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History of the Sheriff's Office
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The Origin Of The Sheriff
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The origin of the Sheriff is traceable to the Office of the Sheriff and Constable of early English history. On Long Island, from 1664 to 1683, ridings were used to establish boundaries within the Shire. The East riding comprised the territory now occupied by SuffolkCounty. The West riding consisted of KingsCounty and Newtown (Queens). The remainder of Long Island belonged to the North riding. Collectively, the three ridings were called Yorkshire.
The Governor appointed a “High Sheriff” for Yorkshire with a Deputy from each riding. In 1683, the ridings were abolished and the East riding became SuffolkCounty. The High Sheriff was no longer necessary being that each County would now have its own Sheriff. SuffolkCounty’s first Sheriff was Josiah Hobart in 1683.
After the American Revolution, the practice of the Governor appointing a Sheriff continued and was incorporated into the first Constitution adopted in New York in 1777. At the Constitutional Convention in 1821, the appointed Office of the Sheriff was made elective. That year, Abraham Gardiner became SuffolkCounty’s first elected Sheriff.
Today, the Sheriff of Suffolk County is elected to the term of four years.
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The Sheriffs Of Suffolk County
325 years of continuous service
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Josiah Hobart
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1683
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Stephen Wilson
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1859
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John Mulford
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1701
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Daniel Osborn
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1862
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Hugh Gray
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1702
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George Smith
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1868
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John Brush
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1710
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J. Henry Perkins
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1871
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Daniel Youngs
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1718
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Egbert Lewis
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1874
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Samuel Dayton
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1723
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George Cooper
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1877
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William Sell
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1728
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Robert Petty
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1888
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Joseph Smith
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1730
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Selah Brewster
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1883
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David Corrie
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1731
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Henry Halsey
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1886
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Jacob Conklin
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1734
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Robert Petty
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1888
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Thomas Higbe
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1740
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A. M. Darling
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1891
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James Muirson
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1774
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Benjamin Wood
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1897
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Thomas Wickes
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1785
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J. Sheridan Wells
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1900
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Silas Halsey
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1787
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Henry Preston
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1903
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Thomas Wickes
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1791
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John Wells
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1906
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Phinaes Carll
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1799
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Charles Platt
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1909
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Josiah Reeve
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1803
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Melville Brush
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1912
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Phinaes Smith
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1807
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D. Henry Brown
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1913
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Josiah Reeve
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1808
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Charles O'Dell
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1914
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Benjamin Brewster
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1810
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Amza Biggs
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1917
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Josiah Reeve
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1811
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John Kelly
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1920
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Benjamin Brewster
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1812
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Amza Biggs
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1923
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Josiah Reeve
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1813
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Burton Howe
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1926
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Nathaniel Conklin
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1814
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Ellis Taylor
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1929
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Josiah Reeve
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1815
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Joseph Warta
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1932
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Samuel Carll
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1819
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William McCollom
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1935
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Abraham Gardiner
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1821
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Jacob Dreyer
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1938
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Samuel Smith
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1826
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John Levy
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1941
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Abraham Gardiner
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1829
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William McCollom
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1942
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Richard Smith
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1832
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Charles Dominy
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1957
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Silas Horton
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1835
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Frank Gross
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1962
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Samuel Miller
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1838
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Philip Corso
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1970
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David Brush
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1841
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Donald Dilworth
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1976
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Henry Penny
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1844
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John Finnerty
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1977
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David Rose
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1847
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Eugene Dooley
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1986
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John Clark
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1850
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Patrick Mahoney
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1990
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Samuel Phillips
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1855
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Alfred C. Tisch
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2002
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George Carman
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1856
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Vincent F. Demarco
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2006
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| Errol D. Toulon Jr. - 2018 to Present |
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