Perhaps I can be of some asistance if the birth related to the County of Inverness. The Inverness-shire Constabulary (County of Inverness police force) was re-consituted in 1858 to meet the requirements of the Police (scotland) Act 1857, and records (albeit only brief details) do exist of all officers who evcer served in that force. If I can assist with any enquiries pertaining to people who served in that force I would be happy to do so. Sadly records for Inverness Burgh (Town) Police do not exist back to the force's inception in 1858, but I do have partial information from later times, and similarly for Ross & Cromarty, Sutherland, and Nairnshire. A Constable post-1858 was a real occupation. There was quite a high turn-over of staff in those early days and many's an officer resigned or otherwise left the job after only a few years. Incidentally my wife's mother's family were Mathesons from Braes (Skye). Regards Dave Conner Force Historian Northern Constabulary www.northern.police.uk ----- Original Message ----- From: "J. Kurt Matheson" <KMatheson@Charter.net> To: <SCT-INVERNESS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: 09 September 2000 01:49 Subject: [SCT-INV-L] Job Descriptions/Titles > Hello all! > > I have a Matheson cousin here in the USA who has a question. I thought someone on this list could > answer this one. > > Best regards, > J. Kurt Matheson > (Iain MacMhathain) > > <<I was just informed that our grandfather's occupation was listed as a > Constable on the birth registration of one of his daughters in 1864. Yet, > his death certificate and one some census reports listed him as a drapers > traveler/tailor. Being a constable, was he actually on the police force?? > Or was the term Constable used as a title for volunteer?>>