Daily AncestorTithingman
In colonial New England a tithingman was a town or parish officer who kept order in church and reported Sabbath breaking and disorderly behavior.
In English law a tithing was a group of households, and its head was a kind of local peace officer. New England adapted the office: tithingmen watched over families, reported drunkenness and Sabbath breaking, and kept order during services.
Lists of tithingmen appear in town meeting records into the early 1800s.
As seen in a recordColonial New England town meeting records
Tithingmen: Jos. Gould, Saml. Fuller
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Daily Ancestor. "Tithingman." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/tithingman. Last checked 2026-10-01.