1679 N. Luttrell Diary in Brief Hist. Relation State Affairs (1857) I. 18 There was a good jury impanelled, but they were never summoned; so that there were talesmen there ready who did the work.

1771 Ann. Reg. 1770 129/1 Only seven of the special jury attended, so that five talesmen were allowed to be taken out of the box.

1825 Act 6 George IV c. 50 §37 Where a special jury shall have been struck the talesmen shall be such as shall be impanelled upon the common jury panel.

1891 ‘O. Thanet’ Otto the Knight & Other Stories 236 One of those court-room hangers-on always ready to the sheriff's hand either for jurors or talesmen.

1906 Westm. Gaz. 19 Oct. 14/1 In a murder case now being heard in Albany [N.Y.]. After the expenditure of a whole fortnight in the examination of 522 talesmen, only ten of the number have qualified as jurors.

a1505 R. Henryson Against Hasty Credence 12 in Poems (1981) 164 Ane worthy lord sowld wey ane taill wyslie..gif the tailisman weill avow it wald.

1596 W. Lambarde Perambulation of Kent (rev. ed.) 397 Polydore might well haue spared to magnifie Becket with this lie,..unlesse he had brought his Talesman with him.

1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage i. ix. 44 Yet the Tales-man shall be Set by the Tale, the Authors name annexed to his Historie.

1699 B. E. New Dict. Canting Crew I tell you my Tale, and my Tales~man, or Author.

1768 A. Ross Fortunate Shepherdess 29 Baith tale an' tales-man I to you shall tell.

1656 P. Heylyn Extraneus Vapulans 53 Without producing his Tales-master to make it good, he only says that he hath been told.