[f. TITHING sb. 3 + MAN sb.1] a. Anciently, The chief man of a TITHING (sb. 3), a headborough; in later use, a parish peace-officer, or petty constable (CONSTABLE 5 c). Now Hist.
946–c. 961. Laws of Edgar, c. 2. Cyðe hit man ðam hundredesmen, & he syððan ðam teoðingmannum.
1432. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 403/1. The Decennare and Decennes, oder wyse called Thethyngman and Thethyngs.
1441–2. Act 20 Hen. VI., c. 8. Chescun Conestable, Tythingman, ou chief plegge, de chescun ville ou hamell.
1581. Lambarde, Eiren., I. iii. (1588), 15. For Borowhead, Borsholder, and Tithingman, be three seueral names of one self same thing, and doe signifie, The chiefe man of the free pledges within that Borow, or Tithing.
1626. Bernard, Isle of Man (1627), 34. There be foure sorts of Officers which may attach Felons by warrant, The Deputy-constable, the Tything-man, the Petty Constable, and the Head Constable.
c. 1640. J. Smyth, Lives Berkeleys (1883), II. 345. The Thirdburrow or Tithingman ought to come to Portbury Leete.
1724. Lond. Gaz., No. 6232/2. [They] were by his Mittimus put into the Custody of a Tithingman with a strong Guard.
1857. Toulmin Smith, Parish, i. 15. The name of tythingman remained long, and even still remains, in use in some places.
1874. Stubbs, Const. Hist., I. v. 90, note. The tithingman is of course an elective officer.
† b. A chief or ruler of ten: rendering L. decānus, decurio. Obs.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Exod. xviii. 21. ʓesete of him þusendmen and hundrydmen and fifties men and teoðingmen. Ibid., Deut. i. 15. And ic nam wise menn and sette hiʓ to … teoðingmannum.
1608. Willet, Hexapla Exod., 275. A ruler of ten, or tithing man.
c. In Maryland and New England: A former elective officer of a township, whose functions were derived from those of the English tithingman (a.) in the 17th c.; in particular he was charged with the prevention of disorderly conduct; in New Eng., in later times, chiefly with enforcing the observance of the Sabbath and of order during divine service. Now Hist. See H. B. Adams, Saxon Tithing-men in America, in Johns Hopkins Studies in Historical and Political Science (1883), No. 1. iv.
1638. Laws of Maryland. A Tything-man in each Manor, a Constable in each Hundred.
1677. Laws of Massachusetts, 23 May. To prevent … Prophanation of the Sabbath … tithing man or men shall … have power in the absence of the Constable to apprehend all Sabbath-breakers. [1727–8 Last tithing-men chosen in Boston.]
1836. Rev. Stat. Mass., 180. At the annual meeting, every town shall choose … Tythingmen, unless the towns shall vote that it is not expedient to choose the same. [Repealed in 1860.]
1895. A. B. Hart, in Forum (N.Y.), May, 377. The interference with Sunday travel by the tithingmen of the Puritan Connecticut towns.
