sb. and a. Also 6–9 -ant. [ad. eccl. L. superintendent-, -ens, pr. pple. of superintendĕre to SUPERINTEND. Cf. obs. F. superintendant (mod.F. surintendant), It. sopr(a)intendente, Sp., Pg. superintendente.]
A. sb. One who superintends.
1. An officer or official who has the chief charge, oversight, control or direction of some business, institution or works; an overseer. Const. of, † over.
1588. Kyd, Househ. Philos., Wks. (1901), 264. These [servants] would I deuide into two formes … as the one of superintendents, surueighors, or work-maisters, the other of workmen.
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, IV. i. 92. Superintendent of all the Sergeants.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., xxvii. 103. One of those Super-intendents of Justice, that … are sent throughout the Provinces for to make report unto the King of all that passeth there. Ibid., lviii. 226. The Super-intendent over all the other civil and Criminal Ministers.
1770. Langhorne, Plutarch, V. 98. As his family, and particularly his daughters, wanted a proper superintendant.
1801. J. Adams, Wks. (1854), IX. 583. The new superintendent of the commercial relations between France and the United States.
1836. Act 6 & 7 Will. IV., c. 13 § 2. Inspectors, and Superintendents, Clerks, Chief and other Constables, Sub-Constables, and officers [of the Royal Irish Constabulary].
1897. Punch, 17 July, 21. Servant (to convalescent Curate, prop of the Sunday School). ‘Please, Sir, the Superintendent wants to know how you are.’
1902. Encycl. Brit., XXVII. 678/2. The city board of education has as its executive officer a superintendent of schools.
b. transf. and gen.
1575. Turberv., Faulconrie, 371. Spaniels … are superintendantes and necessarie servantes both for the hawke and the falconer.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 1313. He is the superintendant and reformer of mens language as touching the gods.
1624. Burton, Anat. Mel., Democr. to Rdr. (ed. 2), 8. ’Twas Seneca’s late, that Superintendent of wit.
1688. Boyle, Final Causes, iv. 234. Without any particular guidance of a most wise Superintendent [sc. God].
c. spec. A head official who administers the affairs of a district; a governor.
1758. J. Dalrymple, Ess. Feudal Property (ed. 2), 10. The superintendants of Folkland, called Coples.
1770. Cook, Voy. round World, III. xii. (1773), 715. The superintendant of the island of Ourust.
1775. Adair, Amer. Ind., 252. Our first Indian super-intendant.
1847. W. C. L. Martin, The Ox, 113/2. A tract of coast … divided into islands respectively under the care of superintendents.
d. U.S. The conductor of a railway train.
1835. Breck, Recoll. (1877), 275. ‘Make room for the ladies!’ bawled out the superintendent.
2. Eccl. a. Adopted as an etymological rendering of Gr. ἐπίσκοπος ‘overseer’ (see BISHOP) of the N. T.; used controversially instead of ‘bishop’ by extreme Protestant reformers of the 16th century, and subsequently by Papists with reference to bishops of the Church of England. Obs. exc. Hist.
1554. T. Martin, Traictise Marr. Priestes, G iv. He [sc. Clement of Rome] speketh of Bishops and Archbishops, whom thei wold haue termed superintendentes and ministers.
1555. Poynet, Apologie, 53. The word superintendent being a very latyn word made English by vse, should in tyme haue taught the peple by the very etymologie and proper signification, what thinge was ment when they hard that name, which by this terme busshop, could not so well be donne.
1567. Jewel, Def. Apol., VI. ii. 597. Yee mighte easily haue knowen, that a Superintendente, is an Anciente name, and signifieth none other, but a Bishop.
1574. R. Bristow, Treat. Motives unto Cath. Faith, xxxix. (1599), 152 b. Most ill,… and therefore euery where most despised,… most scorned [are] the Superintendents and Ministers themselues.
1589. [? Lyly], Pappe w. Hatchet, L.’s Wks. 1902, III. 403. [Martinists] studie to pull downe Bishopps, and set vp Superintendents, which is nothing else, but to raze out good Greeke, & enterline bad Latine.
1613. F. T., Suppl. Discuss. Barlowes Answ., v. 206, heading, M. Barlow and his fellow-Superintendents proued to be no Bishops.
1649. Bp. Hall, Cases Consc., III. v. (1650), 208. Writing to Titus the great Super-intendent of Crete.
1721. Strype, Eccl. Mem., II. II. xxiii. 444. The very Name of Bishop grew odious among the People, and the Word Superintendent began to be affected.
[1730. C. Hayes, trans. Sarpi’s Beneficiary Matters, xv. 46. The Bishop, as Super-Intendant and Pastor-General, might regulate the Distribution of Tythes.]
b. In certain Reformed churches on the Continent, a chief or presiding minister; spec. among the Lutherans, a minister who has control of the churches and pastors of a particular district.
Coverdale, 1550, uses super-attendent (see SUPER- prefix 6 a).
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 160. The Senate appointed them a churche [at Strasburg], wherof Iohn Caluine was fyrste for certeine yeres the superintendent.
