Bailiff

Forms: 3–5 baillif, 3–7 bailif, 4 balyf, 5 baillyve, 6 bailliff, bailiffe, baliffe, balyfe, -yve, -ive, baylyff, bailiefe, 6–7 baylife, bayliffe, 7 baliffe, bailive, bayllive, 7–8 bayliff, 6– bailiff. [ME. baillif, a. OF. baillif, obj. case of baillis (12th c.):—late L. bājulīvus, prop. an adj. f. bājulus, originally ‘carrier,’ afterwards ‘carrier on, manager, administrator.’ (See BAIL sb.¹ and cf. bājulāre under BAIL v.¹ Bājulīvus thus meant ‘(one) having the nature or character of a bājulus.’ In med.L. ballivus, baillivus, balivus, from the F. and Eng. words.)]

  1.  One charged with public administrative authority in a certain district. a. In England, formerly applied to the king’s officers generally, including sheriffs, mayors, etc., nominated by him, but especially to the chief officer of a hundred; still the title of the chief magistrate of various towns, as the High-bailiff of Westminster, and of the keeper of some of the royal castles, as the Bailiff of Dover Castle.

1297.  R. Glouc., 473. That ple solde be ibroȝt Biuore the king and is bailifs.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 6445. Ietro him gaf counsaile vnder baillifes [v.r. baillis, bayles, bailies] ham to sette.

1480.  Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccxxi. 213. The quene sent in hast to the Baillifs of wynchestre.

1691.  Wood, Ath. Oxon., II./290. His father … was then Bailive of Hemlingford hundred.

1757.  Burke, Abridgm. Eng. Hist., Wks. X. 343. The bailiffs of hundreds, and tithings, and boroughs, with their people.

1835.  Penny Cycl., III. 290/1. The sheriff is called the King’s bailiff, and his county is his bailiwick.

1873.  Stubbs, Const. Hist., I. v. 102. The gerefa, who becomes after the Conquest the bailiff of the hundred. Ibid., III. xxi. 561. In those towns in which there was no mayor, the presidency of the local courts remained with the bailiffs.

  fig.  1655.  Fuller, Hist. Camb. (1840), 105. Down comes the bailiff of Bedford (so the country-people commonly call the overflowing of the river Ouse), attended … with many servants … and breaks down all their paper-banks.

  b.  Used as the English form of the title of various foreign magistrates; e.g., the French bailli, and German Landvogt; also of the bailly or first civil officer in the Channel Islands, and formerly also of the Sc. BAILIE.

1681.  Act (Scotl.), Lond. Gaz., No. 1649/2. Sheriffs, Stewards, Bailiffs of Royalty and Regality.

1693.  Apol. Clergy Scot., 23. One of the Magistrates of Glasgow … made a Bailiff by the Archbishop.

1694.  Falle, Jersey, v. 129. Bailiff and Jurats of the said Isle for the time being.

1753.  Hanway, Trav. (1762), II. I. iv. 22. The great bailiff of the district, of which there are … about twenty five in the hanoverian dominions.

1855.  Milman, Lat. Chr. (1864), V. IX. vii. 366. Henry while yet Bailiff of the Empire, during the captivity of Baldwin.

1860.  Motley, Netherl. (1868), I. iii. 77. De Griyse formerly bailiff of Bruges.

1862.  Ansted, Channel Isl., IV. xxiii. 524. The Bailiff or Judge, is the first civil officer in each island.

1864.  Kirk, Chas. Bold, I. II. ii. 492. A royal envoy, the bailiff of Lyons.

  2.  An officer of justice under a sheriff, who executes writs and processes, distrains and arrests; a warrant officer, pursuivant or catchpoll.

1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. II. 59. Shireues and here clerkes, Bedelles and Bailliues.

1538.  Bale, Thre Lawes, 1613. Ther someners and ther scribes … With balyues and catchpolles.

1588.  Fraunce, Lawiers Log., I. xix. 67. Returned by the Shiriffe and warned by his bayliffe.

1611.  Shaks., Wint. T., IV. iii. 102. He hath bene since an Ape-bearer, then a Processe-seruer (a Bayliffe).

1712.  Steele, Spect., No. 330, ¶ 3. I was arrested and conveyed … to a Bayliff’s house.

1863.  Burton, Bk. Hunter, 326. A bailiff making an inventory of goods on which he has taken execution.

  fig.  a. 1656.  Bp. Hall, Rem. Wks. (1660), 22. The conscience is but God’s Bayliff.

  3.  The agent of the lord of a manor, who collects his rents, etc.; the steward of a landholder, who manages his estate; one who superintends the husbandry of a farm for its owner or tenant.

1531.  Elyot, Gov., III. xx.

1574.  trans. Littleton’s Tenures, 17 a. Which they shall delyver unto the stewarde or baylife.

1617.  Janua Ling., 526. The baliffe gathereth-in harvest into the barne.

1678.  R. L’Estrange, Seneca’s Mor. (1702), 420. My Bayliff told me ’twas none of his Fault.

1848.  Kingsley, Saint’s Trag., III. ii. 156. Here’s Father January taken a lease of March month, and put in Jack Frost for bailiff.

1866.  Geo. Eliot, F. Holt (1868), 36. I’m going over one of the farms … with the bailiff.

  4.  Comb., as bailiff-haunted; † bailiff-errant (see quot.); bailiff-peers, assessors of the bailiff of a town. See also BUM-BAILIFF.

1612.  Davies, Why Ireland, etc. (1787), 201. The undersheriffs and bayliffs errant are better guides and spies.

1641.  Termes de la Ley, 35. Baylifes Errant are those that the Sherife maketh and appointeth to go about the County to execute Writs, to summon the county, Sessions, assises and such like.

1707.  Lond. Gaz., No. 4338/1. The humble Address of the Bailiff, Recorder … Bailiff-Peers, Town Clerk, and Burgesses of Wenlock.

1812.  J. & H. Smith, Rej. Addr., Cui bono, ix. The bailiff-haunted throng.