Sheriff of Nottingham (position)

This article is about the (now ceremonial) position. For other uses, see Sheriff of Nottingham (disambiguation).
An illustration of the Sheriff of Nottingham from Bold Robin Hood and His Outlaw Band: Their Famous Exploits in Sherwood Forest. Louis Rhead. New York: Blue Ribbon Books, 1912

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).