Meaning of 'Honorable' name prefix in 1767 New Jersey?

Question

In a 1767 lawsuit in New Jersey, the defendant is called "Hon. Wm Hebler" (Hibler).  Did Honorable have a specific meaning in that time and place?  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSY3-29FZ-X?i=327&cat=265977 328/885, see line 4.

Answer 1

These papers seem to be legal documents. I would suspect that William Hebler is a Judge. Hope it helps Kerry.

Comments

Thanks Marty.  I had read that the title applied to judges and magistrates.  I was wondering if it was specific to those roles or perhaps other government officials as well?

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I suspect he was a Justice of the Peace since those were not courts of record which would explain him not appearing in other judicial records (which I still need to research).  A very interesting article on "The Justice of the Peace System in the United States" which includes this interesting description:

 A justice of the peace is generally a man of consequence in his neighborhood; he writes the wills, draws the deeds and pulls the teeth of the people; also he performs divers surgical operations on the animals of his neighbors.

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Thank you for the education and the star Kerry! I didn't know that a justice of the peace had such a variety of roles. I only knew about the authority to perform marriage.

Answer 2

In general, it has been used to denote character worthy of Honor The Honourable | Title, Use, & Meaning | Britannica

Answer 3

Given the time 1767 and the location the British Province of New Jersey. The best approach would be to look at contemporary British usage. Given those starting points, Hon, typically indicates a non-titled member of a family with a seat in the house of Lords. For example if my Father is the Duke of Denver, and I am the 2nd son. I am entitled to use Hon before my name to indicate the heritage. On the death of my father, my older brother inherits the title Duke of Denver, and I remain an Hon. If my brother dies without issue, I then inherit the title and become the next in the series of dukes of Denver.

Current 21st Cent American Practice Hon. is part of the formal address of judges, Senators, and Representatives among many other public figures.

Apologies to Dorothy Sayers for borrowing her detective. I needed a made up peer to avoid creating problems and Lord Peter fills the bill nicely.