High Sheriff of Oxfordshire explained

The High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'.

The title of High Sheriff is therefore much older than the other crown appointment, the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, which came about after 1545. Between 1248 and 1566 Berkshire and Oxfordshire formed a joint shrievalty (apart from a brief period in 1258/9). See High Sheriff of Berkshire.

List of High Sheriffs of Oxfordshire

• 1066–1068: Saewold
• 1066–1086: Edwin
• 1087: Svain

12th century

• 1100-1135: William
• 1100-1135: Peter
• c. 1130: Restold^[1]
• 1131: Robert D'Oyly
• c. 1142–?: William de Chesney^[2]
• 1135–1154: Henry de Oxford
• 1155–1159: Henry D'Oyly, 4th Baron Hocknorton
• 1160: Manasser Arsick and Henry D'Oyly, 4th Baron Hocknorton
• 1161–1162: Manasser Arsick
• 1163: Thomas Basset
• 1164–1169: Adam de Catmore
• 1170–1174: Alard Banastre
• 1175–1178: Robert de Tureville
• 1179–1181: (first half): Geoffrey Hose
• 1181: (second half)–1184 (first half): Robert de Whitfield
• 1184: (second half)–1186 (first half): Alanus de Furnell
• 1186: (second half)–1190: Robert de la Mare
• 1187–1194: (first half): William Briwere
• 1194: (second half)–1196: Henry D'Oyly, 5th Baron Hocknorton
• 1197–1199: Hugh de Neville^[3]

13th century

• 1200–1201 (first half): Gilbert Basset
• 1201 (second half)–1202 (first half): William Briwere
• 1202 (second half)–1214 (first quarter): Thomas Basset
• 1214 (last three-quarters): Ralph de Normanville
• 1215–1223: Falkes de Breauté
• 1223 (last three-quarters)–1224 (first half): Richard de Ripariis (Rivers)
• 1224–1268: Sir Gilbert de Kirkby, also Sheriff for Northamptonshire at same time
• 1224 (second half), 1225 (first quarter): Walter Foliot
• 1225 (last three-quarters)–1231: Godfrey of Crowcombe
• 1232: John de Hulecote (first three-quarters)
• 1232 (last quarter)–1233: Engelard de Cigogné^[4]
• 1233 (last quarter)–1235 (first half): John Le Brunn (or John Brunus)
• 1235 (second half)–1238 (first half): John de Tiwe
• 1238 (third quarter): Richard Suhard
• 1238 (last quarter): Paul Peyure
• 1239: John de Plessitis
• 1240–1244 (first quarter): William Hay
• 1244 (last three-quarters)–1247 (first half): Alanus de Farnham
• 1247 (second half)–1248: Guy fitz Robert

1248–1566

See High Sheriff of Berkshire

21st century

References

• The history of the worthies of England, Volume 3 By Thomas Fuller
• Early High Sheriffs of Oxfordshire

Notes and References

1. "The Medieval English Sheriff in 1300" Google Books
2. Book: Crouch, David . The Reign of King Stephen: *1135–1154 . 326–327. Longman . New York . 2000 . 0-582-22657-0 .
3. Book: Young, Charles R. . The Making of the Neville Family in England 1155-1400 . 1996 . Boydell Press . Woodbridge, UK . 0-85115-668-1 . 18 .
4. Web site: MAGNA CARTA AND TWO SHERIFFS OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE . 2011-05-23 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110613232705/http://www.gadarg.org.uk/essays/e012.htm . 13 June 2011 .