"Bailiffs of liberties or franchises are to be sworn to take distresses, truly impanel jurors, make returns by indenture between them and sheriffs, &c;.
"Bailiffs of courts baron summon those courts, and execute the process thereof. " Besides these, there are also bailiffs of the forest… " Jacob's Law Dict. Tomlin's do.
"BAILIWICK, balliva, is not only taken for the county, but signifies generally that liberty which is exempted from the sheriff of the county, over which the lord of the liberty appointeth a bailiff, with such powers within his precinct as an under-sheriff exerciseth under the sheriff of the county; such as the bailiff of Westminster." Jacob's Law Dict. Tomlin's do.
"A bailiff of a Leet, Court-baron, Manor, Balivus Letae, Baronis, Manerii. He is one that is appointed by the lord, or his steward, within every manor, to do such offices as appertain thereunto, as to summon the court, warn the tenants and resiants; also, to summon the Leet and Homage, levy fines, and make distresses, &c;., of which you may read at large in Kitchen's Court-leet and Court-baron." A Law Dictionary, anonymous, (in Suffolk Law Library.)
"Bailliff In England an officer appointed by the sheriff. Bailiff's are either special, and appointed, for their adroitness, to arrest persons; or bailiffs of hundreds, who collect fines, summon juries, attend the assizes, and execute writs and processes, The sheriff in England is the king's bailiff.
"The office of bailiff formerly was high and honorable in England, and officers under that title on the continent are still invested with important functions." Webster.
"BAILLI, (Scotland.) An alderman; a magistrate who is second in rank in a royal burgh." Worcester.
"Baili, or Bailiff. (Sorte d'officier de justice.) A bailiff; a sort of magistrate." Boyer's French Dict.
"By some opinions, a bailiff, in Magna Carta, ch. 28, signifies any judge." Cunningham's Law Dict.
"BAILIFF. In the court of the Greek emperors there was a grand bajulos, first tutor of the emperor's children. The superintendent of foreign merchants seems also to have been called bajulos; and, as he was appointed by the Venetians, this title (balio) was transferred to the Venetian ambassador. From Greece, the official bajulos (ballivus, bailli, in France; bailiff, in England,) was introduced into the south of Europe, and denoted a superintendent; hence the eight ballivi of the knights of St. John, which constitute its supreme council. In France, the royal bailiffs were commanders of the militia, administrators or stewards of the domains, and judges of their districts. In the course of time, only the first duty remained to the bailiff; hence he was bailli d'epee, and laws were administered in his name by a lawyer, as his deputy, lieutenant de robe. The seigniories, with which high courts were connected, employed bailiffs, who thus constituted, almost everywhere, the lowest order of judges. From the courts of the nobility, the appellation passed to the royal courts; from thence to the parliaments. In the greater bailiwicks of cities of importance, Henry II. established a collegial constitution under the name of presidial courts… The name of bailiff was introduced into England with William I. The counties were also called bailiwicks, (bailivae,) while the subdivisions were called hundreds, but, as the courts of the hundreds have long since ceased, the English bailiffs are only a kind of subordinate officers of justice, like the French huissiers. These correspond very nearly to the officers called constables in the United States. Every sheriff has someof them under him, for whom he is answerable. In some cities the highest municipal officer yet bears this name, as the high bailiff of Westminster. In London, the Lord Mayor is at the same time bailiff; (which title he bore before the present became usual,) and administers, in this quality, the criminal jurisdiction of the city, in the court of old Bailey, where there are, annually, eight sittings of the court, for the city of London and the county of Middlesex. Usually, the recorder of London supplies his place as judge. In some instances the term bailiff, in England, is applied to the chief magistrates of towns, or to the commanders of particular castles, as that of Dover. The term baillie, in Scotland, is applied to a judicial police-officer, having powers very similar to those of justices of peace in the United States." Encyclopaedia Americana.