I am looking through Old Bailey Online court records for a university project and looking at robberies. In many accounts Watchmen or Constables are called to help in detaining robbers and other criminals. But given this was before the advent of the Metropolitan Police or other forces of that nature how did this work? Were these people volunteers from the communities, the employees of local magistrates, etc? For further clarification every case I have looked at is in or around London between 1770-1780.
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