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[Official titles in various branches of society] [other uses] [Marshall
(disambiguation) [!] Marshall] [date=August 2018] [Military ranks] MARSHAL is
a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As
marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title
grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for
elevated offices, such as in military rank and civilian law enforcement.
In most countries, the rank of Marshal is the highest Army rank (equivalent to
a five-star General of the Army in the United States).
[6]
** Etymology
_Marshal_ is an ancient loanword from Old French _mareschal_ (cf. Modern
French _maréchal_), which in turn is borrowed from Old Frankish *_[frk]_
"stable boy, keeper, servant", attested by Medieval Latin _mariscalcus_ from a
Proto-Germanic _*maraχskalkaz_ (cf. Old High German _marahschalh_)[1][2][3]
being still evident in Middle Dutch _maerscalc_, _marscal_, and in modern
Dutch _maarschalk_ (="military chief commander"; the meaning influenced by the
French use).
It is cognate with Old High German _[goh]_ "id.", modern German
_(Feld-)Marschall_ (="military chief commander"; the meaning again influenced
by the French use).[4]
It originally and literally meant "horse servant", a compound of _*marha-_
"horse" (cf. English _mare_ and modern German _Mähre_, meaning "horse of bad
quality") and _*skalk-_ "servant" (cf. Old English _sċealc_ "servant,
retainer, member of a crew" ) <ref name="EnE"/><ref name="Etl"/> and outdated
German _Schalk_, meaning "high-ranking servant".[5] This "horse servant"
origin is retained in the current French name for _farrier_:
_maréchal-ferrant_.
The late Roman and Byzantine title of _comes stabuli_ ("count of the stables")
is similar in meaning, which became the Old French _[fro]_ and modern
_connétable_, and, borrowed from the Old French, the English word
_constable_.<ref name="EnE"/> Finally, in Byzantium, a marshal with elevated
authority, notably a borderlands military command, was also known as an
_exarch_.
** Military
[Field Marshal] In many countries, the rank of marshal, cf. field marshal, is
the highest army rank, outranking other general officers. The equivalent navy
rank is often admiral of the fleet or grand admiral.
Marshals are typically, but not exclusively, appointed only in wartime. In
many countries, especially in Europe, the special symbol of a marshal is a
baton, and their insignia often incorporate batons.
In some countries, the term "marshal" is used instead of "general" in the
higher air force ranks. The four highest Royal Air Force ranks are marshal of
the Royal Air Force, air chief marshal, air marshal and air vice marshal
(although the first named, which has generally been suspended as a peacetime
rank, is the only one which can properly be considered a marshal). The
five-star rank of marshal of the Air Force is used by some Commonwealth and
Middle Eastern air forces.
In the French Army and most National Armies modeled upon the French system,
_maréchal des logis_ ("marshal-of-lodgings") is a cavalry term equivalent to
sergeant.
Some historical rulers have used special "marshal" titles to reward certain
subjects. Though not strictly military ranks, these honorary titles have been
exclusively bestowed upon successful military leaders, such as the famous
grand marshal of Ayacucho Antonio José de Sucre. Most famous are the Marshals
of France (_Maréchaux de France_), not least under Napoléon I. Another such
title was that of _Reichsmarschall_, bestowed upon Hermann Göring by Adolf
Hitler, although it was never a regular title as it had been "invented" for
Göring who was the only titleholder in history. In England during the First
Barons' War the title "Marshal of the Army of God and Holy Church" was
bestowed upon Robert Fitzwalter by election.
Both the Soviet Union and Russia have army general as well as "marshal" in
their rank system.
*** Marshal ranks by country
The following articles discuss the rank of marshal as used by specific
countries:
- Marshal of Bolivia
- Marshal (Brazil)
- Marshal of the Realm (Denmark)
- Marshal of Finland
- FRANCE
- Marshal of France (includes Marshal of the Empire , both equivalent to a six-star general)
- [fr] (equivalent to sergeant)
- Marshal of the German Democratic Republic
- ITALY
- Marshal of Italy
- Marshal (Italy) – a warrant officer rank
- Marshal of the Mongolian People's Republic
- Marshal of Peru
- Marshal of Poland
- Marshal (Portugal)
- Mareșal (Romania)
- RUSSIA
- Marshal of the Russian Federation
- Marshal of the Soviet Union
- Chief marshal of the branch was used in five Soviet military branches: the air force, artillery, armoured troops, engineer troops, and signal troops.
