The High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'.
The title of High Sheriff is therefore much older than the other crown appointment, the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, which came about after 1545. Between 1248 and 1566 Berkshire and Oxfordshire formed a joint shrievalty (apart from a brief period in 1258/9). See High Sheriff of Berkshire.
List of High Sheriffs of Oxfordshire
1066–1068: Saewold 1066–1086: Edwin 1087: Svain
12th century 1100-1135: William 1100-1135: Peter c. 1130: Restold"The Medieval English Sheriff in 1300" Google Books 1131: Robert D'Oyly c. 1142–?: William de Chesney 1135–1154: Henry de Oxford 1155–1159: Henry D'Oyly, 4th Baron Hocknorton 1160: Manasser Arsick and Henry D'Oyly, 4th Baron Hocknorton 1161–1162: Manasser Arsick 1163: Thomas Basset 1164–1169: Adam de Catmore 1170–1174: Alard Banastre 1175–1178: Robert de Tureville 1179–1181: (first half): Geoffrey Hose 1181: (second half)–1184 (first half): Robert de Whitfield 1184: (second half)–1186 (first half): Alanus de Furnell 1186: (second half)–1190: Robert de la Mare 1187–1194: (first half): William Briwere 1194: (second half)–1196: Henry D'Oyly, 5th Baron Hocknorton 1197–1199: Hugh de Neville
13th century 1200–1201 (first half): Gilbert Basset 1201 (second half)–1202 (first half): William Briwere 1202 (second half)–1214 (first quarter): Thomas Basset 1214 (last three-quarters): Ralph de Normanville 1215–1223: Falkes de Breauté 1223 (last three-quarters)–1224 (first half): Richard de Ripariis (Rivers) 1224–1268: Sir Gilbert de Kirkby, also Sheriff for Northamptonshire at same time 1224 (second half), 1225 (first quarter): Walter Foliot 1225 (last three-quarters)–1231: Godfrey of Crowcombe 1232: John de Hulecote (first three-quarters) 1232 (last quarter)–1233: Engelard de Cigogné 1233 (last quarter)–1235 (first half): John Le Brunn (or John Brunus) 1235 (second half)–1238 (first half): John de Tiwe 1238 (third quarter): Richard Suhard 1238 (last quarter): Paul Peyure 1239: John de Plessitis 1240–1244 (first quarter): William Hay 1244 (last three-quarters)–1247 (first half): Alanus de Farnham 1247 (second half)–1248: Guy fitz Robert
1248–1566 See High Sheriff of Berkshire
16th century
17th century
18th century
19th century
20th century
21st century
References
The history of the worthies of England, Volume 3 By Thomas Fuller Early High Sheriffs of Oxfordshire