"The references to deputies I saw in the Plymouth Records indicated that they were strictly tools of the court i.e. officials who brought evidence against suspects for court proceedings." It escapes me how Mr. Chandler thought the above was saying appointed officials of the court were like deputies in the western USA. The appointed members of the Grand Enquest were certainly like the prosecutors of our modern court system. My problem was that I had confused deputies with members of the Grand Enquest. I would however advise Mr. Chandler from refraining to referring to western sheriffs and their deputies as "employees" or "policemen". This is Massachusetts. The sheriff in the west is really a kind of politician with handcuffs. BC