- Marshal of the branch was used in five Soviet military branches – the air force, artillery, armoured troops, engineer troops, and signal troops. Marshal of the branch is considered equivalent to the rank general of the army , which was used in the infantry and the marines .
- Marshal of the Realm (Sweden)
- Mareşal (Turkey)
- Marshal of the Royal Air Force
- YUGOSLAVIA
- Vojvoda (Serbia and Yugoslavia)
- Marshal of Yugoslavia
*** Marshal equivalents
These ranks are considered the equivalent to a marshal:
- _Chom Phon_ ( Thailand )
- General of the army , fleet admiral and general of the Air Force (United States)
- _Arteshbod_ (Iran)
- _Mushir_ (Arab countries)
- _Protostrator_ (in Frankish Greece , deriving from the Byzantine Empire , likewise deriving from the post of "stable-master")
- _Stratarches_ (modern Greece)
- _Vojvoda_ ( Kingdom of Serbia and Kingdom of Yugoslavia )
- _Vrhovnik_ ( Croatia )
- _Wonsu_ ( North Korea and South Korea )
- _Yuan Shuai_ (modern China)
- _Sima_ (ancient China)
- _Gensui_ (Japan)
- _Nguyên soái_ ( Vietnam )
*** Military police
The name is also applied to the leader of military police organizations.
- Provost marshal – a term used in many countries
- Provost Marshal General – head of the military police in the United States
** Ceremonial and protocol
Usually in monarchies, one or several of the senior dignitaries wear the title
of _Marshal_ or a compound such as _Court Marshal_ (not related to court
martial, therefore usually called _Marshal of the Court_ to prevent confusion)
or more rarely _Grand Marshal_.
The function of the _Marshal of the Court_ varies according to national
tradition, but frequently he is the chief of staff of the monarch's household
(meaning the palace and other domains). Often, the charge includes also the
honorary privilege as chief of the protocol to announce formally the arrival
of VIP guests at audiences, state dinners, and conferences in the monarch's
premises. This office was often made hereditary in the high nobility, e.g.,
the English Earl Marshal, or the Scots Earl Marischal.
** Civilian
The term is also used in more ordinary contexts, such as modern pageantry; for
example, the _grand marshal_ of a parade is often an honored guest or
dignitary.
In the United States, many colleges and universities have marshals. In some
cases, there is a single "faculty marshal," appointed to the post on a more or
less permanent basis. In other cases, there are one or several faculty
marshals, and often one or several student marshals appointed for a single
occasion. In all cases, the post is one of honor given to a senior faculty
member or outstanding student, and the functions are generally limited to
leading processions or parts of processions during commencement exercises,
academic convocations, encaenia and similar events. These marshals often
carry maces, staffs or wands of office.
A chief usher at a large wedding is sometimes called a _wedding marshal_. In
addition to coordinating other ushers in attending guests, the wedding marshal
may be a messenger between parties to signal the impending start of the
service or communicate delays. In a church wedding, particularly a nuptial
mass, these functions may be assumed by a verger. The wedding marshal is a
position of honor and trust, often filled by a close friend or relative.
** Political
*** Dignitaries of Poland
[other historical uses of the word] Apart from its military uses, the Polish
word _marszałek_ (marshal) also refers to certain political offices:
- _Marszałek Sejmu_ and _Marszałek Senatu_ : the respective speakers of the lower house ( Sejm ) and upper house ( Senate ) of Poland's parliament , usually nominated by the governing party or coalition ;
- _Marszałek Województwa_ (voivodeship marshal): since 1999, the leader of the executive of a voivodeship (one of Poland's 16 provinces), elected by the regional assembly ( sejmik ), and co-existing with the government-appointed voivode (governor).
*** Demonstration marshal
Demonstration marshals, also called stewards, are used by the organizers of
large or controversial demonstrations, rallies and protests, to help ensure
the safety of the participants.[6][7] They are especially important for
preventing infiltration by agents provocateurs.
