Which term describes a historical system of keeping order based on groups of ten families known as tithings?

• A. Frankpledge System
• B. Constable
• C. Nightwatch System
• D. Task Forces

Answer: (A)

In medieval England, order was kept by groups of ten households called tithings, and the system that organized this arrangement is the Frankpledge System. Each tithing pledged to keep the peace, with a tithingman leading the group and reporting to higher authorities. If someone in the tithing committed a crime, the entire group could be held responsible and required to bring the offender to the court, creating a strong, local sense of accountability. This structure—ten-household catchments, mutual obligation, and collective responsibility—is what the Frankpledge System refers to. The other terms refer to roles or modern concepts rather than the framework of tithings itself: a constable is a position within the system, the nightwatch concept is a later urban policing idea, and task forces are a contemporary policing arrangement.