In the earliest periods, the office was doubtless elective, and possibly even to the last the people may have enjoyed theoretically, at least, a sort of concurrent choice. But I cannot hesitate for a moment in asserting that under the consolidated monarchy, the scírgeréfa was nominated by the king, with or without the acceptance of the county-court, though this in all probability was never refused[388]. The language of the laws which continually adopt the words, _our_ reeves, where none but the sheriffs are intended, clearly shows in what relation these officers stood to the king: and as the latter indisputably possessed the power of removing, he probably did not want that of appointing them[389]. On one occasion indeed Æðelstân distinctly declares, that if his sheriffs neglect their duty, _he_, the king, will find others to do it[390]. The means by which the dignity of the sheriff was supported are similar to those noticed in the case of the ealdorman. He received a proportion of the fines payable to the king: he was, we may presume, always a considerable landowner in the shire; indeed, several of those whom we know to have held the office, were amongst the greatest landowners in their respective districts[391]. It is even possible that there may have been some provision in land, attached to the office, for I meet occasionally with such words as geréf-land, geréf-mǽd, where the form of the composition denotes, not the land or meadow of some particular sheriff, but of the sheriff generally. As leader of the _shire-fyrd_ or armed force, the geréfa would have a share of the booty; and it is not unreasonable to suppose that his influence and good-will were secured at times by the voluntary offerings of neighbours and dependents. ----- Footnote 388: In the Council of Baccanceld, Wihtred is made to say:—“It is the duty of kings to appoint eorls and ealdormen, scírgeréfan and doomsmen.” Chron. Sax. an. 694. “Illius autem est comites, duces, optimates, principes, praefectos, iudices saeculares statuere.” Cod. Dipl. No. 996. The charter is an obvious forgery, but it shows the tendency of opinion in the Anglosaxon times. Footnote 389: In some of the writs addressed to the shires, the place properly filled by the scírgeréfa is given to noblemen of the king’s household, as Eádnóð steallere in Hampshire. Cod. Dipl. No. 845. Esgár steallere in Hertfordshire, Kent and Middlesex. Nos. 827, 843, 864. Rodbeard steallere in Essex. No. 859. I believe these persons to have been really the sheriffs, but to have been named by their familiar, and in their own view, higher designations, as officers of the court. Footnote 390: Conc. Greatanl. Æðelst. 1. § 26. Footnote 391: Tofig Pruda, whom we recognize as scírgeréfa in Somersetshire, is elsewhere described as “vir praepotens.” See Flor. Wig. an. 1042. -----