This month, the museum has had the pleasure of acquiring two ceremonial swords belonging to two of Manchester’s most important Chief Constables, Sir Robert Peacock and Sir John Maxwell. Combined, the two officers led Manchester City Police from 1898 to 1942, guiding the police through major changes such as the development of modern organised crime, the introduction of new technologies such as cars and radio, and transforming societal norms such as women’s suffrage.
The swords of these two successive Chief Constables will now sit proudly in our collection for future display. But why did both of them have swords? What were their purpose, and what is the history of swords in policing?
When they were founded by Sir Robert Peel in 1829, the first modern police officers were only equipped with truncheons.
However, some specialised units routinely carried swords, such as mounted officers, and under certain circumstances large numbers of swords could be temporarily issued to constables. This happened briefly in London after a constable was killed on duty in 1830.
At the time, all constables in the Metropolitan Police were already receiving swordsmanship training, and many constables had prior military experience, making swords a practical choice in personal defence at the time.
However, swords were rarely every brandished in public and were most often used as a deterrent.
Chief Constable Robert Peacock’s Ceremonial Sword, gifted to him by the Oldham County Police in 1898 upon his appointment to the Manchester City Police.
By time Sir Robert Peacock took the helm of Manchester City Police, very few police constables wore swords in public, and the weapons became mostly ceremonial. By the 1910s all use of police swords outside of ceremony was ended across the UK. Despite nearly 80 years of use in police forces across the country, there has been no recorded incidents of police using lethal force with a sword.
Sir Robert Peacock, known for his love of the traditional Victorian police uniforms, used any opportunity to wear his gifted ceremonial sword as part of official police events. The longest serving Chief Constable in Manchester’s history, Sir Robert Peacock would die at his desk in 1926.
Chief Constable John Maxwell’s Ceremonial Sword, present with him when he retired in 1942.
Following Sir Robert Peacock was Sir John Maxwell, who oversaw Manchester City Police’s move to its famous Bootle Street headquarters in 1937 (where the force remained until 2014). He retired in 1942 and was succeeded by Joseph Bell.
Sir Robert Peacock and Sir John Maxwell’s beautiful, ornate swords symbolise the final transformation of police swords from service equipment to ceremonial attire.
We hope to have both swords on display in the future.