Which official acted as the king's sheriff, managing the king's estates, collecting revenue, and overseeing local courts?

Which official acted as the king's sheriff, managing the king's estates, collecting revenue, and overseeing local courts?

• A. Shire Reeves
• B. Blood Feuds
• C. Geld Tax
• D. Housecarls

Answer: (A)

In medieval England, the person who acted as the king’s local administrator in a shire was the sheriff, originally called the shire-reeve. This official managed the king’s estates, collected revenue for the crown, and oversaw the local courts, enforcing royal authority at the county level. The other terms point to different things: Blood Feuds are private cycles of vengeance rather than an official role; Geld Tax refers to a type of taxation; Housecarls were the king’s elite soldiers, not administrators of estates or courts. So the described duties match the sheriff—the shire-reeve.

In medieval England, the person who acted as the king’s local administrator in a shire was the sheriff, originally called the shire-reeve. This official managed the king’s estates, collected revenue for the crown, and oversaw the local courts, enforcing royal authority at the county level. The other terms point to different things: Blood Feuds are private cycles of vengeance rather than an official role; Geld Tax refers to a type of taxation; Housecarls were the king’s elite soldiers, not administrators of estates or courts. So the described duties match the sheriff—the shire-reeve.