Donel Slonchka

Despite the part that the Sheriff of Nottingham played in the well known Robin Hood, the duties of the sheriff in medieval England were much more significant than supplying conflict or plotting to capture Robin Hood. The sheriff was an officer of a county or an administrative region in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland charged mainly with judicial duties (Microsoft Bookshelf ‘98).

Medieval England divided its political society into two units; federal and local. In the late 1300s to the early 1400s, the fact that "local men were best placed to deal with law and order was the basic justification for the devolution of judicial authority (Ormond 122)." This created the need for the royal government to select a man of upstanding reputation, who could deal with then problems and concerns of the local country men and elites. This need brought forth the demand for a sheriff. Thus, an increase in sheriffs took place. A sheriff was known as one of "the king’s principal local agents" along with officers such as the escheators, assessors, collectors of tax, and keepers and justices of the peace (Ormond 48).

As part of the judicial branch, the sheriff enforced the king’s law on the local level. However, boundaries did not halt a sheriff’s duties. Sheriffs were known to patrol combined counties (i.e. Essex and Heltfordshire). The sheriffs responsibilities began to diminish as the reign of Edward III began. The sheriff dealt with small pleas of debt or trespass. However, "under special writs of justices or loquelam audias, the sheriff might be empowered to hear cases of greater significance (McKisack 200)." Other duties include jurisdiction over such petty offenses as brawls and affrays. A sheriff had the income of 20 a year along with the equivalent rank of an esquire.

At one point in time, the position of sheriff was handed down among the royal family, which was known as the "natural process." In the 1400’s an appointment system was developed. A sheriff was appointed by the chancellor, treasurer, and the council or the treasurer, barons of the exchequer, and the chief justices. This appointment was consented by the baronage of parliament. Finally upon appointment, the sheriff along with other officers were forced to take an oath to maintain ordinance, and restraints were put on the privy seal used by the king for his personal correspondence. Thus, the sheriff did consist of more duties and responsibilities than to wreak havoc for Robin Hood.

Works Cited

McKisack, May. The Fourteenth Century: 1307-1399. London: Oxford University Press, 1959.

Ormond, W.M. Political Life in Medieval England, 1300-1450. London: MacMillian, 1995.

"Sheriff". Bookshelf ‘98. CD ROM. Microsoft, 1998.