Obs. or Hist. a. The major of a town-guard, as formerly in Edinburgh. b. The chief executive officer in a garrison-town or fortress. c. Applied vaguely to the chief magistrate or administrative officer of a foreign town.
a. 1676. W. Row, Contn. Blair’s Autobiog. (1848), 554. Several meetings in Edinburgh were dispersed by Robert Johnston town-major.
1693. Apol. Clergy Scot., 29. Town Major of Edenburgh, living in the Parish of Leswade, Major Will. Murray.
b. 1702. Milit. Dict., Town-Major, the third Officer in order in a Garrison, and next to the Deputy Governor. He ought to understand the Fortification, and has a particular Charge of the Guards, Rounds, Patrouilles, and Sentinels.
1715. Lond. Gaz., No. 5300/5. Robert Dalzell, Esq., to be Town Major thereof [of Portsmouth].
1737. J. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., II. (ed. 33), 115. (Gibraltar) John Preston, Esq., Town-Major, Mr. Anthony Robinson, Town-Adjutant.
1856. Kaye, Life Sir J. Malcolm, I. iv. 62. The change was beneficial to Malcolm, who was nominated Town-Major of Fort St. George.
1876. Voyle, Milit. Dict. (ed. 3), 436/1. Town-Major, an officer who regulates the duties of a garrison, such as the detail and supervision of garrison guards, the disposal of prisoners in the garrison guard-room, the roster of officers for garrison duties [etc.].
c. 1748. Earthquake of Peru, ii. 168. The Town-Major of Callao would not.
1784. T. Hutchins, Descr. Louisiana, etc., 17. The people … sending three deputies to General O’Riley, viz. Messieurs Grandmaison town-major, La Friniere attorney-general, and De Mazant.
1809. A. Henry, Trav., 12. After some further delay, in obtaining a passport from the town-major, I dispatched my canoes to Lachine, there to take in their lading.
1864. Burton, Scot Abr., II. ii. 159. The town-major, finding them without credentials, or passports, ordered them to be carried to prison.
Hence Town-majorship.
1856. Kaye, Life Sir J. Malcolm, I. iv. 62. New arrangements were made for the Town-Majorship of the Fort.
