Americans are Idiots!

barney wrote
|Terry Pulliam wrote:
| Hardly. Although some of my ancestors came over very early on
| (pre-Revolutionary War), I'm willing to bet that a fair number of my
| ancestors were horse thieves and loose women, just one step ahead of
| the British constabulary.
| There wasn't a constabulary back then, but the point is well made!

Even in America, the office of Constable predates the American Revolutionary
War (1775-1783). John Kenerick was appointed constable of the village of
Muddy River in Massachusetts in 1652. When Muddy River became the Town of
Brookline in 1705 Peter Boylston became its first constable.
http://www.brooklinepolice.com/force/history.html

Scotland's first constables were appointed in 1617 in the reign of James VI
but city and burgh police forces were not established until the 19th
century, largely replacing town guards of citizens or old soldiers (although
a small but short-lived professional police force had been established in
Glasgow in 1778). An Act of 1833 enabled burghs to establish police forces,
counties gaining the same powers in 1839.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library/documents/police.htm

Owain

"Owain" wrote in message
...
barney wrote
|Terry Pulliam wrote:
| Hardly. Although some of my ancestors came over very early on
| (pre-Revolutionary War), I'm willing to bet that a fair number of my
| ancestors were horse thieves and loose women, just one step ahead of
| the British constabulary.
| There wasn't a constabulary back then, but the point is well made!

Even in America, the office of Constable predates the American
Revolutionary
War (1775-1783). John Kenerick was appointed constable of the village of
Muddy River in Massachusetts in 1652. When Muddy River became the Town of
Brookline in 1705 Peter Boylston became its first constable.
http://www.brooklinepolice.com/force/history.html

Scotland's first constables were appointed in 1617 in the reign of James
VI
but city and burgh police forces were not established until the 19th
century, largely replacing town guards of citizens or old soldiers
(although
a small but short-lived professional police force had been established in
Glasgow in 1778). An Act of 1833 enabled burghs to establish police
forces,
counties gaining the same powers in 1839.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library/documents/police.htm

Owain



Still no sign of a Constabulary...