water bailiff
noun
1
obsolete
: an English customs officer required to search ships
2
: any of various former British officials having specified jurisdiction over the water: such as
a
: an official superseded in 1771 having jurisdiction over fishing on the Thames
b
: an official in the Isle of Man having jurisdiction over fishery and some maritime jurisdiction prior to 1885
c
: a police officer on a river employed especially for the prevention of poaching
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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