Office of Sheriff (Shire Reeve)

The Office of Sheriff (Shire Reeve) derives from the ancient English Common Lore whereby a village Shire of one hundred families would elect a Shire Reeve to maintain the peace and the Lore; He, in his capacity as Sheriff, duly elected by the People of the village and accountable to the same; was able to deputise as many able-bodied men as needed to form a `posse comitatus' (force of the county) to effect the Common Lore; this being shortened eventually to the word `posse'; as in "round up a posse"