Wardmaster, noun
- Forms:
- Also with small initial.
- Origin:
- DutchShow more Translation of Dutch wijkmeester, see Wykmeester.
obs. except in historical contexts
An unpaid civic official responsible for the administration and policing of a town ward (see quotation 1975); Wykmaster; Wykmeester.
1809 Afr. Court CalendarWardmasters. Cape Town. Ward, No. 1. Edzard Adolph Grimbeck. Johannes Gerrit Munnik.
1975 C.G. Henning Graaff-Reinet 66The functions of the Ward-Masters (or Wykmeesters) were clearly defined: to keep a register of names and occupants of houses; to make a note of any foreigners who entered the ward; to report any irregularities; to counteract any illicit sale of liquor and gambling dens; to guard against fire; to keep waterfurrows and sluices in good condition; to guard against dirt and filth in the streets..to see that ‘niemand zal vermogen Gaten in de Straaten te maaken ten einde de Klei tot bouwen noodzakelijk er uit te halen’. In return for his services, for which he received no salary, he was exempt from certain taxes and not liable to burgher duty.
An unpaid civic official responsible for the administration and policing of a town ward (see quotation 1975); Wykmaster; Wykmeester.
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