[ANSTHRLD] a couple questions

[Sara L Uckelman]

Quoth Sara L Uckelman:
> Quoth Alden Drake:
> > al official.=A0 It would=A0make sense=A0though, to have non baronial groups
> =
> >  have Sheriffs instead of Seneschals, since Seneschals served in a noble's 
> =
> > household, and shires don't have a landed noble.
> 
> The use of "seneschal" in our period was not restricted to official
> serving in the households of nobles.  the OED online s.v. seneschal
> in meaning 2 glosses it as "the title of a governor of a city or 
> province, and of various administrative or judicial officers," with
> citations from as early as c1400: "To bene Senescal and wardein of 
> Gascoigne."  Under this definition, the term seems a fine fit for
> the chief official of a Shire.

And if I'd read a bit further down before sending the previous email, 
I would've seen this from 1539: "Wm. Seyntlow..beyng chief officer of 
the said shire by the name of Seneschall."

-aryanhwy

 
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