Sheriff

Sheriff is spelled thus, with one '-r-' and two '-f-'s. It is sometimes seen with two '-re-'s and only onew '-f-' - sherrif. This is an error.

Note that in different countries, and at different times, the title of Sheriff indicates different functions.

• In England, Wales and Ireland, Sheriff is currently a title of honour, given as a reward for an honourable and dutiful career, and involving largely ceremonial duties. In each county (or 'shire', the word from which sheriff is derived), the sheriff is the official representative of the reigning monarch, and has about as much real importance. In earlier times, when the monarch was the effective and real head of government, the sheriff was the real and effective representative of the monarch in each county. The real local force of government in the well-known tales of Robin Hood is the Sheriff of Nottingham.
• In Scotland, a Sheriff is still an important figure. The Sheriff is the commonest form of local judge in any locality, and is appointed from among qualified and experienced lawyers. The Sheriff has powers analogous to those of a stipendiary magistrate in England.
• In the United States, a sheriff is a law officer, more of a policeman than a judge. Different states define the office of sheriff differently. The cliché of which most people are aware is that of the Sheriff in western films.
• Other countries, mostly in the Commonwealth, have sheriffs. These have all derived from one of the offices in the UK.

Etymological note: the sheriff of a county was originally the shire reeve