He would've been glad to use freelance bounty hunters to capture outlaws and bandits 'dead or alive'. Often the Sheriff had to raise a temporary posse of armed men to enforce the law. In a time when there wasn't a police force, the law needed all the help it could get.

Mainly because they're on opposite sides of the law. Guy is Robin's enemy from the very start. Contrary to popular belief, Guy of Gisborne was not a knight working for the Sheriff. Guy of GisborneĪ bounty hunter, Guy has one of the original tales all to himself, Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne. He also lived in the right time and place to deal with Robert Hode, our possible original Robin. He covered all the right jobs to trouble Robin. So who was the real Sheriff? Eustace of Lowdham, Sheriff of Yorkshire is the most likely candidate to form the basis of the Sheriff of Nottingham. He was the Sheriff of Yorkshire 1225-6, Forest Justice north of the Trent 1226, and Sheriff of Nottinghamshire 1232-3. They were the King’s representative in each county and were charged with keeping the peace and upholding the law. Sheriff's were powerful men in medieval society. Yet he's also a comic foil, often being humiliated as seen in Robin Hood and the Potter. He's a seriously dangerous opponent in Robin Hood and the Monk who commands a powerful body of men to capture Robin at St Mary’s Church in Nottingham.

The Sheriff veers between serious and comedy roles. The hatred between Robin Hood and the Sheriff forms a fundamental part of the tales.

Robin hood sherriff of nottingham