Monmouth County, New Jersey has had sheriffs since colonial era, when it was part of East Jersey and later was the Province of New Jersey.

After the Dutch surrender of New Netherland, Colonel Richard Nicolls, an English military officer, was authorized to establish the Monmouth Tract, which he did on April 8, 1665, and instituted a legal system centered on English common law During a brief period of control by the Dutch in 1673, a sheriff would be known as a schout.

"An Act to Appoint Sheriffs", was approved by the Legislature of East New Jersey on March 1, 1682. Terms were for a single year with a maximum of three consecutive terms.The Grants, Concessions and Original Constitutions of the Province of New Jersey, Aaron Leaming and Jacob Spicer; W. Bradford, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1758. p. 228

Pursuant to Article VII Section II of the 1947 New Jersey State Constitution, each county in New Jersey is required to have three elected administrative officials known as "constitutional officers": the County Clerk, the County Surrogate (both elected for a five-year term) and the County Sheriff (elected for a three-year term).New Jersey State Constitution (1947), Article VII, Section II, Paragraph 2, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed October 26, 2017. There are no term limits.

Shaun Golden has been the 76th Sheriff of Monmouth County since 2010. 1960 Morris J Woodring

Royal sheriffs (pre 1776)

Royal sheriffs during colonial era: Order Term Sheriff Notes011683Eliakim WardellFirst Royal Sheriff. He was appointed by Deputy Governor Thomas Rudyard; served from May 31, 1683, to November 1684. Prior to his appointment Lewis Morris Jr. was appointed to the position but declined to serve. Richard Hartshorne was then appointed and he also declined. Wardell was the third choice.02 1684Robert Hamilton 1696 to 1699Samuel Foreman 1699Daniel Hendrickson First New Netherlander to be appointed, namesake of Hendrickson Corners, New Jersey 1700John Stewart 1715Gideon Crawford 1722 to 1727William Nichollsc. 1756Daniel Van Maater 1760 to 1762John Taylor 1775Elisha LawrenceLast Royal Sheriff. Elisha Lawrence (1746 – July 23, 1799) was an American Federalist Party politician, who represented Monmouth County in the New Jersey Legislative Council, the precursor to the New Jersey State Senate, from 1780 through 1783, from 1789 through 1792 and in 1795. He served as vice-president of Council from 1789 through 1792, and again in 1795.

State of New Jersey (1776-1946) The sheriffs were:Sheriffs That Served Monmouth County, Monmouth County Sheriff's Office. Retrieved February 3, 2018. Order Term Sheriff Notes011776Nicholas Van BruntFirst Sheriff of Monmouth County after independence.021779David Forman031782-1784John Burrowes Jr. 041785David Ehea051788-89Daniel Hendrickson 061790Elisha Walton 071793William Lloyd 081796James Lloyd 091799Samuel P. Formam 101802Elisha Walton111805James Lloyd121808David Craig131811Lewis Gordon141814Charles Parker 151817 John J. Ely (April 7, 1778 – January 11, 1852) This was his first term. He served as the Director of the Monmouth County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders and as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly. His son, Horatio Ely, would later serve as sheriff.161820James Lloyd171823Richard Lloyd181825John J. ElyThis was his second term.191828Daniel Holmes201831 John M. Perrine211834 Thomas Miller221837 Horatio Ely231838 Abraham G. Neafie241841 Charles Allen251844 Holmes Conover261847 Samuel Conover271850 John C. Cox281853 Holmes Conover291856 Samuel Conover301859 Joseph I. Thompson311862 Jordan WoolleyHis son was the Mayor of Long Branch, New Jersey.321865 William B. Sutphin331868 John H. Patterson341871 Samuel T. HendricksonMonmouth County Politics The New York Times. Retrieved March 8, 2023351874 George W. Brown361878 Charles Allen371881 John L. Thompson381884 Theodore Aumack391887 Theodore FieldsHe served from 1887 to 1890. He was born near Eatonown and educated at Ocean Hill Institute in Long Branch. He went into the hotel business purchasing Osborn House (New Jersey) in Avon-by-the-Sea and Manasquan (then known as Swuan), before locating in Wall Township before returning to farming.Wiley, Samuel T. (ed.) Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of the Third congressional district of New Jersey, p. 1003. Biographical Publishing Company, 1896.Accessed October 20, 2015. "Theodore Fields, father of our subject, was also born near Eatontown, and was educated at the old Ocean Hill Institute near Long Branch. He was a farmer near Eatontown up to 1887, when he removed to Freehold, and is still interested in farming, having a farm several miles from the latter place. He is a democrat, and was always deeply interested in the success of his party. He removed from the farm to New Branch, now called Avon, where he engaged in the hotel business for about two years. Afterwards he removed to Manasquan, having purchased the Osborne House at that place, and this hotel he conducted for the next six years. He then sold out and removed to the farm in Wall township, Monmouth county, and while living on the farm, in Nov., 1887, he was elected sheriff of the county. He then moved his family to Freehold, the county- seat, where he resided until the close of his term of office in 1890. He lived a life of retirement until 1S9 (J, when he again became interested in farming on his present farm near Freehold." He was a founder of the Bonnat Club, a hunting and fishing society.The American Angler - Volume 14, Issue 25 - Page 388

