Casgliadau Arlein

Constable’s baton, alleged to have been used in the Chartist Riots at Newport by Mr James Snell of Llanhennock, a small village close to Newport.

Mr James Snell was probably a constable at Llanhennock and would have had this made by a local carpenter. Having had it made, he would then have to find someone to decorate it. It is still possible to see traces of paint on the truncheon. It appears to be crudely painted, and might have been copied from a standard design for that period. The painting and decorating of a truncheon was more than just ornamentation - by having a royal crown or coat of arms, it showed that the constable was acting with the authority of the Crown. It is possible that this truncheon was made specifically for use during the Chartist Riots. How would he have felt about the Chartists and their cause? Did he support the People’s Charter? What would it have been like in Newport on the day of the riot? How much did he know of the rioters’ plans? This truncheon is a powerful symbol of law and order, of punishment and of social control, of the struggle for order over disorder and of the power of the Crown and the landed gentry over the people.