SHERIFF. As keeper of the King's peace, the sheriff is the first man in the county, and superior in rank to any noble. man therein, during his office. He may apprehend and commit to prison all per sons who break the peace, or attempt to break it, and may bind any one in a recog. nisance to keep the King's peace. He may, and is bound, es officio, to pursue and take all traitors, murderers, felons, and other misdoers, and commit them to gaol for safe custody. He is also to defend his country against any of the King's enemies, when they come into the land ; and for this purpose, as well as for keeping the peace and pursuing felons, he may command all the people of his county to attend him, which is called the posse comitatue, or power of the county ; which summons every person above fif teen years of age, and under the degree of a peer, is bound to attend, upon warn ing, on pain of fine and imprisonment. Yet he cannot exercise the office of a jus tice of the peace ; for then this inconve nience would arise, that he should com mand himself to execute his own pre cepts.
The sheriff has a jurisdiction both in criminal and civil cases, and therefore he has two courts : his town court for cri minal causes, which is the King's court; the other in his county court, for civil causes, and this is the court of the sheriff himself When the new sheriff is appoint ed and sworn, he ought, at or before the next county court, to deliver a writ of discharge to the old sheriff, who is to set over all the prisoners in the gaol, severally by their names, (together with all the writs,) precisely, by view and indenture between the two sheriffs; wherein must be comprehended all the actions which the old sheriff has against every prisoner, though the executions are of record; and till the delivery of the prisoners to the new sheriff, they remain in the custody of the old sheriff, notwithstanding the letters patent of appointment, the writ of dis charge, and the writ of delivery. Neither is the new sheriff obliged to receive the prisoners, but at the gaol; but the office of the old sheriff ceases when the writ of discharge is brought to him.
By 3 George I. c. 15, it shall not be law ful for any person to buy, sell, let, or take to farm, the office of under sheriff, or de puty sheriff, or seal keeper, county clerk, shire clerk, gaoler, bailiff, or any other office pertaining to the office of high she riff, or to contract for any of the said of fices, on forfeiture pf 5001.; one moiety to
his Majesty, the other to such as shall sue in any court of Westminster, within two years after the offence.
Provided that nothing in this act shall prevent any high sheriff from constituting an under sheriff; or deputy sheriff, as by law he may ; nor to hinder the under she riff, in any case of the high sheriff's death, when he acts as high sheriff, from con stituting a deputy ; nor to hinder such sheriff; or under sheriff, from receiving the lawful perquisites of his office, or for taking security for the due answering the same ; nor to hinder such sheriff or under sheriff, deputy sheriff, seal keeper, &c. from accounting to the high sheriff for all such lawful fees as shall be by them tak en, nor for giving security so to do ; or to hinder the high sheriff from allowing a salary to his under sheriff, &c. or other officers And if any sheriff shall die be fore the expiration of his year, or before he be superseded, the under sheriff shall nevertheless continue in his office, and execute the same in the name of the de ceased, till another sheriff be appointed and sworn : and the under sheriff shall he answerable for the execution of the office during such interval, as the high sheriff would have been ; and the security given by the under sheriff and his pledges shall stand a security to the King, and all per sons whatsoever, for the performing his office during such interval.
There is no particular qualification in lands required for the office of sheriff, but &sheriff cannot be elected to serve in parliament for the county of which he is sheriff. The under sheriff performs near ly all the duties of the sheriff. Ile is not to hold his office above one year, under the penalty of Mt And no under she riff or bailiff shall practise as an avor. ney ; but this is so openly evaded, that no person is appointed under sheriff ex cept an attorney.
SIIIELD,sn ancient weapon of defence, in the form of a light buckler, borne on the arm, to turn off lances, darts, &c.
Sams, in heraldry, the escutcheon or field on which the bearings of coats of arms are placed.