Reeve

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Reeve (also bailiff , German 'Vogt', French Bailiare bailli ) was an official designation in medieval England , from which a family name was derived.

origin

Reeve comes from the Old English gerēfe , which is related to German greve .

The name comes from the Norman -influenced England, where the Reeve was a representative of the Earl 'Graf', who was administrator, tax collector and lay judge (prosecutor and judge) at the same time. He was also responsible for the immediate national defense and the formation of men for the army of his master. In the event of a crime, he organized (with the help of the constable ) the pursuit of a fugitive and was also called to major accidents.

Derived from the term Shire-Reeve , the term sheriff is still used today . The term is derived from the Old English word Sċīrġerēfa . Sċīr denotes an administrative unit, comparable to a county ( Shire ). In Anglo-Saxon England the Sċīrġerēfa or Shire-Reeve was a high administrative officer, comparable to a bailiff .

From the Anglo-Saxon period, the term sheriff was retained for individual cities and areas immediately adjacent to the crown , which were comparable in function. The Reeve got his office as administrator and he could be recalled at any time, so it was not a feudal relationship, but a pure employment relationship. Still, it usually meant an award for the free and the lower nobility who were made Reeve. In addition to the right to live in a castle (usually very small, sometimes only consisting of a keep), the supply of food and heating material and a certain income were associated with it.

Historically, the establishment of this system went back to the establishment of Norman rule under William the Conqueror and was a network of protective and fortresses built according to the needs of the time . As a result, both the size of the jurisdiction and the Reeve's revenues varied widely. The Reeve later enjoyed a high reputation among the population, but the office was also frequently abused.

The lands of feudal lords of the feudal lord could also lie within the legal area. In these the Reeve had no rights; in his administrative district he was about a knight in rights, but not equal in dignity. In the course of increasing settlement, the administration became more and more centralized, whereby the office lost its importance and was mainly given to members of the ruling family. Some of the Bailiwicks also went into hereditary fiefs from the crown. Formally, two Bailiwicks still exist today : the Channel Islands Jersey and Guernsey . However, they have no bailifs, but are administered directly by the Crown.

Name bearer

literature