Sheriff

Sheriff is both a political and a legal office held under English common law, Scots law or U.S. common law, or the person who holds such office.

History

Like the word sheriff itself, the office of sheriff has an interesting history. In Anglo-Saxon England, a reeve was an officer who was appointed by the king to be responsible for the public business of the locality. A high-ranking official, the shire-reeve was the representative of the royal authority in a shire or county. The office of sheriff was continued after the Norman conquest, then known as a viscount. The office eventually returned to the title "Sheriff", and "Viscount" became an inherited title of nobility.

Related Topics:
England - Reeve - Shire - County - Norman conquest - Viscount

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The most famous holder of this office was the folkloric Sheriff of Nottingham, enemy of Robin Hood.

Related Topics:
Sheriff of Nottingham - Robin Hood

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