NAVIGATION

A tipstaff has its origins in the 16th century when the word was used
to denote a metal tipped staff that was a sign of office or authority. Tipstaffs often have ends that unscrew to reveal a small compartment
where a writ could be concealed. These writs could either be from a law
court or from the Office of the Crown summoning a peer to Parliament. The more ordinary use of the tipstaff is the one carried by a sheriff's
officer or a constable in the course of his duties, and this developed
in the 19th century into the colourfully painted truncheon.