Week 46 focuses on a random fact - what to choose? Again, this prompt has sent me back into my research, looking for something a little bit different to choose to highlight for this prompt. It is one of the things I love about this challenge.
One ancestor of mine, Christopher Prentice, was a water bailiff. This occupation was, apparently, an elected position, something I only discovered while searching old newspapers for articles relating to my family. I discovered two items inserted in the Ipswich Journal by Christopher, relating to his election as district Water Bailiff.
The first article above, inserted by Christopher in the Ipswich Journal 10 September 1778 thanks the Freemen of the Borough of Ipswich for electing him to the position of Water Bailiff. Clearly he performed to job to at least a satisfactory level, because in 1784 he applies to remain in the position which he has held for the past 6 years.
These two newspaper articles give a fascinating insight into the position Christopher held and the effort he had to go to in first obtaining the job and subsequently keeping it. Facing re-election every few years would have kept him on his toes, with the threat of someone else being elected to he position if he did not fulfil his duties to the satisfaction of the community.
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