26 Before the Bobbiespractice must have had a great deal of influence over the choice and
discipline of constables.
There was no question that the vestries had the authority to discipline
beadles and watchmen. Through a process of trial and error, vestries de-
veloped increasingly elaborate systems of discipline. The initial regulations
for Hanover Square stipulated if a watchman were off his beat for any reason
other than assisting another watchman or fighting a fire, he would be
discharged. The watchhouse keeper was to report any dereliction of duty
on the part of the beadles to the churchwardens and the beadles were' ... [to]
do the like of the Constables'.^106 The churchwardens presented these reports
to the vestry; which decided what disciplinary action would be taken. There
were, however, only two choices at this point - reprimand or dismissal.
Within six months, the St George's vestry found it needed a more flexible
system of discipline. By January 1736, it was receiving complaints about the
'neglect' of the watchmen. The vestrymen decided 'that it would be more for
the Security of the Inhabitants of this Parish and a greater Check upon the
several Watchmen for the Bedels to Watch by Thms .. .'.^107 They also ordered
the beadles to keep books in which they were to enter the names of negligent
constables and watchmen, 'and keep an Exact Journal of all transactions
every night they Watch, in order to lay the same before the Vestry or
Committee of Vestry ... .' The committee was duly appointed and ordered
to meet the following Thursday in order to report any negligent beadles or
watchmen to the vestry the Monday after that.^108
Unfortunately, neither the beadles' books nor the minutes of the watch
committee have survived for Hanover Square although the reports of the
committee to the vestry have. In its first report, the committee recom-
mended, and the vestry endorsed, the firing of four watchmen. The vestry
did not elaborate on why these men were dismissed, other than that they
were 'remiss and neglectful'. In that first year the Hanover Square vestry
discharged eight watchmen for the same reason, three resigned, and one
died!^09
In St James's, the vestry was interested in hearing complaints from the
parishioners. It had 3000 printed notices posted around the parish:
It would conduce much to the good regulation of the Nightly Watch and
Bedels if proper Complaints be made from time to time against such of
the Bedels and Watchmen as they shall know to be Remiss or negligent in
their Duty and ... to give Notice of any such Misbehaviour to one of the
Churchwardens ... or to the Vestry Clerks. Th the end such complaints
may be examined into and be redressed by the Vestry ... _noIn Piccadilly a watchman or beadle could be fired for a first offence.
St James's thus had a much higher turnover than StGeorge's- 36 watchmen
were fired between June 1735 and June 1736. Here too, there is little