1) New England town officers 2) Some local politicians 3) Town officials in new england 
• (pl. ) of Selectman
Selectmen were the chief officers of New England towns. English parishes had their vestries, which were of two sorts, common vestries, composed of all the rate payers, and select vestries. In the latter, concerns were managed by select vestrymen. Hence the term selectmen, as used in New England, for the governing board of a town. The practice was f...