Hayward

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Historically, a local officer appointed to keep the fences of a village or manor in repair and to pen up stray animals
2. An archaic parish official whose job was to guard enclosed common land and seize livestock that had wandered loose
3. A former village servant responsible for maintaining boundary fences and impounding straying cattle or other animals

Etymology: "Hayward" is a compound of "hay," meaning an enclosure or hedge, and "ward," meaning a guardian or keeper. The "hay" in this sense is the Old English "(ge)hieg," a hedge or fenced enclosure, and it is not the dried grass used for fodder, which comes from a different root. So a hayward was literally the keeper of the hedges, the official who watched over the village's fences and made sure livestock did not stray into the common fields. The word's sense of an official was tied to medieval village life, when fields were open to communal grazing and stray animals could cause real damage to crops. The hayward patrolled the boundaries, impounded animals found wandering, and often enforced the rules on behalf of the manor or community. The surname Hayward, borne by many families, likely records an ancestor who held this post.

Synonyms: pinder