In the time of the Roman Empire the position of Comes stabuli, 'count of the stable,' was an office of dignity Transferred to the court of the Frankish kings, the title became one word, Comestabidus, and after the eighth century was changed to conestabulus, as the name of the officer entrusted with the charge of cavalry. By the thirteenth century the title of Constable (OF. conestable) was given to the commander of all the forces. In Scotland to the Constable was "entrusted the guard of the king's person and of his dwelling and the maintenance of the king's peace for twelve leagues around the place where he might be in residence, and with the arrest and trial of offenders within this limit" (Mackinnon, Constitutional history of Scotland, p. 127). The office was hereditary in the family of Hay of Errol. The surname in Scotland is not common, and is without doubt from the more humble office of town constable or peace officer. Thomas Cunstabil, witness in Lanark, 1490 (Lanark, p. 8). Arnchibald Constable (1774—1827) was first publisher of the Waverley Novels.

(Anglo-French-Latin) Warden, Officer [Old French conestable (French connétable), Lat, comes stabuli, ‘count of the stable’]

(English) Originally count of the stable, later a military or civil officer; governor of a royal fortress.

An office formerly of high dignity in royal courts. The great Yorkshire family descend from Robert de Laci, whose ancestors had been constables of Chester under the celebrated Hugh Lupus, temp. Will. Conq.

A name of office. Roger de Lacey first assumed this surname from being constable of Chester, in England. A commander of the cavalry.

Or De Gand. Witikind, the renowned opponent of Charlemagne, after many years of resistance was compelled to submit c. 780, when he was invested with the Dukedom of Angria (L’Art de Vérif. les Dates, xvi. 145). Rudolphus, one of his descendants, was Duke of Saxony, and d. 864, leaving by his wife, dau. of Eberhard, Duke of Friuli, Bruno, Duke of Saxony. He m. a dau. of the Emperor Arnold, and declined the Imperial throne. Bruno had two sons: 1. Henry the Fowler, Emperor in 919, father of the Emperor Otho, who succeeded 936; 2. Wickman. Wickman was created Count of Gand 940 by the Emperor Otho, his nephew; and bad two sons: 1. Theodoric, Count of Gand, ancestor of tbe Counts of Gand and Guines; 2. Adalbert, father of Ralph, father of Baldwin de Gand, Count of Gand or Alost, ancestor of the Counts of Alost, whose younger brother Gilbert de Gand became baron of Folkingham in England. The latter had, 1. Walter; 2. Hugh, ancestor of the house of Montfort; 3. Robert; 4. Thomas. Robert, the Constable (of Folkingham barony), granted to his brother Thomas de Alost, son of Gilbert de Alost (or De Gand), lands at Frestingthorpe, York (Burton, Mon. Ebor.). In 1130 the wardship of William (Constable) de Alost was granted to Walter de Gand, baron of Folkingham (Rot. Pip.), and William Constable’s son Robert confirmed the grants of Thomas de Alost, his father’s brother (Burton). Hence sprang the great house of Constable of Flamborough, who bore nearly the same arms as the De Gands and Alosts.

Constable: The office ranged from one very high, as that of a Constable of France, to the constable of a village. In “The Man of Law’s Tale” Chaucer speaks of the Constable of the Castle.