sheriffshipn.
The office of sheriff.
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society > law > administration of justice > one who administers justice > [noun] > sheriff > office of
sheriffhoodc1450
sheriffwick1451
sheriffship1473
sheriffalty1518
shrievaltyc1525
sheriffdom1596
sheriffry1610
shrievaldom1679
shrievalrya1715
1473–4 in T. Dickson Accts. Treasurer Scotl. (1877) I. 46 The office of schirefship of Striueling.
a1578 R. Lindsay Hist. & Cron. Scotl. (1899) II. 184 My lord lyndesay tuik possessioun of the Schereffschip of fyffe.
1649 J. Evelyn Let. 29 Mar. in Diary & Corr. (1859) III. 42 The Scots..have..taken away the hereditary shriefships from the nobility.
1747 Act 20 Geo. II c. 43 §1 All Sheriffships and Deputy Sheriffships of Districts, being Parts only of Shires.
1884 Manch. Examiner 17 Nov. 5/3 It will be exceedingly hard if Mr. M. should be compelled to choose between his fat sheriffship and his political ambition.
1893 A. Agnew Hered. Sheriffs Galloway II. 120 The sheriff..was ordered to grant deputations of sheriffship to Grierson of Lagg, Claverhouse, and Earlshall, as his colleagues.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1914; most recently modified version published online June 2019).
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