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The Sheriff of Nottingham was historically the office responsible for enforcing law and order in Nottingham and bringing criminals to justice. For years the post has been directly appointed by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham and in modern times with the existence of the police force, the position is purely ceremonial and sustained to boost tourism due to the legendary connection to the tales of Robin Hood. However the historical position goes back to Anglo-Saxon times. The office is sometimes confused with that of the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire. Before this, during 1068 until 1449 the position existed as High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and the Royal Forests.
Historical
There is no record of an official with the specific duty of enforcing the law and keeping the peace in Anglo-Saxon England (however there undoubtedly was). After the Norman Conquest, specific counties were appointed sheriffs to enforce the law (such as Yorkshire for example), although sometimes the duties of these sheriffs would cross the border of their respective counties. Nottingham would have come under the "High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire" after the Norman Conquest.
In 1449, the city of Nottingham itself was appointed its own sheriff for the first time (although the post was held simultaneously between two men; William Sadler and Thomas Lyng). The sheriffs at that time may have been responsible for "the delivery of prisoners to the courts, the collection of rents and taxes and generally keeping the ‘King’s Peace’".
From 1450 until 1835, the office was shared between two people, one of whom may have been chosen by the Mayor, the other by the town council. The change to a single sheriff was explained by Lincoln city website merely as "Local Government changes". The article can be seen here (possibly the Municipal Corporations Act 1835).
Present sheriff
The current Sheriff of Nottingham is Councillor Derek Cresswell, Labour Party. The office is considered largely ceremonial, promoting the city in tourism and business. There are interviews with Joan Casson and John Hartshorne both recent sheriffs, describing the role of the present-day Sheriff of Nottingham. There have been four female sheriffs, the first being in 1931, and the most recent in 2001.
The Robin Hood stories
In the legend of Robin Hood, the Sheriff of Nottingham is the chief official whose task it is to capture outlaws such as Robin Hood, either to ensure the safety of trade routes through Sherwood Forest, or to arrest outlaws for poaching the King's deer. In some stories, the Sheriff of Nottingham is portrayed as having a lecherous desire for Robin Hood's lady, Maid Marian.
The legends are generally set far from Nottingham, one explanation being that a short-staffed King of England placed the Sheriff of Nottingham in charge of law enforcement for much of northern England.
In some versions, the Sheriff is more a cowardly schemer while his assistant, Sir Guy of Gisbourne is a more competent and determined physical threat to Robin.
It has been suggested that the historical sheriff upon which the stories are based on was William de Wendenal.
The Sheriff of Nottingham in modern fiction
In Prince of Thieves, he is played by Alan Rickman as a villain who takes people's livestock to try and meet his goals, after Robin Hood takes his horse.
In the Disney version of Robin Hood, the Sheriff is a fat gray wolf with a thick Southern dialect, voiced by Alabama-born comedian Pat Buttram. He was originally intended to be a stupid goat.
The Richard Kluger novel The Sheriff of Nottingham gives a positive portrayal of the real-life 13th century sheriff Philip Mark as a good man doing a thankless task. (The same sheriff appeared as an over-the-top psychotic in an episode of the Robin of Sherwood TV series.)
The usual Sheriff in Robin of Sherwood was a cynical opportunist played by Nickolas Grace. His name, Robert de Rainault, comes from Evelyn Charles Vivian's retelling of the legend.
The Sheriff of Nottingham is spoofed as "The Sheriff of Rottingham" (played by Roger Rees) in Mel Brooks' 1993 movie Men in Tights.
The Sheriff was parodied in the children's television series "Maid Marian and her Merry Men" as a foolish schemer played by Tony Robinson with a goatee.
External links
- Nottingham City Council page on the sheriff's office here
- A list of historical sheriffs can be seen on a Robin Hood research site here
Film villains | Disney animated features canon villains | History of Nottinghamshire | Literature villains | Local government in Nottinghamshire | Nottingham
"Sheriff of Nottingham"