Inquest of Sheriffs, 1170

In order to put an end to local and provincial corruption in 1170 King Henry II ordered a full investigation into the activities of the sheriffs of all the counties in England, and the bailiffs in the royal desmesnes .  There had been many complaints about the bailiffs. After the Inquest was complete a large number of sheriffs were replaced with more dependable agents: of course the new replacements were beholden to the king personally for their positions. In a real sense by this act King Henry was, once more, centralising his power and control over his kingdom. Others have seen this act as awarding those worthy of merit a chance of getting a position in the administration and governance of the kingdom. Henry was perhaps demonstrating by these appointments that loyalty and usefulness was far more important to him, and that merit could definitely overcome a lack of blue blood. 

References

James J. Spigelman (2004). Becket & Henry: The Becket Lectures. James Spigelman. pp. 210–. ISBN 978-0-646-43477-3.

George Lyttelton (1767). The History of the Life of King Henry the Second Book II. W. Sandby. p. 165.

Kate Norgate (1887) England Under the Angevin Kings Volume 2 pp. 126-

Problems of Policing the country- The Inquest of Sheriffs, March 1170. - angevinman

Michael S. Malone (2012). The Guardian of All Things: The Epic Story of Human Memory. St. Martin's Press. pp. 150–. ISBN 978-1-250-01492-4.

M. T. Clanchy (2012). From Memory to Written Record: England 1066 - 1307. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 101–. ISBN 978-1-118-29598-4.

The Constitutional History of Medieval England: From the English Settlement to 1485

By J. E. A. Jolliffe

(Jolliffe, 1937, p. 210)

William Stubbs (22 March 2012). Select Charters and Other Illustrations of English Constitutional History from the Earliest Times to the Reign of Edward the First. Cambridge University Press. pp. 174–. ISBN 978-1-108-04493-6.

David Charles Douglas; George William Greenaway (28 December 1995). English Historical Documents, 1042-1189. Psychology Press. pp. 482–. ISBN 978-0-415-14367-7. EHD 47

David Charles Douglas; George William Greenaway (28 December 1995). English Historical Documents, 1042-1189. Psychology Press. pp. 484–. ISBN 978-0-415-14367-7. EHD 48

Early English Laws Inquest of Sheriffs (Inq Sher1)

Early English Laws Inquest of Sheriffs (Inq Sher2)

The Governance of Mediaeval England from the Conquest to Magna Carta

By H. G. Richardson; G. O. Sayles

(Richardson & Sayles, 1963, p. 201)

The First Century of English Feudalism, 1066-1166: Being the Ford Lectures Delivered in the University of Oxford in Hilary Term 1929

By F. M. Stenton

(Stenton, 1932, p. 80)

Sanctuary and Crime in the Middle Ages, 400-1500

By Karl Shoemaker

(Shoemaker, 2011, p. 118)

Kings, Courts and Monarchy

By Harold Nicolson

 (Nicolson, 1962, p. 161)