The Sheriff of Nottingham was historically the office responsible for enforcing law and order in Nottingham and bringing criminals to justice. 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 entirely ceremonial and sustained to boost tourism due to the legendary connection with the fictional Sheriff of Nottingham in the tales of Robin Hood. However, the historical position goes back to Anglo-Saxon times. The office is sometimes confused with that of the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire (that office had previously existed, from 1068 until 1568, as Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and the Royal Forests).

History 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). Different types of reeves attested before the Conquest include the high-reeve, town-reeve, port-reeve, shire-reeve (predecessor to the sheriff), reeve of the hundred and the reeve in charge of a manor, its post-conquest meaning. England in the early 11th century employed the services of shire reeves to assist in the detection and prevention of crimes. Groups of 10 families or "tithings" under a hundredman (later constable) could call upon them. The reeve of an entire shire was a shire-reeve, predecessor to the sheriff.Online Etymology Dictionary:sheriff

After the Norman Conquest, specific counties appointed sheriffs to enforce the law (such as Yorkshire for example), although sometimes the duties of these sheriffs would cross the border of their respective counties. Nottingham would have come under the "High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire" after the Norman Conquest.

The Sheriff during the reign of King John was Philip Marc. Marc was so unpopular that he was specifically mentioned in the Magna Carta, which demanded his removal.

The first Sheriffs of Nottingham In 1449, the city of Nottingham itself appointed its own sheriff for the first time. However, the post was held simultaneously between two men, William Sadler and Thomas Lyng. 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. While the position in the tales was seen as fictional and as a caricature, it was indicative of the potential for power to abused and corrupted in the medieval period.

From 1450 until 1835, the office was shared between two people, one of whom may have been chosen by the Mayor, the other by the town council. 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).

Past sheriffs The office is considered largely ceremonial, expected to attend local events when the monarch is present and promoting the city in tourism and business. There are interviews with Joan Casson, John Hartshorne and Leon Unczur all recent sheriffs, describing the role of the present-day Sheriff of Nottingham. The first female sheriff was appointed in 1931.

List of sheriffs The following list is based on records from the Nottingham City Council

Present sheriff Audrey Dinnall was elected Sheriff on May 15, 2026.

15th century

1449/50 William Sadler / Thomas Lyng 1450/51 John Clarke / Richard Bedal 1451/52 John Jowett / John Chaloner 1452/53 Robert Polson / John Holyock 1453/54 Thomas Bradmore / Thomas Smith 1454/55 Thomas Lovatt / Robert Shewood 1455/56 John Peringon / Henry Fisher 1456/57 William Strelly / Richard Hanson 1457/58 Ralph Hall / Henry Higyn 1458/59 No known names 1460/61 Hugh Smith / Thomas Garner 1461/62 John Ody / John Hyne 1462/63 John Mapperley / Roger Hewson 1463/64 Richard Knight / Walter Hilton 1458/59 No known names 1465/66 Richard Ody / John Hardy 1466/67 Richard Burton / John Taverner 1467/68 John Cooke / John Draper 1468/69 Robert Hanson / William Bithway 1469/70 William Barnes / Thomas Woodhouse 1472/73 Thomas Kendal / Richard Mellor 1473/74 John Gotham / John Holyock 1475/76 John Hilton / William Skevyngton 1476/77 William Allyn / John Cowper 1477/78 Walter Watnall / William Hurst 1478/79 Robert Ratcliffe / John Wederley 1479/80 John Clarke / John Alred 1480/81 John Cost / John Wood 1481/82 Thomas Cost / Ralph Hill 1482/83 John Howitt / William Johnson 1483/84 John Mellor / John Burton 1484/85 Thomas Ball / Edward Hilton 1485/86 John Bolton / John Williamson 1486/87 John Turner / William Wright 1487/88 Edmund Milnes / John Sergeant 1488/89 Richard Pyckard / Richard Fisher 1489/90 Richard Essett / Thomas Balderby 1490/91 Thomas Watt / William Congerton 1491/92 Richard Clough / Thomas Clifton 1492/93 Thomas Williamson / William Shirley 1493/94 Robert Coytus / John Pyerson 1494/95 Robert Toft / John Webster 1495/96 John Shaw / Christopher Pickard 1496/97 John Cost / Alexander Elvington 1497/98 John Walton / Alexander Elvington 1498/99 Robert Norwood / Henry Hobbes 1499/1500 William Turner / William Benbow

