral Constables' Association (CCA).

Training

Local training is supplemented by training opportunities organised by the CCA, including the level 3 Certificate in Cathedral Constable Attestation, and individual personal safety training (PST) which is provided under contract by training officers of the Mersey Tunnels Police.See PST data at th
CCA website

Ranks

References

External links

Official website of the Cathedral Constables' Association
{{Types of law enforcement agencies Church law enforcement agencies Law enforcement in England and Wales Law enforcement occupations in the United Kingdom