User:Lucifer1300/Parish constable (Sweden)

Parish constable August Ländin in Kårsta. Photographed in the 1930s by Einar Erici.

The Parish Constable (sv: fjärdsingsman) was for a long time in Sweden a local position of trust, but by the end of the 19th century it had become a low-level government position, usually part-time. The Parish Constable assisted the County Sheriff with collection, road supervision, police operations, etc.

The term fjärdingsman (in daily speech also fjärsman) has its origins in the division of the county (hundred) into quarters (sv: fjärdedel). The name has been documented since the 16th century , and the fjärdingsman's activities have been regulated in Swedish law since at least the 17th century. Initially, a parish constable was appointed in each quarter of a district, but from 1850 it became normal to become a parish constable in each parish. If the parish was large there could be two or even more parish constables appointed. They were appointed by the parish assembly, and after 1862 by the municipal assembly, for a term of at least 3 years and was a paid position.

At the start of the 20th century there were around 2800 parish constables in Sweden. The salary varied between 50 and 300 Swedish crowns per year and the support themselves, many parish constables took on other work. In 1925 they came to be equated with police officers, and from 1948 they received police training. The title disappeared in 1954 and was replaced by poliskonstapel (constable), but until the nationalisation of the police force in 1965 there was still a difference in services between constables in the cities and in the countryside. The term has survived in popular works as a nostalgic name for the police in the countryside like in the stories about Åsa-Nisse, for example.

Iceland

In Iceland there still exists an equivalent position, called Héraðslögreglumaður (a temporarily hired constable). (See: Icelandic Police)

See also

• Swedish Police Authority

Sources

• Fjärdingsman i Nordisk familjebok (second edition, 1908)
• Fjärdingsman at Nationalencyklopedins webpage

Further Reading

• Från fjärdingsman till närpolis: en kortfattad svensk polishistoria. Växjö University studies in policing, 1654-6776 ; 2009:2 (in swe). Växjö: Polisutbildningen, Växjö universitet.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)

[[Category:Police ranks]]