16th century

1500/01 Thomas Camworth / John Town 1501/02 John Wilkinson (mayor 1517) / John Fisher 1502/03 John Rose / Thomas Willoughby (mayor 1518) 1503/04 Henry Plumptre / Ranulph Bulkley 1504/05 Nicholas Rodes / James Brasenby 1505/06 William Kirkby (mayor 1523) / William Johnson 1506/07 Richard Caunt / Richard Halton 1507/08 John Hames / Thomas Stables 1507/09 Thomas the Curren 1508/09 William Cost / Thomas Wass 1509/10 William Hegyn / Thomas Mellers (mayor 1529) 1510/11 Thomas Cockayne / William Parmaton (mayor 1527, 1534) 1511/12 Robert Mellers / Thomas Morton 1512/13 Henry Cost / Robert Shemald 1513/14 Richard Lister / Robert Fisher 1514/15 John Doubleday / John Dorand 1515/16 John Yates / Richard Stanley 1516/17 Richard Selyoke / Thomas Hunt 1517/18 Robert Hesilrig (mayor 1539) / Henry Green 1518/19 Robert Rossel / Robert Stables 1519/20 John Alynson (mayor 1540) / Thomas Meryel 1520/21 William Holden / Hugh Oldham 1521/22 Thomas Dokker / Ralph Palmer 1522/23 Robert Lovatt / Robert Moody 1523/24 Thomas Hobbes / Robert Nedham 1524/25 William Warner / Thomas Harpham 1525/26 Henry Shepherd / William Sherpington 1526/27 William Colville / Robert Elton 1527/28 Thomas Gregory / Thomas Dawson (mayor 1547) 1528/29 Richard Richardson / Laurence Wirehorn 1529/30 James Mason / Robert Clattercoats 1530/31 Richard Willoughby / Anthony Garland 1531/32 William Clattercoats / Richard Nedham 1532/33 William Edmondson / Laurence Marriott 1533/34 William Mellers / Randell Bland 1534/35 Humphrey Quernby (mayor 1549) / William Coke 1535/36 Thomas Cockayne / John Smith 1536/37 Richard Bunting / John Collinson 1537/38 John Revell / Thomas Wallis 1538/39 Richard Kyte / John Newbold 1539/40 Robert Freeman / Christopher Stocks 1540/41 Richard Crewe / John Sladen 1541/42 Humphry Byrd / William Foster 1542/43 John Haskett / Nicholas Bonner (mayor 1559, 1565) 1543/44 Henry Wincell / Henry Fosbrooke (mayor 1560, 1566) 1544/45 Richard Alyson / Richard Burton 1545/46 John English / William Goodwin 1546/47 Robert Cockayne / Robert Stanley 1547/48 John Stanley / Edward Crewe 1548/49 John Simpson / John Presse 1549/50 Randolph Glossop / John Gregory (mayor 1561) 1550/51 John Nix / Nicholas Gorstan 1551/52 John Alcocke / John Brownley (mayor 1567) 1552/53 John Elton / Edward Newton 1553/54 John Collin / Walter Dawson 1554/55 Edward Edmundson / Richard Askew 1555/56 Francis Colman / William Gelstrop (mayor 1583, 1590) 1556/57 Hugh Smith / Mathew Hallam 1557/58 Peter Clarke (mayor 1591, 1597) / Robert Burton 1558/59 Henry Dand / Robert Alvey (mayor 1580, 1587, 1594) 1559/60 William Wilson / Thomas Clarke 1560/61 Richard James (mayor 1577) / Thomas Kettering 1561/62 Richard Welsh / James Rawlinson 1562/63 William Ball / Gilbert Scale 1563/64 Robert Jepson / John Parr 1564/65 Thomas Atkinson / George Rotherham 1565/66 Simon Wilson / Robert Marsh 1566/67 William Scott / Henry Sherwood 1567/68 James Hartley / John Townrow 1568/69 Thomas Barwell / Fabian Mellers 1569/70 Thomas Nix / William Glossop 1570/71 Thomas Cadman / William Stansal 1571/72 Robert Cowper / Richard Morhag (mayor 1596, 1603, 1610) 1572/73 William Dodgson / Roger Wood 1573/74 Michael Bell / Henry Brightmore 1574/75 Robert Phipps / William Parlby 1575/76 Nicholas Alvey / William Bell 1576/77 Edmund Burton / Thomas Donycliffe 1577/78 Humphrey Bonner (mayor 1600, 1607) / George Hutchinson 1578/79 George Widdowson / George Curzon 1579/80 Thomas Reeve / Richard Tomlinson 1580/81 Robert York / Simon Pyckard 1581/82 William Pyggin / Roger Wood 1582/83 William Greaves / Richard Hurt (mayor 1602) 1583/84 Robert Smales / Robert Hallam 1584/85 Thomas Huthwaite / Anker Jackson (mayor 1598, 1605, 1612) 1585/86 John Hall / Thomas Wallis 1586/87 Hezekiah Newbold / Henry Dunne 1587/88 John Nodin / Nicholas Sherwin 1588/89 Edward Goodwin / Robert Stables (mayor 1601, 1608) 1589/90 Richard Parleby / Ralph Shaw 1590/91 William Freeman (mayor 1606, 1613) / Nicholas Baguley 1591/92 Edmund Jowett / Leonard Nix (mayor 1617, 1624, 1631) 1592/93 Richard Johnson / Richard Welsh (mayor 1604, 1611) 1593/94 Thomas Drury / Richard Reckless 1594/95 James Martin / William Widdowson 1595/96 William Langford / William Wilson 1596/97 William Kniveton / George Stokely 1597/98 John Scott / William Pinder 1598/99 Francis Rolleston / Henry Alvey 1599/1600 James Hobson / Richard Parker

