Worcester Association of Mutual Aid in Detecting Thieves

The Worcester Association of Mutual Aid in Detecting Thieves was founded in Worcester, Mass., in 1795 by a group of "well-disposed" property owners for the purpose of deterring horse thefts and other robberies. The members established a fund to be used to pay the expenses of those members annually appointed to a Pursuing Committee, should they be called upon to ride after a thief, recover the stolen property, and bring the culprit to justice. There was also a Standing Committee (later called the Directors) who were always on duty to despatch the Pursuers. The original founders included Ephraim Mower (1748- ) and Benjamin Heywood (1746-1816). Membership had fallen drastically by 1894, and the Association was not revived until 1905, when Eben Francis Thompson (1859-ca. 1939) guided it toward a different goal, namely that of "preserving memorials of Worcester and its early history." Incorporated largely as a social organization in that year, the Association held dinners and appointed officers until 1976, when the remaining assets were transferred to the American Antiquarian Society, under whose auspices the club was reorganized as a friends group supporting the goals and objectives of the Society.