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HISTORY
OFFICE OF THE SHERIFF
"ENGLISH
ROOTS”
The
most ancient service to the Crown is the Office of the Sheriff.
That office was transplanted into America in 1635 where it continues to
this day.
The
word "sheriff" is derived from the Saxon word "Scir-Reeve"
or "Gerefa" and the formation of counties or "shires" dates
back to Alfred the Great of England. One
of the earliest dates recorded is 825 AD. where the City of Yorks' Sheriff was
derived from the Danish Reeve.
During
the first 600 years of the Office of the Sheriff, there have been two female
Sheriffs to assume this position. In
1216, King John of Lincolnshire appointed a woman named Dame Nicolla de la Haye
as Sheriff at the age of 66. Months
later it is recorded that she defended Lincoln Castle from the King's enemies,
such as the French Invaders, with vigor and determination.
Approximately 400 years later, Lady Ann Clifford was appointed Sheriff of
Westmorland. Not only was she one
of the wealthiest women in England, but she could fire a crossbow as well as any
man. She stood up bravely to men
such as James I and Cromwell. Lady
Ann was the last woman Sheriff for the next 300 years.
Through the years, many Kings appointed the position of Sheriff to the highest bidder. That, with the ultimate authority from the King , forced many Sheriff's to collect monies from the shires by any manner of enforcement imaginable. Then in 1215, many nobleman, ex-Sheriff's, and influential individuals drafted and adopted the Magna Carta, the famous English document in which 27 of the 63 clauses deal with the control and authority granted to the Sheriff.
In
1635,
the history of the American Sheriff began after the settlements in Virginia were
well enough established to allow for the replacement of the military
regime by a civil government. In
1649, in Jamestown, Virginia, the Sheriff was empowered as the King's
representative to keep peace.
Before
1776, Sheriff's were appointed by the British Crown.
With the formation of Sussex County on
On January 28, 1847, the building was destroyed by fire. It was immediately rebuilt after a debate suggesting its removal to Branchville or Augusta. In 1884, the building was remodeled for about $5,000.00 into what it looks like today. In 1911, fire nearly destroyed the entire 2nd floor, but the exterior practically remains the same as when erected in 1847.
A new court complex has since been built off of High Street between the jail and the former County Administration Building at 39 High Street. Construction on this courthouse was started in the fall of 1989 and the building was occupied in September of 1992. The new courthouse, at 43-47 High Street, houses Probation, Family Crisis Intervention, Law Library, and five courtrooms for Civil, Criminal, and Chancery Divisions of the Superior Court of New Jersey.
(The old jail which was located behind the old courthouse at 3 High Street was demolished in 1979)
In
1868, the first jail in Newton was erected due to the deterioration and
insecurity of the log jail in Johnsonburg.
It was erected at the rear of the courthouse, replacing the pillory that
stood nearby. The old jail was
replaced by yet another one in 1893. Then,
being so obsolete, that jail was replaced by the present jail in 1978.
It was originally built for a capacity of 85 inmates.
Presently it holds a
capacity averaging about 150.
Sussex
County Sheriff's Office
The
Sussex County Sheriff's Office is the first and oldest established law
enforcement entity in Sussex County, N.J. The
first "High" Sheriff was Joseph Brackenridge, appointed on November
12, 1753. He served for 11 months.
The second Sheriff was Morris Robeson who served 3 years, and that has
since been the established term of office.
Joseph
Perry of "Newtown" was sworn as first constable for the Sussex County
Sheriff’s Office in 1753. The
duties of the Sheriff and his deputies consisted of many different
responsibilities such as executing court orders, serving process, subduing
riots, transporting convicted prisoners to state penal institutions, state
mental institutions, power to summons jurors, overseeing of the jail and
performing any duties of police officers, (including enforcement of criminal
laws), arrest individuals guilty or suspected of a crime, executes warrants and
summonses, seizure of debtors' property, conduct judicial sales, traffic
control, etc... The authority of a
Sheriff will predominate over that of a constable, an officer of a municipal
corporation, when a conflict exists in regard to jurisdiction.
Up
until the early 20th century, one of the duties of the Sheriff was to hang those
who were given the death penalty. Several
sentences were executed in Newton, NJ by hanging.
The last person to be hung in Newton was Alexander Kish, a Slav from
Hungary, who resided in Franklin,N.J. He
was hung on October 27, 1904 after conviction for the murder of his wife, Gertie
Kish. Sheriff J. Clark Andress was
in charge of the execution. Two
sources, the "Magazine Sussex" and the "New Jersey Herald"
name the Constable who actually tripped the lever which sent the weight to the
ground and Kish up to hang. The "Magazine Sussex" claims it was
a Constable named Thorpe. The "New Jersey Herald" mentions a
Constable named Joseph H. Thompson. Kish was pronounced dead 12
minutes later at 11:02 am.
(Click on the link on the left to view a list of all of the Sheriff's that have served the citizens of Sussex County)