Serjeants-at-Mace were established with the early Charters granted to the town by the King and they were certainly in place prior to the Charter of 1610 granted by James I which refers to them being already in place within Dorchester. They are also referred to in William Whiteway's diary. Their main function seems to have been ceremonial and to keep order at the meetings of the Corporation but they would also have been called upon in the early years to enforce order if necessary and for this reason holders of the office were often retired soldiers. It is no surprise to find Thomas DEVENISH leaving the position as Serjeant of Mace to take over Dorchester Jail & House of Correction.

The history of Dorchester, during the British, Roman, Saxon, and Norman period, with an Account of its present state (by James Allen which was published in 1837) states on page 128 in referring to the Charter granted to Dorchester Corporation by Charles 1st on 22nd Dec 1630, " It shall be lawful for the said Mayor, &c. to have a prison, for keeping and punishing malefactors and other persons attached; and there shall be two Serjeants at Mace, who shall carry before the Mayor gilded or silver maces, adorned with the arms of the Kingdom of England".

The following information has been compiled from references made to Serjeants at Mace in the Municipal Records or in local parish registers from which we know about a few of those who held office:-

30 Oct 1622 - Serjeants at Mace to have use of the void room under the bow 'to way in' for one year henceforth; and William Whiteway in his diary of that date confirms the officials elected to the Corporation that year and states 'Joseph WHITTLE was put from his office of Serjeant and Thomas DEVENISH placed in his room' and later in his diary there is reference on 4th December 1626 to 'This day Thomas DEVENISH Serjeant was made keeper of the Common Jaile and Benjamin DERBY chosen Serjeant in his place on the 15th December'

17 Jan 1624 John CONDIT is recorded as a witness to charter 680 in his capacity as Sergeant at Mace. Also this year extract from the Churchwarden Accounts for the parish of Holy Trinity published in John HUTCHINS 'The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset - Dorchester - Page 401 :- "For making the Serjeant's seats, £2. 2s. 6d."

22 July 1640 - it was agreed, at the motion of Matthew Bonger, that the Sergeants at Mace would on St James day next proclaim in the fair that if the country men will bring in their sheep and cattle on any market days, provision shall be made for penning of the sheep that shall be brought to the market to be sold

19 Aug 1670 - Power of attorny from the Corporation of Dorchester to William HASSELBURY and Henry DAW, Serjreants of the Borough, and Robert COLSTON and Thomas COOPER of the same, gent to enter the 'George' in st peters Parish, and make an Inventory of the fixtures, - Inventory made 22 aug 1670

19 Nov 1731 - An order survives in the Municipal Records, which states "Ordered that Samuel STANNING gentleman , the town steward, do forthwith pay unto Mr. Daniel ARDEN the summe of fifty six pounds for the new maces lately by him provided for the use of the said Corporation".

10 Jan 1760 - John SHEPPARD Serjeant of Mace of the parish of All Saints & Mary Wyer of the parish of Holy Trinity were married by Licence

03 Oct 1763 - Precepts of the Justices to the Serjeants-at-Mace, to make proclamation of the next Quarter Sessions on 3rd Oct 1763 , and summon twenty four jurors with panels of Grand and Petty Jurors attached, and presentment of the Grand Jury 1763.(MRD page 672)

16 Feb 1776 - Holy Trinity Burial register shows the burial of Thomas POOK, Serjeant at Mace

02 May 1777 - George CHAFFEY, of All Saints Parish Dorchester, sergeant-at-mace,selected to serve in the Militia - offered a substitute Thomas Hutchins

30 Jan 1790 - John BENNETT, sergeant-at- mace was admitted to the Company of Freemen

6th Oct 1794 - George READ to be Serjeant at Mace in room [i.e. in place of] William READ his father deceased [William Read was buried at HT on 13 Jul 1794]

22 Feb 1796 - Resolved that the Serjeants at Mace be not permitted henceforth to collect any Christmas gifts from inhabitants, exclusive of the Corporation, and that they be allowed by the Town Steward annually two guineas each in lieu thereof.

16 Apr 1798 - James FOY Succeeds George READ deceased [George Read was buried at St Georges Church Fordington on 15th March 1798]

20 Sep 1819 - Agreed that the Cloaks and Hats for the Serjeants at Mace be in future provided and paid for by the Town Steward for the Corporation, to be allowed in his Accounts that such Cloaks and Hats to serve for five years and the colour of the Cloaks to be blue, and that an annual remuneration be made to the Serjeants at Mace in lieu of the Cloaks and Hats

07 Jun 1821 - Agreed that the sum of Ten Pounds be annually allowed to the Serjeants at Mace in lieu of Cloaks and Hats

18 Sep 1828 - Richard GROVES appointed by the Mayor with the unanimous approbation of the Corporation, Serjeant at Mace in the room [i.e. place of] John GRAY deceased. His salary to commence from the 29th instant [Note:- John Gray was buried at St George Church Fordington on 10 Sep 1828; age 58 years]

25th Mar 1829 - resolved that from the 25th day of March last serjeants at Mace shall be paid the sum of £30 each per annum in lieu of all other gifts and perquisites

29 Aug 1829 - James HUTCHINGS appointed by the Mayor with the approbation of the Corporation in the room [i.e. in place of] John BENNETT resigned.