17th century

1600/01 James Woolfe / John Parker 1601/02 Thomas Hill / Marmaduke Gregory (mayor 1620) 1602/03 Robert Sherwin / James Rotherham 1603/04 William Littlefare / William Hynde 1604/05 Thomas Nix (mayor 1616) / Robert Parker (mayor 1626, 1633) 1605/06 Robert Freeman / Anthony Gamble 1606/07 Richard Reckless / George Riley 1607/08 Thomas Morley / Richard Heald 1608/09 Nicholas Sherwin / John Dalton 1609/10 James Seeley / Richard Hare 1610/11 Lewis Oxley / Stephen Hill 1611/12 George Walker / Henry Baguley 1612/13 William Clark / Pervcival Millington 1613/14 Richard Jowett / John Alvey 1614/15 John Perry / William Ludlam 1615/16 William Ricket / William Hunt 1616/17 Samuel Burrows / William Hunt 1617/18 Michael Cook / Hugh Verden 1618/19 William Gregory / John James 1619/20 Nicholas Mastyn / William Nix 1620/21 Robert Briggs / Edward Morris 1621/22 Gabriel Bateman / Cuthbert Weyn 1622/23 William Parker / Roger Darbyshire 1623/24 William Hopkins / William Lupton 1624/25 Thomas Cook / William Littlefare Jnr. 1625/26 Richard Cowlishaw / John Dodsley 1626/27 William Stanley / Robert Egginton 1627/28 Alexander Staples / Robert Greaves 1628/29 Richard Hardmett (mayor 1635, 1642) / Robert Harris 1629/30 Edward Richards / John Poynton 1630/31 Richard Dring / William Frost 1631/32 Francis Toplady (mayor 1653, 1660) / Richard Hare 1632/33 Gabriel Groves / James Beardsley 1633/34 Edmund Bampton / William Watson 1635/36 William Richards / William Drury (mayor 1640) 1636/37 Thomas Wooley / Richard Turpin 1637/38 Thomas Malin / Henry Miller 1638/39 Joseph Winfield / Thomas Jackson 1639/40 Henry James / Thomas Gamble 1640/41 John Cooper / William Parker 1641/42 John Sherwin / William Sumner 1642/43 John Tomlin / George Alsebrooke 1643/44 Richard Hides / Paul Hooton 1644/45 Thomas Smith / William Bailey 1645/46 John Fillingham / Adrian Garner 1646/47 John Parker / Thomas Huthwaite 1647/48 Richard Whitby / William Riley 1648/49 Thomas Green / Robert Smith 1649/50 John Reckless / Richard Watkinson 1650/51 Joshuah Hill / William Hall 1651/52 Edmund Richards / Robert Malin 1652/53 Robert Saxon / Barnaby Wartnaby 1653/54 Thomas Cooper / Brownlow Eggington 1654/55 Daniel Sulley / Francis Cooke 1655/56 Roger Riley / Richard Smith 1656/57 Richard Crampton / John Smalley 1657/58 William Petty / William Lealand