Would You Have Made A Good Tythingman?

When Granby broke off from Simsbury in 1786 the first was a special event. On Dec. 4 at 10 a.m., this new group of Granby citizens gathered. The first order of business was to elect officers to the jobs needed to run a happy and harmonious community. The population of the Granbys in 1790 was around 2,500, and the number of men needed to fill the slate of positions was approximately 80 elected officials.

A few of these offices remain into the 21st century such as the Selectmen, but modern commissions like Planning and Zoning, Inland Wetlands and Watercourses, Board of Finance and the Board of Education did not exist. There was no Assessor but there were Listers, as several men held this position each year. In place of the town Attorney, each year a man was elected town Agent and would be responsible to represent Granby in court. The town Collector was the official that collected town and state taxes (there were no federal taxes at this time).

As I reviewed this curious list of offices we no longer fill, I thought a discussion of them would help shed a little light on the everyday life of the 18th century Granbanian.

Justice was a very important matter to the early American who had recently removed himself from the shackles of life under a King. In the newly formed Granby, men were elected to three distinct law enforcement positions: the Constable, the Tythingmen and the Grandjurors.

The constable was the chief law enforcement officer in the town and would be similar to today's chief of police. The Tythingmen were citizens that would lead a small group of approximately 10 neighboring families (in early England this was referred to as a "tything") in what was an early form of "community policing." If a citizen was accused of a crime, the Grandjurors would determine whether there was enough evidence found that the accused had indeed committed the crime, and should therefore be indicted and brought to a trial before a jury of his peers.

Another important area of early Granby life was fairness and equity in the marketplace. Since currency was rarely used at this time and bartering was the way one purchased and sold a product, the job of the Packer was to certify the contents of containers marketed in town.

The Sealer of Weights and Measures was the official elected to inspect and place official seal on scales and other measuring devices to ensure accuracy and fairness. The Gauger or Inspector was the official elected to ensure proper measurement of items sold such as firewood, lumber and nails. In some years the position of Surveyor of Lumber was even a distinct office.

The Sealer of Leather was the town officer who had authority to see that all sales of leather were made honestly as to quality and quantity. This sealer was authorized to put his "seal" or stamp of approval on items he inspected, tested and certified.

Travel in the 18th century could be challenging. The Surveyors of Highways were officials elected to supervise the construction and repairs of roads in a district. A compulsory labor statute authorized financial penalties on those men who failed to meet their annual road work obligation of two days per year: "if any refuse or neglect to attend the service in any manner aforesaid He shall forfeit for every dayes neglect of a mans worke two shillings sixpence, and of a Teame, sixe shillings..."

Another office that is recorded occasionally is the Chimneyviewer. This position may have been held for a longer period of time because it does not appear as an office filled at each annual meeting. Before the days of the town Building Inspector, the chimneyviewer was elected to inspect chimneys for fire hazards.

In my opinion, one of the most interesting aspects of everyday life in rural New England was the issue surrounding the care and husbandry of one's livestock. Two important officials elected in this regard were the Fenceviewer and the Howard or Key Keeper.

The fenceviewers were elected to enforce the upkeep of fences in a district in order to prevent damage by errant livestock. They were also the "fence police." If there was a dispute between neighbors, this official, armed with his tools and measuring devices, would make a judgment on who was right and who was wrong.

If your livestock escaped, the Howard (or Hayward), who kept the town pound in his district, would collect charges for damages done by stray animals. This position also had an official "key keeper, who would unlock the pound at any time of the day or night! How big of problem was this you ask?

The Granby town record is packed full of entries where citizens would report finding stray livestock. The practice may have been a type of "finders-keepers" in which the town became the official "lost and found" record for wayward farm animals.

Here are just a few examples:

Taken up by William Rice and now in his Costaty a Small Boar Swine White Coulered No Marks Waying about 30 lb...

Taken up by abner Bull and impundeg & Now in his Costity a Brown Horse about 14 years old No Brand one hind foot white  white Star in the forhead...

Taken up by Daniel Hays of Granby in the beginning of October of 1789 abright Reed Heifer one year old Past with No Mark...

Broke into the Inclosher of Jos & Levi Holcomb of Granby Five Sheep 4 White and one Black 4 marked half Crop the upper Side of the Near Ear one with a hapney the under Side of the off Ear...

Found Some Time in the month of July 1787 by Dudly Hays Jr Hunting Sadle with out any Housen about Half worn and Now in his Costaty...

At the first town meeting, they elected a Brander of Horses, to register and brand the horses of town residents. With the population of horses in Granby today, this would likely be a full time paid position!

Story taken from the book, Granby Town Records, 1786-1853, which is available for purchase at the Salmon Brook Historical Society.