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"JAVELINS" AND "JAVELIN MEN." 

 By B. Howard Cunnington, F.S.A. Scot. 



In the Museum of the Wilts Archaeological and Natural History 

 Society at Devizes is to be seen a collection of javelins — sixteen 

 in number — the use of which in the early part and middle of the 

 nineteenth century is almost forgotten. These javelins vary in 

 length from four feet four inches to six feet ten inches in length, 

 and comprise an iron leaf-shaped lance head about eight and a 

 half inches long mounted on an ovoid knob of wood four and a 

 half inches in length into which wooden staves or handles are 

 inserted. The ovoid knobs are surrounded at their base with a 

 heavy twisted fringe of red tassels. The staves or handles are 

 painted light green and blue. 



These javelins were carried by " javelin men " who were dressed 

 in uniform and paid by the High Sheriff to act as a body guard 

 or escort to the judges of assizes as they passed through the 

 streets of the town. 



I have not been able to find out when javelin men were first 

 instituted or their origin, but in Charles II.'s reign an act was 

 passed relieving the High Sheriff of the necessity of supplying 

 more than forty, and Mr. Darby Griffith, a former member of 

 Parliament for Devizes, made many attempts to get a Bill 

 passed to do away with them altogether. It was not however 

 until the passing of the Police Acts, about 1859, that he saw 

 his chance of getting this done, when he got a clause 

 inserted, authorising the High Sheriffs to have the services of the 

 constables to act as escort and so relieve them of the heavy 

 expense of having to equip and furnish javelin men at their own 

 cost. This meant a great saving, as the High Sheriff had not only 

 to clothe them in uniform and pay them at the rate of five 



