In Anglo-Saxon England, a gerefa was a royal representative or official, and so a scirgerefa was the representative of the King within a shire. This word survives into modern English, though more usually spelt 'sheriff', and with a considerably modified meaning. Perhaps the best known historical example is the Sheriff of Nottingham in the stories of Robin Hood: his title made him the administrator of the shire of Nottingham under the King of England.
|