Bailiff

A person to whom some authority, care, guardianship, or jurisdiction is delivered, committed, or intrusted. Spelman, Gloss. A sheriff's officer or deputy.

1 Bla. Com. 344.

A court attendant, sometimes called a tipstaff. A magistrate, who formerly administered justice in the parliaments or courts of France, answering to the English sheriffs as mentioned by Bracton. There are still bailiffs of particular towns in England; as, the bailiff of Dover Castle, etc.; otherwise, bailiffs are now only officers or stewards, etc.; as, bailiffs of liberties, appointed by every lord within his liberty, to serve writs, etc.; bailiffs errant or itinerant, appointed to go about the country for the same purpose; sheriff's bailiffs, sheriff's officers to execute writs; these are also called bound bailiffs, because they are usually bound in a bond to the sheriff for the due execution of their office; bailiffs of court-baron, to summon the court, etc.; bailiffs of husbandry, appointed by private persons to collect their rents and manage their estates; water bailiffs, officers in port towns for searching ships, gathering tolls, etc. Bacon, Abr. A person acting in a ministerial capacity who has by delivery the custody and administration of lands or goods for the benefit of the owner or bailor, and is liable to render an account thereof.

Co. Litt. 271; Story, Eq. Jur. § 446; Barnum v. Landon, 25 Conn. 149.

The word is derived from the old French bailler, to deliver, and originally implied the delivery of real estate, as of land, woods, a house, a part of the fish in a pond; Ow. 20; 2 Leon. 194; 37 Edw.