On May 14, 1884, Fields was chosen as Director of the Monmouth County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders and served for three years.Minutes, Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders Fields was appointed to the unexpired term of Freeholder Samuel M. Gifford, who had died in office, and served on the board until May 1, 1887. After leaving the Board of Chosen Freeholders, Fields was nominated as the 1887 Democratic candidate for sheriff, and was elected to a three-year term in the general election. While sheriff, Fields relocated to Freehold, the county seat. He is the father Houston Fields (Shriff,1896 to 1899).40 1891 Ruliff P. Smock This is his first term.41 1893Matthias WoolleyHe served from 1893 to 1895. Matthias Woolley was the first Republican Sheriff of Monmouth County. He moved to Freehold, New Jersey and hired Houston Fields as his deputy sheriff and John A. Howland as his confidential clerk. He served as a member of the board of education of the Long Branch Public Schools for 16 years and was the district's treasurer for six years.421896 Houston FieldsHe served from 1896 to 1899. Fields was born on October 23, 1861, near Eatontown, New Jersey. He was educated in the Manasquan Public Schools, at the Freehold Institute, and in the Long Branch Public Schools. He was admitted to the bar in June 1894, and as a Master in Chancery in 1896. After working for five years for the Pennsylvania Railroad, Houston Fields was appointed in 1887 as Under Sheriff and warden of the county jail by his father, Sheriff Theodore Fields. He would continue to serve under sheriffs of both parties before being elected to a three-year term as sheriff in 1896. Houston Fields was active in many Masonic and fraternal organizations in Monmouth County.431899Ruliff P. SmockThis is his second term.441899Obadiah E. DavisThis was his first term.441899Obadiah C. BogardusHe was a dentist in Keyport, New Jersey. He was elected sheriff of Monmouth County in 1902 and Mayor of Keyport, New Jersey from 1917 to 1920 and again in 1935. 1902 to 1905 Obadiah E.Davis This was his second term. 1905 Charles Asa Francis 1905 Charles E. Close 1908 Clarence E. F. Hetrick 1911 Wilbert A. Beecroft 1914 Cornelius B. Barkalow This was his first term. 1917 Elmer Hendrickson Geran Member of the Democratic Party. He was born on October 24, 1875, he represented from 1923 to 1925. He died on January 12, 1954. 1918 Cornelius B. Barkalow This was his second term. 1920 Elmer Hendrickson Geran 1920Walter H. Gravatt 1920John H. Van Mater 1921 to 1925 1926Narry N. Johnson 1929William R. O’Brien 1932Howard Height 1935George H. Robert 1938Morris J. Woodring Matawan 1944 1941John T. Lawley 1941–1944Morris J. Woodring

State of New Jersey (post-1947 constitution) Order Term Sheriff Notes 19471949–195119531956–1962Ira Ellsworth Wolcott (1883-1963) 711962–1965Joseph A. Shafto 721965Paul KiernanHe served from 1965 to 1980, for five terms and also served as the Mayor of Long Branch."Paul Kiernan, former sheriff, in hospital", Asbury Park Press, May 17, 1989. Accessed February 3, 2018. "Paul Kiernan Sr., 83, a former Monmouth County Sheriff was in satisfactory condition at Monmouth Medical Center, here, a hospital spokeswoman said last night The hospital would not release more information last night ? Kiernan served as sheriff from 1965 to the early 1980s."731980William M. LanzaroServed from 1980 to 1995, for five terms. Lanzaro grew up in the Morganville section of Marlboro Township and attended the Marlboro Public Schools and Matawan Regional High School. He later moved to Matawan, where he ran a car dealership. He became involved in the Matawan Republican Party, eventually becoming its chairman, and ran the successful 1970 campaign of Lillian G. Burry for borough council.The Matawan Journal, November 5, 1970 In 1977, Lanzaro unsuccessfully challenged longtime Democratic incumbent sheriff Paul Kiernan, but defeated Kiernan in a 1980 rematch. Lanzaro, who campaigned on the issue that he would be a full-time sheriff, would go on to serve five terms himself. Soon after taking office, Lanzaro was faced with a protest by inmates at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution who were demanding more privileges. A federal judge ruled that conditions amounted to punishment. During Lanzaro's tenure, the Sheriff's Office participated in the Ident-a-Kid program. In "Pay or stay" sweeps, parents delinquent in their child support payments were arrested and held until payment was made. By 1995, Lanzaro had had a falling out with county political leaders and was denied the Republican organization's endorsement for reelection. He challenged the organization-backed candidate, Joseph W. Oxley, in the Republican primary and lost. Afterward, he retired from political activity. 741996Joseph W. OxleyHe served from 1996 to 2007.Morgan, Sue. "Oxley: The Man Who Would be Judge? Kyrillos calls reports that Monmouth County GOP chairman and former sheriff will ascend to the bench 'premature.'", Middletown Patch, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 3, 2018. "Oxley, the county sheriff from 1996 to 2007, could not be reached for comment at press time."752008Kim GuadagnoShe served from January 1, 2008, to January 19, 2010.Alfaro, Alyana. "Kim Guadagno Wins GOP Nod to Succeed Christie", New York Observer, June 6, 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2018. "Guadagno, of Monmouth Beach, is a former federal prosecutor who was born in Iowa and served as Monmouth County sheriff from 2008 until 2010."762010Shaun Golden76th Sheriff of Monmouth County He holds a master's degree in administration from Seton Hall University. He has been a resident of Farmingdale.Biese, Alex. , Asbury Park Press, March 18, 2007. Accessed August 10, 2012. "At its meeting Saturday at Republican headquarters in Freehold, the committee selected Shaun E. Golden of Farmingdale and Kimberly Guadagno of Monmouth Beach as the names to be forwarded on to the Republican convention to be held 9 a.m. March 24 at Brookdale Community College." Golden is a New Jersey Certified Public Manager and an adjunct professor at Monmouth University in the Department of Political Science and Public Policy. Shaun Golden is a brother of Al Golden, head football coach at the University of Miami.

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