Historical Summary

The Shrievalty is the oldest secular Office in the Kingdom after the Crown and dates from Saxon times.

The exact date of origin is unknown but the Office has certainly existed for over 1000 years since Shires were formed. The name of Sheriff derives from "Shire-Reeve" or the Anglo Saxon "Scir-gerefa". Probably the Office derives from the King's Reeve also known as the "High" Reeve. It originated as a Saxon Office and some Sheriffs led contingents at the Battle of Hastings. The Normans continued the Office and added to its powers and also the rewards. During the 11th and 12th Centuries the Sheriff's powers were very extensive and for example they -

~ judged cases in Court - originally jointly with the Bishop
~ had Police powers and would raise the "hue and cry" in pursuit of felons within their Shire.
~ could summon and command the "posse comitatus" - the full power of the Shire in the King's service.
~ collected taxes and levies and all dues on Crown lands on behalf of the Crown
~ remained in charge of Crown property in the Shire.
~ were the principal representative and agent for the Crown and a very powerful man in the Shire
~ nominated and arranged for representatives of the County to be sent to Parliament from the very earliest days.

These powers were steadily eroded over succeeding centuries. Henry I organised the Exchequer to take over tax collection and also to audit Sheriff's accounts: Henry II introduced the system of Itinerant Justices from which evolved the Assizes; the Sheriff was responsible for issuing Writs, having ready the Court, Prisoners and Juries and for ensuring the safety and comfort of the Judges and then executing the sentences which were pronounced. This is the origin of his care for the Judges.

In the middle of the 13th Century Coroners and Justices of the Peace were created.

Under the Tudors, Lords Lieutenant were created as personal representatives of the Sovereign

By acts of 1856 and 1865 all the Sheriff's powers concerning police and prisons passed to the Prison Commissioners and local Constabulary and under an Act of 1883 the care of Crown property was transferred to the Crown Commissioners.

The Sheriffs Act 1887 consolidated the law relating to the Office of Sheriff and the Act remains in force. It repeated that the Office should be held for one year only, that a Sheriff who was a Magistrate should not sit as such during his year and confirmed the historic process of nomination and selection by the Sovereign. In 1992 the Shrievalty Association organised celebrations of the millennium of the Office of High Sheriff and as a particular symbol of the millennium sought and obtained a grant of arms from the College of Heralds

From the once great powers and official duties of the Sheriff there remains principally the execution of High Court Writs in the High Sheriff's name, the duty of attending upon and looking after the Sovereign's Judges, of acting as Electoral Returning Officer in certain constituencies and above all the upholding of the rule of law and order and the uniting of all the Sovereign's subjects in loyalty to the Monarchy.

Broadly speaking High Sheriffs are appointed for the local administrative area created in 1974 and Under Sheriffs still operate on the pre-1974 county boundaries and these areas are called bailiwicks. Since 1974 there have been changes to local government areas with the introduction of Unitary Authorities but the position as described does, with one or two regional variations, still apply.