Obs. exc. Hist. Also 6 borsolder, 6–8 bosholder, 7 bursholder, 9 in historical writers bors-, borhs-ealdor. [The spelling borghesaldre in the AF. Statutes of the Realm (I. 223) points to OE. *borʓes aldor, f. borʓes, gen. case of borh (BORROW sb. 3) + ALDER sb. Not connected with BOROUGH.]
The chief of a tithing (BORROW sb. 3) or frank-pledge; afterwards a parish officer identical in functions with the Petty Constable (= BORROWHEAD, HEADBOROUGH, TITHINGMAN). (Also fig.)
1536. Act 28 Hen. VIII., x. Euery … hedborowe, thyrdborowe, borsolder, and euery other lay officer.
1609. Sir E. Hoby, Lett. to T. H[iggons], 3. I dispatched this paper, as my Borsholder.
1619. Dalton, Country Just., i. (1630), 3. There be other Officers of much like authority to our Constables: As the Borsholders in Kent, the Thirdborow in Warwickshire, and the Tythingman and Burrowhead or Headborow, or chiefe Pledge in other places.
1678. Lond. Gaz., No. 1357/1. His Majesty doth hereby strictly Charge all Constables, Churchwardens, Headboroughs, Tythingmen, Borsholders, and other Parish Officers.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., I. 356. The antient headboroughs, tithing-men, and borsholders, were made use of to serve as petty constables.
1857. Toulmin Smith, Parish, 15. Elsewhere, the name headborough, and elsewhere that of borsholder, was and is in use.
1872. E. Robertson, Hist. Ess., 114. The … Parish Constable and beadle, representatives of the Borh’s Ealdor and the Bode or messenger of the Court.
