Sheriff of Nottingham?

Question

Was the sheriff of Nottingham (in the Robin Hood story) a lord of some kind? And if he was, what title did he hold?

Answer 1

His title is Sheriff. An official with a lot of influence due to his proximity to the law, the Sheriff of Nottingham is a Royal post (appointed by the king) that would have been occupied by nobles of some sort (Baron William de Wendenal, for example).

Answer 2

His title was rather pompous. Lord High Sheriff of Nottingham. He was only a free commoner. All his title meant was he was the law, in Nottingham and pursuer of felons in the name of the King. Outside the town, the only power he had was what the Castle Lord granted him. In his case he was given free reign.

Answer 3

In medieval England, a sheriff was a "shire reave." A reave was a bailiff or caretaker. He may have been a knight, but he was not a lord. Just as our states of the U.S. are divided into counties, so England was in the time of King John. They were also called shires. In particular, Nottinghamshire. So the sheriff looked after Nottinghamshire for the king. There may have been earls or dukes of counties or shires. And knights and other persons held their manor lands as fiefs from dukes, earls, or lesser lords. But it was a characteristic of English feudalism that everyone held his land from lords owing allegiance to the king, and there was an oath of loyalty from the least man to the king.