Introducing...
The Sheriff of Oxford 2023-2024
Councillor Mark Lygo
History
As a Saxon town Oxford was governed by two 'Shire Reeves' whose office evolved to Sheriff and later Mayor. The current Office of Sheriff of Oxford has been in existence since the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835. Sheriffs were responsible for the custody of offenders, maintaining law and order and receiving and processing fines and taxes. The Sheriff also acted as conservation officer for the large swathe of cattle and horse grazing meadow, called Port Meadow to the north west of the city centre.
Acting as conservator of Port Meadow is one of the traditionally surviving duties of the Sheriff of Oxford. Cattle 'drives' are still carried out each year as a continuation of the annual drives of what were formally the bailiffs of the City.
The Sheriff's Chain
Customs and Traditions
Annual Cattle Drive
Arrangements for the Cattle Drives are kept as secret as possible. At about 6.00 am on the morning of the Drive the Sheriff and their assistants, who are either on horseback or on foot, assemble at one end of the Meadow. They collectively start to drive the cattle and horses to the other end of the land where they are then impounded.
The Drive itself takes two to three hours and is followed by a traditional breakfast.
During the rest of the day owners of the impounded animals come to claim them. If the owners are Freemen or 'Wolvercote Commoners' or have other legally valid rights to keep their livestock on the Meadow their animals are released to them on payment of 10p per head. If, however, they are keeping their livestock on the Meadow 'illegally' they are fined £35 per head and an additional cost of £1 per day per head.
Inspection of the City Walls
The Sheriff would normally accompany the Lord Mayor of Oxford in the 600 year old tradition to inspect the City's walls. However this is a rare event and dependent on those in Office to undertake the considerably challenging task of inspecting the 10 miles of boundaries.
The agreement to inspect the walls started in 1379 when Richard II granted some land for a new college as part of Oxford's University (New College). The land was granted on condition that
the College took responsibility to keep the walls of the city in good condition.
The 'New College' was built in such a way that the city walls could no longer be inspected from inside without entering the college's grounds. Consequently, a royal command was granted that the college should allow the city access to the ground once every three years to inspect the walls.
Lord Mayor's Procession
The Sheriff of Oxford accompanies the Lord Mayor at the annual Lord Mayor's Procession. This event is held on the Bank Holiday at the end
of May soon after the civic party
start their year in office.
The colourful and well attended procession includes a number of floats and vehicles as well as marching bands and finishes with entertainment and fund raising
stalls for the Mayor's charities
in South Park.
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Sheriffs of Oxford
City Sheriff of Oxford, 2013-2014 Mohammed Abbasi
Year Sheriff
1984 BG Standingford
1985 A Ramsay
1986 A Pope
1987 N Whorley
1988 Lady P Yardley
1989 EFM Standingford
1990 BM Gatehouse
1991 J Power
1992 JC Blewitt
1993 W Buckingham
1994 AJ Turner MP
1995 PMF Moss
1996 W Baker
1997 Carole Roberts
1998 RJ Price
1999 BI Keen
2000 V Smith
2001 M Christian
2002 P Stannard
2003 BC Keen
2004 Gill Sanders
Year Sheriff
2005 James RM Campbell
2006 Susan Pressel
2007 Mary Clarkson
2008 John Goddard
2009 Elise Benjamin
2010 Colin Cook
2011 Jean Fooks
2012 Dee Sinclair
2013 Mohammed Abbasi
2014 Rae Humbertstone
2015 Sajjad Malik
2016 Susan Brown
2017 Mohammed Altaf Khan
2018 Craig Simmons
2019 Stephen Goddard
2020 Dick Wolf
2021 Dick Wolf
2022 Mike Rowley
2023 Mark Lygo
City Sheriff of Oxford, 2018-2019
Craig Simmons