Ealdorman
An
Ealdorman, or
Alderman, was the prior magistrate of a British shire in A. D.
900 to A. D.
1100. Ealdormanship was the highest form of nobility, up until after A. D. 1100, when ranks such as
Barons where introduced. The Ealdormen where the commanders of the armies in the surrounding district (the
shire). The
Old English word for Ealdormen is
Ældormenn, meaning, "older men".
See also: ealdormancy