The Assize of Arms of 1252, also called the Ordinance of 1252, was a proclamation of King

Henry III of England Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272), also known as Henry of Winchester, was King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death in 1272. The son of King John and Isabella of Angoulême, Henry as ...

concerning the enforcement of the Assize of Arms of 1181, and the appointment of

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

to summon men to arms, quell breaches of the peace, and to deliver offenders to the

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

. British historian,

F.M. Powicke Sir Frederick Maurice Powicke (1879–1963) was an English medieval historian. He was a fellow of Merton College, Oxford and was a professor at Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University, Belfast and the Victoria University of Manchester ...

identified that it was actually issued on 12 May 1242, but was subsequently transcribed incorrectly. Along with the Ordinance of 1233 that required the appointment of watchmen, the appointment of constables has been cited as one of the earliest creation of the English

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest a ...

, as has the

Statute of Westminster 1285 The Statute of Westminster of 1285, also known as the Statute of Westminster II or the Statute of Westminster the Second, like the Statute of Westminster 1275, is a code in itself, and contains the famous clause '' De donis conditionalibus'', on ...

. Stubbs saw the significance of the writ of ordinance as the bringing together of two separate but long-standing modes of ensuring peace and defence, expanding the 1181 Assize of Arms by adding the system of watch and ward, and pointing the way forward to subsequent legislation along similar lines by Edward I and Henry IV.W Stubbs ''Select Charters Illustrative of English Constitutional History'' (Oxford 1895) p. 154

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* * * * * {{UK legislation English laws Royal prerogative 1250s in law 1250s in England History of archery 1252 in Europe

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