** Sports
[Motorsport marshal]
In motorsports, such as auto racing, motorcycle racing, and rallying, the
track marshals wave the racing flags and assist crashed or broken-down
vehicles and their drivers, while pit marshals watch over the procedures in
the pits, and fire marshals assist in the event of a fire on the track or in
the pit. The FIA provides general rules and recommendations on
marshalling.[8] In the 1977 South African Grand Prix, 1977 Japanese Grand
Prix, 2000 Italian Grand Prix, 2001 Australian Grand Prix, and 2013 Canadian
Grand Prix, track marshals were victims of fatal accidents.
In some organized competitions, such as the endurance competition "Tough Guy,"
officials seeing to the observance of the rules are styled marshals. In road
running races, in particular, _course marshals_ enforce rules of competition
and assist runners as needed.
** Games
The marshal is the highest playing piece in the board game _Stratego_.
** Law enforcement
The word _Maréchaussée_ derives from the French word _Maréchal_ (plural
_Maréchaux_), which was the second highest military charge in feudal France
after _Connétable_ (Constable), the military Commander-in-Chief of the Royal
Armed Forces until 1627, when the charge of Constable was abolished. The
Constable and the Marshals had also jurisdictional powers, at first only over
members of the armed forces. The additional conferring of police powers led
to the creation of the "Corps of the _Maréchaussée_" ("Marshalcy"; the
forerunner of the modern _Gendarmerie_) and to an Ancien Régime Court of
Justice called the "Tribunal of the Constable and the Marshals of France"
which was competent for judging military personnel and civilians alike in
cases of petty violations of the law.
The term _Maréchaussée_ was also used for the Continental Army's military
police during the American Revolution.
In the present-day Netherlands, the _Koninklijke Marechaussee_ ("Royal
Marshalcy") is a national military police force with civilian competences,
similar to the French _Gendarmerie nationale_.
==United States==<!-- This section is linked from Clerk of the Supreme Court
of the United States --> In the United States, _marshal_ is used particularly
for various types of law enforcement officers.
*** Federal marshals
**** United States Marshals Service
The federal court system in the United States has 94 federal judicial
districts, each with a court (with one or more judges), a United States
Attorney with assistants such as prosecutors and government lawyers and a
marshal, appointed by the president, in charge of federal law enforcement.
The courts are part of the independent judicial branch of the government,
while the marshals and U.S. attorneys are part of the Department of Justice
in the executive branch. The U.S. marshal for the district primarily
oversees court security and has a unit of appointed deputies and special
deputies. (Other law enforcement operations and the federal prison system are
handled by other federal police agencies.) The United States Marshals Service
is a professional, civil service unit of federal police, part of the system of
marshals, made up of career law enforcement personnel rather than the
appointed district marshals. The U.S. Marshals Service assists with court
security and prisoner transport, asset forfeiture, serves arrest warrants and
seeks fugitives.
**** Federal Air Marshal Service
The Federal Air Marshal Service is a separate armed federal law enforcement
service employed to protect commercial airliners from the threat of aircraft
hijacking. These air marshals work for the Transportation Security
Administration of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
**** Marshal of the United States Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court maintains its own, separate Marshal of the United
States Supreme Court, who also controls the U.S. Supreme Court Police, a
security police service answerable to the court itself, rather than to the
president or attorney general. It handles security for the Supreme Court
building and for the justices personally, and undertakes whatever other
missions the court may require or assign.
*** [State and local] State and local marshals
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(This text: Template:Anchor comment) --> In many U.S. states, marshals can be
found acting at the state, local or municipal level; marshals can be court
bailiffs or process servers, or even fully sworn police officers. In some
states, they may be sworn peace officers, however their job is, in certain
cases, entirely civil rather than criminal law enforcement. In other states,
some communities maintain a Town or City Marshal who is responsible for all
general law enforcement within the respective jurisdiction, as well as court
duties, while others are strictly court officers. This is especially true in
communities with both police and marshals. The position of marshal vastly
differs from state to state. At least one local railroad servicing company's
part-time public safety staff, which are both fire and police trained, is
supervised by a chief marshal.
AMERICAN OLD WEST (for example, Arizona Territory and Texas of the 1880s):
Marshals, usually called _town marshals_ or _city marshals_ (since the larger
cities were often punctilious about their titles), were appointed or elected
police officers of small communities, with powers and duties similar to those
of a police chief; these powers generally ended at the border of the
community. By contrast, federal marshals (U.S. marshals) worked in a larger
territory, especially in pioneer country, and this area could potentially
overlap with the state or territorial office of county sheriff (who then, as
now, policed communities, as well as areas between communities). The word
_marshal_ is still used in this sense, especially in the American Southwest.
