Sheriff of Nottingham (position)

Responsibility for enforcing the law and keeping the peace in Anglo-Saxon England fell to the sheriff or shire-reeve (which is a contraction of the Old English word for county and reeve or greave).

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'".

The position of Sheriff of Nottingham began to become a key feature in the tales and legends of Robin Hood from the 14th century onwards.

The reversion to a single sheriff was explained by the mayor and aldermen of Lincoln as "Local Government changes" (possibly the Municipal Corporations Act 1835).

The office is considered largely ceremonial, expected to attend local events when the monarch is present and promoting the city in tourism and business.