Daily AncestorPinder
A pinder was the officer of an English village or manor who impounded stray animals in the pinfold, or pound, until their owners paid to get them back.
Pinfold and pound both come from Saxon words for an enclosure, and there appears to be no difference between a pinfold and a village pound. The person in charge was the pinder, which gave rise to the surname Pinder.
In New England the same office was the pound keeper. In Southern American speech pinder is a different word altogether, meaning a peanut.
As seen in a recordEnglish manor court and township records of the 1600s and 1700s
Jno. Sowden sworn pinder for the township
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Daily Ancestor. "Pinder." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/pinder. Last checked 2026-10-12.