(_See_ List of Western lawmen.) Town or city marshal is still the name for the
head officer of some community police forces.
ARIZONA: Cities and towns decide whether to appoint or elect a marshal, or
have the board, council, or city manager hire a chief of police as the top
criminal law enforcement official for their jurisdiction (as in the town of
Tombstone). Marshals are elected by the trustees to serve a fixed term, and
chiefs of police can be fired at will by whoever hired them, just like any
other employee.
CALIFORNIA: Several urban counties (including Los Angeles, San Bernardino
County, California, and San Diego) once maintained separate county marshal's
offices, which served as court officers similar to U.S. marshals or
constables, but mainly for the municipal court system. This system was
abolished by state law in 2000, when the sheriffs of those counties announced
that those counties' marshals would be absorbed into their departments.
Therefore, many have been merged into or taken over by the local county
sheriff's office, with the exceptions of Shasta County and Trinity County both
located in Northern California. As of 2010, the marshal of San Benito County
has been disbanded as an independent organization, with its employees becoming
part of the sheriff's office. California also has fire marshals and deputy
fire marshals, who may work for the State of California Fire Marshal's Office,
or various county, city or special districts throughout the state. Fire
marshals and deputy fire marshals are full-time sworn peace officers
throughout the state, with powers of arrest statewide under section 830.37 of
the California Penal Code. Their responsibilities include fire and arson
investigation, bomb and explosives investigation, general law enforcement, as
well as enforcement of the fire code.
COLORADO: Cities, towns and villages decide whether to appoint or elect a
marshal, or have the board, council, or city manager hire a chief of police as
the top criminal law enforcement for their jurisdiction. Marshals are elected
by the trustees to serve a fixed term, and chiefs of police can be fired at
will by whoever hired them, just like any other employee.
CONNECTICUT: In 2000, Connecticut eliminated the county sheriff system, and
replaced it with two types of marshals. _State_ marshals operate out of the
executive branch of state government. They are sworn peace officers who
perform a wide range of duties, including service of process, seizing money
and property under court order, evictions, serving tax warrants, and arresting
individuals on bench warrants. _Judicial_ marshals are employed by the
judicial branch. They are sworn peace officers who perform court security and
transport detainees to and from court.
GEORGIA: The marshal is a commissioned armed and uniformed law enforcement
officer of the county state courts which have jurisdiction over civil matters
and state ordinances. In the Atlanta metro counties, marshal's offices
enforce evictions, foreclosures, subpoenas, civil forfeitures, judgements,
seizure, liens, repossession, and garnishment. With a few exceptions,
elsewhere in Georgia, the sheriff's office is responsible for enforcement of
these duties, with some sheriffs' offices having an assigned unit or personnel
for these duties.
INDIANA: Indiana Town Marshals are fully-sworn, ILEA certified police officers
who act as the chief police officer of a town. General police terms in
Indiana vary by what local government one works for; for example: counties
have Sheriff's/deputies, cities have Police Departments/Officers and Towns
have Marshals/deputies. In Indiana, a town is managed by a council without an
elected mayor, whereas a city has a mayor and, thus, a city police
department.[9] Marshals are responsible for all law enforcement in their
respective town, and their primary duties are the enforcement of local and
state laws or ordinances as well as code enforcement. The Town Marshal may
also be the town's humane law enforcement officer. Town marshals are fully
sworn state certified police officers though the Indiana Law Enforcement
Academy, having law enforcement authority statewide; therefore, it is not at
all uncommon for Town Marshals to be seen outside of their bailiwicks
assisting other police agencies. Some town marshal agencies in Indiana can be
quite large. A Town Marshal can appoint any number of unpaid deputy town
marshals or reserve officers who may exercise full police powers in the state.
Indiana Town Marshals are authorized to enforce not only city/town code, but
also county ordinances; this differs from city police departments where a city
police officer may only enforce city code or a sheriff's deputy, who may only
enforce county code. Indiana Code recognizes Town Marshals as Police
Officers, therefore it is very common for Indiana Town Marshal's Offices to go
simply by "Police Department" ..
