The Bow Street Horse Patrols were a set of anti- highwaymen mounted police organised in London , England. They were the first uniformed police force in the country. First established in October 1763 by Sir John Fielding , the magistrate at Bow Street Magistrates' Court , London's police headquarters. Their creation was made possible with a government grant of £600 for a civilian "night horse patrol" to protect travellers from highwaymen. The horse patrol was initially made up of eight men, later increased to ten, armed with a cutlass, pistol and truncheon. They patrolled the main turnpike roads surrounding London reaching as far as Kent. However, never regarded as a permanent force the government grant was withdrawn the following year and the patrol disbanded, only two mounted 'pursers' were retained at Bow Street Magistrates Court.
21-418: In 1805 the mounted horse patrol was reintroduced by Bow Street's chief magistrate (1800 - 1806) and home secretary Sir Richard Ford . The new horse-patrol was 52 men and two inspectors, some sources say 54 men including six inspectors. In uniforn for the first time, they patrolled principal roads surrounding London, starting around 5pm within six miles of Charing Cross , proceeding to ten miles distance from
42-670: A "tyrant, traitor, murderer and public enemy". He was beheaded on a scaffold in front of the Banqueting House of the Palace of Whitehall on 30 January 1649. The execution of Charles I ushered in the period known as the Interregnum. The reactions to the regicide and to subsequent events varied considerably between the three Kingdoms and the English Dominions. After the execution of Charles I on 30 January 1649,
63-582: A registrar or notary, but as these are not their defining core-business, they are irrelevant in the context of this article. The Lord Mayor of London is the chief magistrate of the City of London. In Sri Lanka , the Chief Magistrate's Court in Colombo is the senior of the magistrate's courts in the judicial division of Colombo. In India , Chief Judicial Magistrate Courts in the districts
84-486: A reputation for being a "roisterous body of men". The Bow Street Horse Patrols were sworn in by the chief magistrate of Bow Street and empowered to act as constables throughout Middlesex, Surrey, Essex, and Kent. They were under the direct command of the Home Office. In 1806 Sir Richard announced that the horse patrol had succeed and London's roads were free from highwaymen. From 1805, the horse patrols introduced
105-732: A uniform of a distinctive scarlet waistcoat under their blue greatcoats, they were nicknamed "Robin Redbreasts". The uniform was later adopted by the "Police Dismounted Horse-Patrol" formed in 1821. Like the Bow Street Foot Patrols , they were merged into the Metropolitan Police by the Metropolitan Police Act 1839 . Bow Street Runners Chief magistrate Chief magistrate is a public official, executive or judicial, whose office
126-464: Is the highest in its class. Historically, the two different meanings of magistrate have often overlapped and refer to, as the case may be, to a major political and administrative officer (usually at a subnational or colonial level) or a judge and barrister . If the jurisdiction he or she heads is considered to have statehood (sovereign or not), the official is generally its head of state and (in various degrees of authority) chief executive. However,
147-709: Is the senior of the magistrate courts in the judicial districts. Courts of the Chief Judicial Magistrate is the apex body of criminal judiciary in the districts. Interregnum (1649%E2%80%931660) The interregnum in the British Isles began with the execution of Charles I in January 1649 (and from September 1651 in Scotland) and ended in May 1660 when his son Charles II was restored to
168-523: The Instrument of Government (1653) and the Humble Petition and Advice (1657). Unlike the previous section, this does not require any political autonomy for the jurisdiction, so there can be additional circumscriptions, even created solely for the administration of justice. It is not uncommon for magistratures to perform additional functions separate from litigation and arbitration, rather as
189-548: The President of the United States as "Chief Magistrate" were common in the early years of U.S. existence, although use of the term is rare today. In 1793, George Washington described himself as his country's "Chief Magistrate" in his second inaugural address . In 1800, Alexander Hamilton wrote in a private letter to Aaron Burr , later published by Burr with his permission, that he considered John Adams "unfit for
210-646: The Scots declared his son king as Charles II. The English responded with an invasion led by Oliver Cromwell , resulting in defeats for the Scots at Dunbar in 1650 and then at Worcester 1651, opening the way for the English conquest of the country. The interregnum has been referred to as "the Cromwellian ascendancy and military occupation of Scotland" in the Oxford Companion to Scottish History under
