TITHING-MEN and WARDENS

As early as 1679 it was ordered that Tithing-men should be appointed annually; chosen of the most prudent & discreet inhabitants to inspect all houses and their inhabitants for disorderly persons, stubborne children and servants, night-walkers, Sabbath-breakers, and those whose conduct tended toward debauchery, irreligion, prophaness, & atheisme. The tithing-men's badge of office was a brass-tipped, two-foot long black staff. This was provided by the selectmen at the charge of the town.

In 1760 an act was passed requiring Wardens to be chosen annually, whose duty it was to see that the sabbath was duly observed. The Wardens requirements included being prudent and discreet persons of sober life and conversation. The badge of office was a white wand, not less than seven feet in length.

The Names in parentheses were for East Precinct, now Easton, MA.

1716..........John AUSTIN, Richard BRIGGS (Clement BRIGGS)
1717..........Seth DORMAN, Isaac SHEPARD (Thomas RANDALL)
1718..........William WETHERELL,Sen., John SMITH, Jun., Thomas GROVER (Ephraim MANUEL)
1719..........Ephraim LANE, Joshua LINCOLN (William MANLEY)
1720..........John NEWLAND, Peter ALDRICH (Israel RANDALL)
1721..........Ebenezer BURT, Samuel CLAP (Benjamin DRAKE)
1722..........John BRIGGS, Sen., Richard BRIGGS
1723..........John BRIGGS, Sen., Richard BRIGGS (Benjamin DRAKE)
1724..........John BRIGGS, Sen., Seth DORMAN, Thomas MANLEY
1725..........John BRIGGS, Sen., Joseph PITEE, Israel RANDALL
1726..........Joseph GRAY, Joseph GODFREY, Ephraim LANE
1727..........John BRIGGS, 2d, Richard BRIGGS
1728..........Ebenezer EDDY, John BRIGGS, 1st, Joseph PITEE
1729..........Samuel CLAP, Josiah PRATT, Joseph GRAY
1730..........Thomas SKINNER, Sen., John WILD, William CODINGTON

1731..........Josiah ATHERTON, James LEONARD, Benjamin SEELE
1732..........John HARVEY, John NEWLAND, 2d, Isaac WELMAN
1733..........Benjamin COBB, Solomon SKINNER, John AUSTIN, Jun., William HARADON
1734..........John ANDREWS, Ephraim DUNHAM, William BASSETT, Jonathan PRATT
1735..........Stephen BLANCHARD, Joseph GRAY, John COBB, John BARNEY
1736..........Ebenezer WELMAN, Benjamin SEELE
1737..........Isaac WELMAN, Ebenezer BURT
1738..........William PAINE, Thomas SHEPARD
1739..........William PAINE, Samuel PHILLIPS
1740..........Samuel CLAP, Ebenezer BRINTNELL
1741..........George ALLEN, John WETHERELL, 3d
1742..........Gideon BASSETT, Benjamin COPELAND
1743..........James BRIGGS, Samuel TITUS
1744..........John KING, Joseph ELLIOT
1745..........Ephraim LANE, 2d, Eliphalet HODGES, Stephen BLANCHARD
1746..........Benjamin HEWS, Nicholas WHITE, Timothy BRIGGS
1747..........Stephen BLANCHARD, Johnathan BURT, Uriah LEONARD
1748..........John FISHER, Seth SMITH, Nathaniel BRINTNELL
1749..........John BRIGGS, 2d, William CODINGTON, Thomas FILLEBROWN, Ephraim LANE
1750..........William CODINGTON, Joseph ELLIOT, Gideon BASSETT, Joseph HODGES

Tithing-men and Wardens, page 2
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