Under Indiana Code IC36-5-7 the marshal is described as "the chief police
officer of the town and has the powers of other law enforcement officers in
executing the orders of the legislative body and enforcing laws. The marshal
or his deputy:
1. shall serve all process directed to him by the town court or legislative body;
2. shall arrest without process all persons who commit an offense within his view, take them before a court having jurisdiction, and detain them in custody until the cause of the arrest has been investigated;
3. shall suppress breaches of the peace;
4. may, if necessary, call the power of the town to his aid;
5. may execute search warrant s and arrest warrant s; and
6. may pursue and jail persons who commit an offense."
MAINE: The State Marshal Service provides physical security and law
enforcement duties to the judicial system, as well as protection of all state
judges. Deputy marshals are fully sworn state law enforcement officers with
statewide authority.
MISSOURI: There are two types of marshal:
State marshals provide physical security and law enforcement duties to the judicial system, as well as protection of all state judges. Deputy marshals are fully sworn state law enforcement officers with statewide authority.
City marshals, at the local level in the State of Missouri, are elected chief law enforcement officers of a city. They have the same police powers as a regular police officer within the city limits. The amount of training to be a city marshal is far less than a regular municipal police officer; as such, a marshal's jurisdiction is strictly limited to the city limits of the city to which they are elected. Even if they witness a violation of the law in their city, they cannot pursue a person who flees beyond the city limits. The position of city marshal is rare in the state of Missouri and is only found in very small rural cities that do not have the budget to maintain a police department. [10] [11] [12]
NEVADA
City marshals and deputy city marshals have, by law, the same authority as a municipal (town or city) police officer. However, those municipalities, such as Las Vegas, that have both a police force as well as a city marshal's office, often utilize the police as the general law enforcement agency of the municipality, while public property security and misdemeanor detention services are provided by the city marshal's office. In municipalities that do not have a police department, the county sheriff's office would serve as the agency that provides general law enforcement services to residents.
Las Vegas has two types of marshal:
Municipal court marshals who serve the municipal court by serving warrants and subpoenas and to make arrests for offenses under the jurisdiction of the municipal court; and to maintain order in the court and escort personnel to court and jail. [13]
City marshals who provide law enforcement services to city employees, residents and tourists utilizing city facilities located within the city limits, specifically those located on property owned, leased, operated or otherwise under the control of the city of Las Vegas. Conduct special operations aimed at reducing certain criminal activity in specific areas of the city, for example, traffic enforcement in neighborhoods, abatement of illegal solicitors at intersections and the removal of abandoned vehicles. Conducting security and safety evaluations requested by city departments at various facilities, buildings and workplaces. [14]
Henderson has Marshals as well:
Municipal Court Marshals work for the courts by serving warrants and to make arrests for offenses under the jurisdiction of the municipal court; and to maintain order in the court and escort personnel to court and jail. <ref name=":0" />
NEW YORK: There are two levels of marshals:
City marshals are the elected chief law enforcement officers of a city or town. They have the same police powers as a regular police officer within the city limits. The amount of training to be a city marshal is far less than for a regular municipal police officer; as such a marshal's jurisdiction is strictly limited to the city limits of the city to which they are elected. Even if they witness a violation of the law in their city, they cannot pursue a person who flees beyond the city limits. The position of city marshal is rare in the State of New York and is now only found in very small rural cities that do not have the budget to maintain a police department.
New York City Marshal s are appointed by the Mayor of New York City to five-year terms, but receive no salary from the city. The city's statutes specify that no more than 83 city marshals shall be appointed by a mayor. Marshals primarily enforce orders from civil court cases, including collecting on judgments, towing, seizing utility meters and carrying out eviction s. Marshals collectively perform approximately 25,000 evictions per year. They are regulated by the NYC Department of Investigation but, unlike the city sheriff , they are not city employees. Marshals collect fees, which are set by statute, from private litigants when they are called on to enforce judgments, and they also retain five percent of any money they collect on judgments . City marshals may, depending on the court order brought to them by the winning litigant, seize money, movable property (for instance, inventory from a business), vehicles; as is the case with unpaid parking tickets , and return possession of rental premises to the landlord, (also known as eviction), and more. On an annual basis city marshals must pay the City of New York $1,500 plus 4.5 percent of the fees they receive for collecting judgments.