1875 - Post Office Directory shows - R.E. CURTIS to be Serjeant at Mace [Note:- James Robert England CURTIS 1811-1891]

1881 Census - Dorchester Holy Trinity Parish 43 High West St; James R CURTIS Aged 71 Serjeant at Mace with wife and son

1889 - Kellys directory shows - James Robert England CURTIS 43; High West Street; Sergeant at Mace & Bill Poster; Commercial

1895 - Kellys Directory shows - George MITCHELL , senior. keeper of the Corn Exchange & Guildhall & Sergeant-at-Mace, 30 Fordington hill

1911 & 1915 - Kellys Directories show - William James(sic*) BENGER and Sydney CLIST to be Serjeants at Mace and Officers of the Corporation [Note:- *Original clerical error in his 2nd name which should be 'John' --Link to marriage of William John BENGER FstG 28 Jan 1897 for more information. ]

1920 - Kellys Directory shows - William James(sic*) BENGER & George PAYNE as Sergeants-at-mace, clerk of the markets & inspector under the Town Police Classes Act, 2 Coronation Terrace Victoria Park

1931 - Kelly's Directory shows - William John BENGER, 21 North Sq & W.F.COLLINS of 3 Cromwell rd as Sergeants at Mace (Image 126) - Under the Commercial section Image 131 BENGER, Wm Jn is recorded as hall keeper of the Corn Exchange and Guildhall & senior Sergeant at mace 21 North sq.

01 Apr 1640 - Subscribed a Bill for Mr WHITE the gold smith to receive 38 shillings and 6 pence of Mr Jon BUSHROD for altering one Mace. [Note:- This is Samuel WHITE the 2nd son of the Rev John White (1575-1648) who had a goldsmiths shop in Dorchester and John BUSHROD (1612-1683/4] the son of John Whites deceased friend and parishioner Richard BUSHROD (1576-1628) who became Mayor of Dorchester in 1644]

16 Jan 1660 - The silver upon the old Maces was this day weighed and it came unto 15oz half and half quarter, which at 5 shillings an ounce comes to £3.18.3d which was intended to bee delivered to Mr. Samuel White's wife towards payment for the new Maces, with 5d more added to it makes £3.18.8d

26 Apr 1661 - It is ordered and agreed that Twenty shillings a man, which shall be lent and advanced to Mr Samuel WHITE's wife by any of this company towards payment for the Maces shall be repaid to them and to every [one] of them out of the first monies that the Town Steward shall receive.

03 July 1661 - paid Mrs WHITE as appeareth forward £5 [i.e. as an advance payment towards the cost]

About Michaelmas [i.e.29th September 1661] Mr Savage paid Mrs WHITE in dollars £7.7.0d

04 Oct 1661 - Paid Mrs WHITE more as appeareth forward £4

14 Jun 1727 - Whereas several sums of money have been expended from time to time in repairing the two Maces belonging to the Corporation, and yet by reason of their Antiquity they are now unfit to be amended, Therefore at a meeting of the Mayor, Bailiffs, Aldermen and Burgesses of the said Borough on Wednesday the fourteenth day of June 1727, at the Guildhall of the Borough, It is ordered that Mr Daniel ARDEN Goldsmith do receive into his custody the said old Maces and forthwith dispose of the same for as much money as they will yield, And that he purchase for use of the said Corporation two new Maces, and that he be paid by our Town Steward such a sum as he shall lay out and expend (over and above the money that shall arise by sale of the said old Maces) for the purchase of such two new Maces

19 Nov 1731 - Ordered that Mr Samuel STANNING, gentleman, the Town Steward of the said Borough, do forthwith pay unto Mr Daniel ARDEN the sum of Fifty six pounds for the new Maces lately by him provided for the use of the said Corporation

1804. - Mr George YOUNG his bill for repairing and gilding the Maces £10. carriage to and from London, 5 shillings.

1. [NK ? - 1622] - Joseph WHITTLE [Vintner admitted Co Freemen 12 Jab 1625/6]
2. [1622 - 1624] - John CONDUIT [Taylor by trade in 1632]
3. [1625 - 1626] - Thomas DEVENISH [Upholsterer by trade admitted Co Freemen 25 Oct 1621 became keeper of the Common Jaile 1626]
4. [1626 - NK ?] - Benjamin DERBY
5. [in 1670] - William HASSELBURY & Thomas COOPER
6. [circa 1760] - John SHEPPARD
7. [NK ? - 1776] - Thomas POOK
8. [1777 - NK ?] - George CHAFFEY
9. [pre 1790 - 1829] John BENNETT
10. [NK ? - 1794] - William READ
11. [1794 - 1798] - George READ
12. [1798 - NK ?] - James FOY
13. [NK ? - 1828] - John GRAY
14. [1828 - NK ?] - Richard GROVES [Note:- "Richard GROVES Serjeant-at-Mace" also listed as a contact regarding sale of the property of John PITMAN Dorset County Chronicle 30 Dec 1830]
15. [1829 - NK ?] - James HUTCHINS
16. [pre 1875 - 1891] - James Robert England CURTIS 1811-1891] [Note:- Buried at Civic Cemetery aged 81 24 Mar 1891 described as Sergeant at Mace & Hall Keeper]
17. [circa 1895] - George MITCHELL
18. [circa 1915] - William James BENGER
19. [circa 1915] - Sydney CLIST
20. [circa 1931] - W.F. COLLINS