231-440: The city and then retired at midnight. The horse patrols extended as far as Kent, Sussex, and Essex and were mostly concerned with preventing or capturing highwaymen and footpads . The patrol was recruited from men who had served in the cavalry regiments , they had to be at least 5 feet 5 inches tall. They were armed with truncheons and pistols and told to greet every traveller with the words " Bow Street Patrol ". The patrol had
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#1732765395871252-477: The government, and had very little say at Westminster. Initially the government was run by eight commissioners and adopted a policy of undermining the political power of the nobility in favour of the "meaner sort". From 1655 it was replaced by a new Council of Scotland, headed by Irish peer Lord Broghill , and began to attempt to win over the traditional landholders. The regime built a series of major citadels and minor forts at immense cost. The Scottish legal system
273-676: The heading 'Restoration'. Under the Tender of Union Scotland was declared part of a Commonwealth with England and Ireland in 1652, but despite repeated attempts, an act was not passed in Westminster to ratify the union until 1657. Under the terms of the union the Scots gained 30 members of parliament in the Protectorate (the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland), but many posts were not filled, or fell to English agents of
294-753: The leadership of the New Model Army felt deeply betrayed by the King because they thought that while they had been negotiating in good faith he had duplicitously gone behind their backs in making The Engagement with the Scots and encouraging a new civil war . In April 1648, the Grandees of the Army met for a three-day meeting in Windsor Castle . At the end of the meeting, the Grandees accepted that it
315-569: The office of Chief Magistrate." James Monroe told the 18th Congress, shortly before leaving office in a House report dated February 21, 1825, "By the duties of this office, the great interests of the nation are placed, in their most important branches, under the care of the Chief Magistrate." Abraham Lincoln referred to the President as chief magistrate in his first inaugural address in 1861. In 1908, Woodrow Wilson remarked, "Men of ordinary physique and discretion cannot be Presidents and live, if
336-510: The only significant groups were a small number of Quakers . The Kirk was divided by the issue of co-operation with the crown into Resolutioners and more hard line Protesters . The regime tended to favour the Protestors giving them control over the universities. The country was relatively highly taxed, but gained access to English markets. The era was remembered as one of prosperity, but not everywhere benefitted from economic expansion. There
357-451: The precise meaning depends upon the particular circumstances where it is given. Chief magistratures in antiquity include the following titles: Chief magistratures in the feudal era (and sometimes beyond) include the following titles: "Chief magistrate" is also used as a generic term in English for the various offices in the role of head of state of the various Swiss (confederal) cantons, with such styles as Landamman . References to
378-629: The strain cannot be somehow relieved. We shall be obliged to always be picking our chief magistrates from among wise and prudent athletes, a small class." Wilson was himself elected President four years later. In the British Interregnum and during the existence of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland , the Lord Protector was referred to as 'Chief Magistrate' in the state's two major constitutional documents:
399-560: The thrones of the three realms, although he had been already acclaimed king in Scotland since 1649. During this time the monarchial system of government was replaced with the Commonwealth of England . The precise start and end of the interregnum, as well as the social and political events that occurred during the interregnum, varied in the three kingdoms and the English dominions. After the Second English Civil War ,
420-605: Was suspended, but some courts and institutions were gradually restored. Generally the regime was successful in enforcing law and order and suppressing banditry. There was a major Royalist rising in the Highlands in 1653–1655 led by William Cunningham, Earl of Glencairn and John Middleton . After initial success, it suffered from internal divisions and petered out after defeat at the Battle of Dalnaspidal in 1654. The regime extended toleration to Protestants, including sectaries, but
441-524: Was their duty "to call Charles Stuart, that man of blood, to an account for that blood he had shed, and mischief he had done". The Army and the Independents conducted " Pride's Purge " of the House of Commons removing their ill-wishers, and created a court for the trial and sentence of King Charles I. At the end of the trial the 59 Commissioners (judges) found Charles I guilty of high treason , as
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