OHIO: The term _village marshal_ has been used for the same function, often
filled without colleagues, directly under the mayor.
TEXAS: City marshals and deputy city marshals have, by law, the same authority
as a municipal (village, town, or city) police officer. However,
municipalities (like Fort Worth), that have both a police force as well as a
city marshal's office, often utilize the police as the general law enforcement
agency of the municipality, while court security and process service is
provided by the city marshal's office. In municipalities that do not have a
police department, the city marshal's office sometimes serves as the agency
that provides general law enforcement services to residents.[15]
WASHINGTON STATE: The city of Seattle employs marshals in their municipal
court, with the senior officer holding the title of chief marshal and the
subordinate officers known as deputy marshals. Seattle Marshals provide court
security and law enforcement services within the court. They handle arrests
of out-of-custody defendants within the courthouse and transport in custody
defendants to and from court hearings.[16] The King County Sheriff's Office
(county seat in Seattle) also employs court marshals, which is a unit under
the sheriff's office. In the Old-West themed town of Winthrop, the municipal
police force is headed by a town marshal, consistent with the Old West
restoration of the buildings and tourist attractions.[17]
WISCONSIN:The village marshal shall execute and file an official bond. The
marshal shall possess the powers, enjoy the privileges and be subject to the
liabilities conferred and imposed by law upon constables, and be taken as
included in all writs and papers addressed to constables. The marshal shall
obey all lawful written orders of the village board. The marshal is entitled
to the same fees prescribed for sheriffs in s. 814.70 for similar services,
unless a higher fee is applicable under s. 814.705 (1) (c); for other service
rendered the village, compensation as the board fixes.
61.28(2) (2) A village marshal who is given law enforcement duties by the
village board, and who meets the definition of a law enforcement officer under
s. 165.85 (2) (c), shall comply with the minimum employment standards for law
enforcement officers established by the law enforcement standards board and
shall complete training under s. 165.85 (4) (a) 1. .
** United Kingdom
*** England
[Earl Marshal] thumbnail The hereditary title of "marshal" at one time
designated the head of household security for the King of England. William
Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, served four kings in this office, ultimately
becoming one of the most powerful men in Europe; by the time he died in 1219,
people throughout Europe (not just England) referred to William Marshal simply
as "the marshal".[date=July 2022] The office of hereditary Marshal (or Earl
Marshal) thus evolved into that of a Great Officer of State.<ref
name=EB1911>[wstitle=Marshal ]
The task of maintaining law and order within the king's court then devolved
upon the office of Knight Marshal (established in 1236). Together with his
officers, the King's (or Queen's) Marshalmen, the Knight Marshal continued to
have restricted powers of arrest within a [12] radius of the sovereign's
palace until 1846, when the office was abolished.[date=August 2018]
In 1595, Queen Elizabeth I issued letters patent giving powers to a marshal to
maintain order within the City of London. Later, an under-marshal and six
city marshalmen were appointed to assist the marshal in his duties. As a
result of the Police Acts of 1829 and 1839, the marshal's role changed
significantly. [2009], one city marshal, currently Colonel Billy King-Harman,
CBE, still acts as peacekeeper to the Lord Mayor of London, leading
processions and representing the Lord Mayor at all Entries of Troops
(challenging and then escorting those few regiments entitled to march though
the City of London).[18]
*** Scotland
[Earl Marischal]
The office of "Marischal of Scotland" (_marascallus Scotie_ or _marscallus
Scotie_) had been held heritably by the senior member of the Keith<ref
name=EB1911/> family since Hervey de Keith, who held the office of marischal
under Malcolm IV and William I. The descendant of Herveus, Sir Robert de
Keith (d. 1332), was confirmed in the office of "Great Marischal of Scotland"
by Robert Bruce around 1324.
Robert de Keith's great-grandson, William, was raised to the peerage as Earl
Marischal by James II in about 1458. The peerage died out when George Keith,
the 10th Earl, forfeited it by joining the Jacobite Rising of 1715.
The marischal was to serve as custodian of the Royal Regalia of Scotland, and
protect the king's person when attending parliament. The former duty was
fulfilled by the 7th Earl during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, who hid the
Royal Regalia at Dunnottar Castle. The role of regulation of heraldry carried
out by the English Earl Marshal is carried out in Scotland by the Lord Lyon
King of Arms.
