High constable

High constable
Constable Con"sta*ble (k[o^]n"st[.a]*b'l or k[u^]n"st[.a]*b'l), n. [OE. conestable, constable, a constable (in sense 1), OF. conestable, F. conn['e]table, LL. conestabulus, constabularius, comes stabuli, orig., count of the stable, master of the horse, equerry; comes count (L. companion) + L. stabulum stable. See {Count} a nobleman, and {Stable}.] 1. A high officer in the monarchical establishments of the Middle Ages. [1913 Webster]

Note: The constable of France was the first officer of the crown, and had the chief command of the army. It was also his duty to regulate all matters of chivalry. The office was suppressed in 1627. The constable, or lord high constable, of England, was one of the highest officers of the crown, commander in chief of the forces, and keeper of the peace of the nation. He also had judicial cognizance of many important matters. The office was as early as the Conquest, but has been disused (except on great and solemn occasions), since the attainder of Stafford, duke of Buckingham, in the reign of Henry VIII. [1913 Webster]

2. (Law) An officer of the peace having power as a conservator of the public peace, and bound to execute the warrants of judicial officers. --Bouvier. [1913 Webster]

Note: In England, at the present time, the constable is a conservator of the peace within his district, and is also charged by various statutes with other duties, such as serving summons, precepts, warrants, etc. In the United States, constables are town or city officers of the peace, with powers similar to those of the constables of England. In addition to their duties as conservators of the peace, they are invested with others by statute, such as to execute civil as well as criminal process in certain cases, to attend courts, keep juries, etc. In some cities, there are officers called {high constables}, who act as chiefs of the constabulary or police force. In other cities the title of constable, as well as the office, is merged in that of the police officer. [1913 Webster]

{High constable}, a constable having certain duties and powers within a hundred. [Eng.]

{Petty constable}, a conservator of the peace within a parish or tithing; a tithingman. [Eng.]

{Special constable}, a person appointed to act as constable of special occasions.

{To} {overrun the constable}, or {outrun the constable}, to spend more than one's income; to get into debt. [Colloq.] --Smollett. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • High constable — High High, a. [Compar. {Higher}; superl. {Highest}.] [OE. high, hegh, hey, heh, AS. he[ a]h, h?h; akin to OS. h?h, OFries. hag, hach, D. hoog, OHG. h?h, G. hoch, Icel. h?r, Sw. h[ o]g, Dan. h[ o]i, Goth. hauhs, and to Icel. haugr mound, G. h[… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • High Constable — One of two constables formerly appointed in every hundred or franchise, to raise the military levy, and with responsibility for maintenance of the peace • • • Main Entry: ↑constable …   Useful english dictionary

  • high constable — The constable or peace officer of a hundred. They were appointed by the court leets of the franchise or hundred over which they presided. See 1 Bl Comm 355 …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • Lord High Constable of Scotland — For other uses, see Lord High Constable (disambiguation). The Lord High Constable is a hereditary, now ceremonial, office of Scotland. In the order of precedence of Scotland, the office traditionally ranks above all titles except those of the… …   Wikipedia

  • Lord High Constable — Henry Stafford, 2. Duke of Buckingham Der Lord High Constable von England war ursprünglich der Kommandant der königlichen Armee und Master of the Horse am königlichen Hof. Er war auch zusammen mit dem Earl Marshal Vorsitzender des Adelsgerichts… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Lord High Constable of England — For other uses, see Lord High Constable (disambiguation). The Lord High Constable of England is the seventh of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Great Chamberlain and above the Earl Marshal. His office is now called out of… …   Wikipedia

  • Lord High Constable — There are two current and one former royal offices in the United Kingdom of Lord High Constable:* The Lord High Constable of England * The Lord High Constable of Scotland * The Lord High Constable of Ireland* Sweden s riksmarsk is commonly… …   Wikipedia

  • Lord High Constable of Ireland — The office of Lord High Constable of Ireland was used during coronations of the monarch of the United Kingdom after the Acts of Union 1801. The office was abolished after the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922.Lords High Constable of… …   Wikipedia

  • Lord high constable — Lord Lord, n. [OE. lord, laverd, loverd, AS. hl[=a]ford, for hl[=a]fweard, i. e., bread keeper; hl[=a]f bread, loaf + weardian to look after, to take care of, to ward. See {Loaf}, and {Ward} to guard, and cf. {Laird}, {Lady}.] 1. One who has… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lord High Constable of England — An officer of the Crown, formerly a judge in the court of chivalry • • • Main Entry: ↑constable …   Useful english dictionary

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