in the British policy, a magistrate subordinate to the lord-mayor of a city or town-corporate.

The number of these magistrates is not limited, but is more or less according to the magnitude of the place. In London they are twenty-six; each having one of the wards of the city committed to his care. This office is for life; so that when one of them dies, or resigns, a ward-mote is called, who return two persons, one of whom the lord-mayor and aldermen choose to supply the vacancy. By the charter of the city of London, all the aldermen who have been lord-mayors, together with the three eldest ones not arrived at that dignity, are justices of the peace.

among our Saxon ancestors, was a degree of nobility answering to earl or count at present. Alderman was also used, in the time of king Edgar, for a judge or justice; in which sense Alwin is called aldermannus iotius Anglia.