Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/78

70 Evidence outside the roll also shows that Fulcoin, at an earlier date, was acting as sheriff not only of Surrey but of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire as well. From this evidence it appears that Fulcoin's term as sheriff of the three counties began at least as early as 1126, and that in the office he succeeded his uncle Gilbert, who held these counties for a long term of years, dating possibly from 1110.

Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire

Osbert renders account for the 'old farm' of the counties and for the 'new farm' of the same for 'a half year'. On the basis of this evidence, it appears that Osbert was sheriff at Michaelmas 1128–9, and from Michaelmas 1129 to Easter 1130. But there is no indication that he was supplanted at Easter 1130 by any other man. Moreover, the rest of his account gives no hint of a tenure of service for less than a whole year, since he apparently accounts for the danegeld and the aid of the boroughs for the whole year 1129–30. Also in other respects it is a thoroughly normal, whole year's account. It would seem highly probable, therefore, that Osbert, though at this time accounting for only half the farm, was nevertheless in office for the whole year 1129–30. An item, quoted in the account of Serlo de Burg below, suggests a possibility that Osbert may have been the son of Serlo.

Immediately after the entries relating to Osbert comes one in which Ivo de Heriz accounts for an 'old farm', presumably that of 1127–8, since Ivo was the predecessor of Osbert. The accounts of Serlo, Ivo's predecessor, suggest that he had been out of office for a number of years, so that Ivo's term may have begun as early as Michaelmas 1126 or 1125.

In the accounts of Yorkshire, Serlo de Burg is debited with £60 and more de veteri firma de Nottinghamscira et Derbiescira, as well as with sums for other items. The last of these is a debt of 20 marks of silver pro ministerio Osberti filii sui, and suggests a possible identification of Osbert Silvanus, sheriff of the year, as Serlo's son.

As to Serlo's term of office, there can be little doubt that it must be assigned to a year or years preceding Michaelmas 1127. For had his account been entered among those of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, it would have been placed, in all probability, immediately after Ivo's, thereby indicating him as Ivo's predecessor, doubtless his immediate predecessor. If further evidence