The Sheriff of Nottingham
The Sheriff of Nottingham is an important figure in the legend of Robin Hood. The holder of the office of Nottingham's Sheriff, it is his task to capture outlaws, either to ensure the safety of trade routes through Sherwood Forest, or to keep them from poaching the King's deer.
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From the beginning, Robin’s greatest foe was the ‘evil’ Sheriff of Nottingham. But while we may think of him that way, the original tales describe him as the ‘proud’ sheriff, an almost comical authority figure - someone for Robin to cut down to size.
Historically the real Sheriff was responsible for law and order right across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire with the power to raise a posse. In remote areas such as Sherwood Forest this couldn’t have been easy.
Sherwood was outlaw territory and in the legends, whenever the Sheriff ventured out of Nottingham in search of Robin it always ended in the Sheriff’s humiliation.
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 still in existence as a ceremonial position.
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