In ancient British customs, Conservators of the Peace (Latin: Custodes pacis), or Wardens of the Peace, were individuals who had a special charge, by virtue of their office, to see that the King's peace was kept. Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... In English law, the Queens peace (or Kings peace, when a male is on the throne) is the peaceful, violence-free state that the realm should endure in at all times. ...

Until the creation of the Justices of the Peace by King Edward III, there were several people, who by common law were interested in keeping the same—some having that charge as incident to other offices; others simply, or of itself, called custodes, or Conservators of the Peace. A Justice of the Peace (JP) is a magistrate appointed by a commission to keep the peace, dispense summary justice and deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions. ... Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377) was one of the most successful English kings of medieval times. ...

More recently, the Chamberlain of Chester was a Conservator in that county; and petty constables are, by the common law, conservators in the first sense. A Chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign. ... Chester is the county town of Cheshire in North West England. ...

References

• This article incorporates content from the 1728 Cyclopaedia, a publication in the public domain.