The separate office of Knight Marischal was first created for the Scottish
coronation of Charles I in 1633. The office is not heritable, although it has
been held by members of the Keith family.
** France
In France, the _Maréchaussée_ ("Marshalcy") was the forerunner of the French
_Gendarmerie_. A military corps having such duties was first created in 1337,
placed under the command of the Constable of France (the Commander-in-Chief of
the Royal Armed Forces), and named the _Connétablie_. In 1627 after the
abolition of the title of _Connétable_, it was put under the command of the
"Marshals of France," and renamed the _Maréchaussée_. Its main mission was to
protect the roads from highwaymen.
The _Maréchaussée_ was a mounted military police force organised and equipped
along military lines. The force wore uniforms similar to those of the
dragoons of the regular army and carried the same muskets and sabres. While
its existence ensured the relative safety of French rural districts and roads,
the _Maréchaussée_ was regarded in contemporary England (which had no
effective police force of any nature) as a symbol of foreign tyranny.
In 1789, on the eve of the French Revolution, the _Maréchaussée_ numbered
3,660 men divided into small detachments called brigades. By law dated 16
February 1791, this force was renamed the _Gendarmerie Nationale,_ though at
first its personnel remained unchanged. Later many of them died under the
guillotine, especially the members of the nobility.
The new designation "Gendarmerie" was derived from the term _gens d'armes_
(gentlemen/people at arms) who were originally heavy cavalry regiments (called
at first _Ordonnances royales_) which were part of the King's household, the
equivalent of the English "Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms".
The title "Marshal of France" is a _Dignité d'État_ ("State Dignity") in the
contemporary French Republic, not only a military rank. It is granted to
generals for exceptional achievements, especially in times of war or national
crisis.
However, the Marshal of France was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of
France during the _Ancien Régime_ and Bourbon Restoration and one of the Great
Dignitaries of the Empire during the First French Empire and the Second French
Empire (when the title was not "Marshal of France" but "Marshal of the
Empire")
A Marshal of France displays seven stars and is equivalent to a six star
general in armies of other countries. The marshal also receives a baton, a
blue cylinder with stars, formerly fleurs-de-lis during the monarchy and
Eagles during the First French Empire and Second French Empire. It has the
Latin inscription: _Terror belli, decus pacis_, which means "terror in war,
ornament in peace".
The position in the French Navy (_Marine nationale_) equivalent to the
"Marshal of France" is called _Amiral de France_ ("Admiral of France"). The
title has not been conferred since 1869. Theoretically, the equivalent title
in the French Air Force is _Général de France_ ("General of France"), but it
has never been conferred to anyone yet.
Six Marshals of France have been given the even more prestigious rank of
"Marshal General of the King's Armies and Camps": Biron, Lesdiguières,
Turenne, Villars, Saxe, and Soult. This rank and title no longer exists in
present-day republican France.
** Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the _Koninklijke Marechaussee_ are the _gendarmerie_ force
created by King William I to replace the French _gendarmerie_ on October 26,
1814. The word _gendarmerie_ had gained a negative connotation, so William
called the new force "_marechaussée_" (an alternate French word for
_gendarmerie_). At that time, the _marechaussee_ was part of the army
(_landmacht_). The _marechaussee_ performed police duties for the army, as
well as civilian police work as a part of the national police
(_rijkspolitie_). The _marechaussee_ formed the only police force in many
small cities like Venlo, especially in the southern provinces of Limburg and
North Brabant. As of 1998, the _marechaussee_ is a separate branch of the
Dutch military, and is assigned both military and civilian police tasks.
** Canada
[Saskatchewan Marshals Service]
In early 2025, the Government of Saskatchewan created the Saskatchewan
Marshals Service. The provincial law enforcement agency is expected to focus
on serious crime and will be fully operational in the fall of 2025.[19][20]
** See also
- Earl Marshal
- _Generalissimo_
- Constable
- Sheriff
- _Seneschal_
- Fire marshal
- _Magister equitum_
- Mareșal (tank destroyer)
** References
[30em]
[Military ranks by country] [Star officer ranks] [Highest Military Ranks]
[Authority control]
Category:Military ranks Category:Legal professions Category:Marshals