1564. Stapleton, trans. Staphylus’ Apol., Pref. 7 b. Nicolaus Amsdorfius a famous Superintendent amonge the Lutherans.
1570. Foxe, A. & M. (ed. 2), III. 1692/1. Henry Bullinger, chief Superintendent in the Citie of Zuricke.
1602. Parsons, Warn-word to Sir F. Hastings, 44 b. A great Superintendent in Saxony.
1681. Burnet, Hist. Ref., II. App. 396. The Zuinglians had no Superintendents, for ought I can find; nor was Hooper ever called Superintendent, but Bishop.
1694. Molesworth, Acc. Denmark, xvi. 253. There are six Superintendants in Denmark, who take it very kindly to be called Bishops, and My Lord.
1706. trans. Dupin’s Eccl. Hist. 16th C., II. v. 128. The Ministers and Super-Intendants of Hereticks.
1879. Encycl. Brit., X. 469/2. A synodal constitution for the Evangelical State Church was introduced in Prussia in 1875…. The parishes … are grouped into dioceses…, presided over by superintendents, who are subordinate to the superintendent-general of the province.
c. In the Church of Scotland, a minister chosen to preside over and visit the parochial ministers of a particular district, to direct its administration, and to ordain ministers. Now Hist.
1561. First Bk. Discipl. Ch. Scot., in Knox’s Wks. (1848), II. 198. To him that travelleth from place to place, quhom we call Superintendentis, quho remane as it war a moneth or less in one place, for the establishing of the kirk. Ibid., 200. It is to be noted, that the Readaris be putt in by the Kirk, and admissioun of the Superintendent.
1561. Maitl. Club Misc., III. 267. Superintendent of Fyffe Fothryk & Strathern.
1566. in J. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit. (1710), 362. The Superintendants, Ministers and Commissioners within the Realm of Scotland, to their Brethren the Bishops and Pastors of England.
c. 1630. Sir T. Hope, Minor Practicks (1729), § 56. The several Kirks were planted by the Superintendants appointed in every Province, by the General Assembly.
a. 1637. Spottiswoode, Hist. Ch. Scot., v. (1655), 258. The Superintendents held their office during Life, and their power was Episcopal.
a. 1768. Erskine, Inst. Law Scot., I. v. § 5. Parochial presbyters, and over them certain church-officers, styled superintendents.
1885. Encycl. Brit., XIX. 679/1. Under Knox’s agency Edinburgh, St. Andrews, Aberdeen, Jedburgh, Perth, Dunfermline, and Leith had fixed ministers appointed, whilst wider districts were placed under superintendents or travelling ministers.
d. The name given by John Wesley to men whom he ordained to act as bishops in the United States; now, among Wesleyan Methodists, the presiding minister of a circuit.
1784. Wesley, in Southey, Life (1820), II. 440. I have this day set apart, as a Superintendent, by the imposition of my hands and prayer,… Thomas Coke,… a Presbyter of the Church of England.
1785. T. Coke, Serm. Godhead Christ, Ded. To the Rev. Francis Asbury, Superintendent, the Elders, Deacons, and Helpers, of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America.
1883. Encycl. Brit., XVI. 189/1. The admission of members into the society [of Wesleyans] had, up to 1797, been entirely in the hands of the itinerant preachers,—that is, the ‘assistant,’ henceforth to be styled the ‘superintendent,’ and his ‘helpers.’
1885. Minutes of Wesleyan Conf., 24. He was a painstaking Superintendent.
3. Superintendent-general [GENERAL a. 10], an officer exercising supreme control over a number of superintendents.
1793. in Encycl. Brit. (1875), III. 390/2. Superintendent-general of barracks.
1847. trans. Bunsen’s Ch. Future, vi. 143. For the two Churches of the Rhenish provinces and Westphalia, there is a superintendent-general appointed, to whom the title of bishop is also given.
1879. [see 2 b].
B. adj. Superintending; exercising superintendence or oversight; holding the position of a superintendent. Now (in English use) chiefly in designations of officials.
1597. Beard, Theatre God’s Judgem. (1612), 12. Their high and superintendent estate is no priuiledge to exempt them from the … obedience which they owe vnto God.
1642. J. M[arsh], Argt. conc. Militia, 38. They exercise a superintendent jurisdiction over all other Courts.
1651. Howell, Venice, 48. The Decemvirs, who … were created to have the sole and superintendent power of all things.
1653. H. More, Antid. Ath., I. x. § 3. It implies that there is a Superintendent Principle over Nature.
1738. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Bishop, The superintendant bishop of Copenhagen.
1828. J. Ballantyne, Exam. Human Mind, iii. § 1. 169. An influence that is purely superintendent.
1881. Instr. Census Clerks (1885), 23. Superintendent Registrar.
1889. W. Wilson, State, § 471. Districts were grouped under a superintendent provincial organization.
1913. Times, 7 Aug., 3/2. The superintendent visiting officer of the London wards.
