Bailiff In 1783

[sigma]

What would be the purpose of a bailiff in 1783 in a Suffolk village.

[woofgang]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailiff

[Buenchico]

The relevant definition of 'bailiff' in the Oxford English Dictionary seems to be this one:
"The agent of the lord of a manor, who collects his rents, etc.; the steward of a landholder, who manages his estate; one who superintends the husbandry of a farm for its owner or tenant".

Two relevant examples of its usage are given as follows:
"The baliffe gathereth-in harvest into the barne" [1617]
and
"Here's Father January taken a lease of March month, and put in Jack Frost for bailiff" [1848]

If you encounter any other problematical words, this login page for the OED might be a useful link for you:
http://www.oed.com/loginpage
(Nearly every public library in the country subscribes, so simply entering your library card number should give you full access to the site).