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 26; 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.

(a) William of Malmesbury calls this library omnium liberalium artium armarium. It was destroyed by fire in the reign of king Stephen, with great part of the city of York.

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 totius Angliae.