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Babylonians, Egyptians, Hebrews - all had laws, and all must
have had some kind of Sheriff to enforce them. But our tradition really began in
England. Early Anglo-Saxon communities were fiercely independent, resisting any form
of central control. People lived in small rural tuns, ten families comprising a
tithing. Each tithing elected a tithingman, the leader; and ten tithings were lead
by a gerefa - which, in Saxon language, eventually became reeve.
Although every freeman pledged the good behavior of his neighbor, there was
some need for law enforcement. Under Alfred the Great (871 - 901), reeves began to
be combined, forming shires or counties, each shire led by a reeve. Eventually, he
became known as the shire-reeve: "Keeper and chief of his county."
The shire-reeve was the chief law enforcement officer of his county,
responsible for interpreting the law and maintaining order. But every tithingman was
expected to share the obligation. Eventually sheriffs assigned four to six men in
each tun to night watch, and they patrolled, carrying lantern and staff.
Between 700 and 800, sheriffs were generally appointed by noblemen who had been
granted large estates by the king. They were supposed to protect the interests of
the noblemen who appointed them. But this tradition of extreme localism came to an
end in 1066 when the Saxons were conquered by the Norman's; and as the Normans began to
centralize government, they also began to centralize law enforcement.
In 1085, King William ordered a compilation of all taxable property in a census
known as the Domesday Book. The sheriff became the official tax collector of the
King. In 1116, Henry I established a penal code, in which murder, arson,
counterfeiting, and robbery were made felonies. Although the Crown reserved to
itself the power to punish, investigation and apprehension were delegated to his law
enforcement officials, the sheriffs. Through the next century, as the power of the
king increased, so did that of his law enforcement officers.
During the Westminsiter Period, 1275 to 1500, governmental reforms
created the offices of bailiff and sergeant, supplementing the sheriff. But county
government remained in the hands of the sheriff. He was the most important official,
and frequently was known as the "great man" of the county. So it remained
throughout the Commonwealth Period, 1653 to 1712.
When settlers left England to colonize the New World, they took with them
many of their governmental forms, including their law enforcement system. In New
England, where towns and villages were the principal governmental units, the watch and
ward was used. In the Middle Atlantic and Southern states, where people settled on
plantations, the county system was more natural. Apparently, when the first counties
were established in Virginia in 1634, the office of the Sheriff began in America.
Maryland followed, and in both states the sheriff was delegated the same powers of the
office held in England.
As in England, respect for the sheriff was strictly enforced by law. A
special seat often was reserved for him in church. Contempt against the sheriff was
considered an offense punishable by whipping. At this time, sheriffs were
responsible for both enforcing the law and punishing offenders. The power extended
to dealing with religious nonconformists.
When the American frontier began to move westward, so did the sheriff.
The 19th Century was the golden age of the American Sheriff. Characters like
"Wild Bill" Hickok, Wyatt Earp, and John Slaughter are all colorful part of
American History.
Today, the sheriff, like all law enforcement officers, is faced with
unprecedented challenges. But, if history is a guide, there is little question that
the office will adapt, grow, and change to meet the needs of modern law enforcement.
The sheriff is an integral part of the American law enforcement system, descendant
of an ancient tradition, conserving the most distinguished features of it. |
