A cathedral constable is a constable employed by a

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

of the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

. They have been appointed under common law and cathedral statutes (ecclesiastical law) for nearly 800 years.

History

Cathedral constables have a long history and can trace their lineage back to the 13th century. They have played an important, if little known, contribution in the development of policing in the United Kingdom. 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 late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

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

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

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 for a parish in England, Wales and some English colonies which originally met in the vestry or sacristy of the parish church, and consequently became known colloquiall ...

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

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

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 officer, usually unpaid and part-time, serving a parish. The position evolved from the ancient '' chief pledge'' of a ''tithing'', and takes its name from the office of ''con ...

s, sometimes referred to as petty constables, were attested by justices of the peace but accountable to the local

churchwarden A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish or congregation of the Anglican Communion or Catholic Church, usually working as a part-time volunteer. In the Anglican tradition, holders of these positions are ''ex officio'' members of the parish b ...

s. 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 Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

and Chapter.

Current operations

Canterbury Cathedral Constable in uniform

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

York Minster The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is the cathedral of York, North Yorkshire, England, and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Arch ...

* Liverpool Cathedral Constables at

Liverpool Cathedral Liverpool Cathedral is the Cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool, built on St James's Mount in Liverpool, and the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. It may be referred to as the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool (as recorded in th ...

* Canterbury Cathedral Close Constables at Canterbury Cathedral During the 21st century, constables have also operated at: * Salisbury Cathedral Constables (abolished 2010) * Hereford Cathedral Constables (abolished 2014) * Chester Cathedral Constables (abolished 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 constable within the cathedral's curtilage, whilst others remain un-sworn. Constables who are attested wear a distinguishing royal blue and white

Sillitoe tartan Sillitoe tartan is the nickname given to the distinctive black and white chequered pattern, correctly known as ''dicing'', which was originally associated with the police in Scotland. It later gained widespread use in the rest of the United Ki ...

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