... to the justices of peace, who on many occasions, used their influence in the neighbourhood, and managed to settle disputes between citizens without invoking law1. The justices of the peace were appointed by the Crown and they exercised authority over the parish constables. Whilst they enjoyed quite a favourable attention, the same cannot be said about the parish constables. However, as Newburn argues, although portrayed by Shakespeare as "incompetent, lazy and ignorant"2, we need to remember that their office was unpaid, and they often found themselves in conflict, torn between their duties, and maintaining a good relationship with the community of people who were their neighbours. Also, Kent (1986), in her very detailed study of the constable of that period, praised them very highly for their "time, effort, and even financial sacrifice that was expected and so often given"3. Jones argues that the argument of inefficacy was just one of ...

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