Daily AncestorJudge
A judge was a public official who presided over a court, heard cases and gave judgments under the law.
Wiktionary defines a judge as a public official whose duty is to administer the law, especially by presiding over trials and giving judgments. Courts of different levels each had their judges, from probate and police courts to state and federal courts.
The 1870 census instructions asked enumerators to state whether a judge was federal or state, and whether probate, police or another kind, and said judges could be assumed to be lawyers, so that need not be added. The 1940 instructions give "Judge, County court" as a model entry.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Judge." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/judge. Last checked 2026-10-12.