List of sheriffs of Monmouth County, New Jersey


has had sheriffs since colonial era, when it was part of East Jersey and later was the Province of New Jersey.
After the Dutch surrender of New Netherland, Colonel Richard Nicolls, an English military officer, was authorized to establish the Monmouth Tract, which he did on April 8, 1665, and instituted a legal system centered on English common law During a brief period of control by the Dutch in 1673, a sheriff would be known as a schout.
"An Act to Appoint Sheriffs", was approved by the Legislature of East New Jersey on March 1, 1682. Terms were for a single year with a maximum of three consecutive terms.
Pursuant to Article VII Section II of the 1947 New Jersey State Constitution, each county in New Jersey is required to have three elected administrative officials known as "constitutional officers": the County Clerk, the County Surrogate and the County Sheriff. There are no term limits.
Shaun Golden has been the 76th Sheriff of Monmouth County since 2010.

Royal sheriffs (pre 1776)

Royal sheriffs during colonial era:
OrderTermSheriffNotes
011683Eliakim WardellFirst Royal Sheriff. He was appointed by Deputy Governor Thomas Rudyard; served from May 31, 1683 to November 1684. Prior to his appointment Lewis Morris Jr. was appointed to the position but declined to serve. Richard Hartshorne was then appointed and he also declined. Wardell was the third choice.
021684Robert Hamilton-
1696 to 1699Samuel Foreman
1699Daniel HendricksonFirst New Netherlander to be appointed, namesake of Hendrickson Corners, New Jersey
1700John Stewart
1715Gideon Crawford
1722 to 1727William Nicholls
1760 to 1762John Taylor
1775Elisha LawrenceLast Royal Sheriff. Elisha Lawrence was an American Federalist Party politician, who represented Monmouth County in the New Jersey Legislative Council, the precursor to the New Jersey State Senate, from 1780 through 1783, from 1789 through 1792 and in 1795. He served as Vice-President of Council from 1789 through 1792, and again in 1795.

State of New Jersey (1776-1946)

The sheriffs were:
OrderTermSheriffNotes
011776Nicholas Van BruntFirst Sheriff of Monmouth County after independence.
021779David Forman
031782-1784John Burrowes Jr.
041785David Ehea
051788-89Daniel Hendrickson
061790Elisha Walton
071793William Lloyd
081796James Lloyd
091799Samuel P. Formam
101802Elisha Walton
111805James Lloyd
121808David Craig
131811Lewis Gordon
141814Charles Parker
151817John J. Ely This was his first term. He served as the Director of the Monmouth County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders and as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly. His son, Horatio Ely, would later serve as sheriff.
161820James Lloyd
171823Richard Lloyd
181825John J. ElyThis was his second term.
191828Daniel Holmes
201831John M. Perrine
211834Thomas Miller
221837Horatio Ely
231838Abraham G. Neafie
241841Charles Allen
251844Holmes Conover
261847Samuel Conover
271850John C. Cox
281853Holmes Conover
291856Samuel Conover
301859Joseph I. Thompson
311862Jordan WoolleyHis son was the Mayor of Long Branch, New Jersey.
321865William B. Sutphin
331868John H. Patterson
341871Samuel T. Hendrickson
351874George W. Brown
361878Charles Allen
371881John L. Thompson
381884Theodore Aumack
391887Theodore FieldsHe served from 1887 to 1890. He was born near Eatonown and educated at Ocean Hill Institute in Long Branch. He went into the hotel business purchasing Osborn House in Avon-by-the-Sea and Manasquan, before locating in Wall Township before returning to farming. He was a founder of the Bonnat Club, a hunting and fushing society.
On May 14, 1884 Fields was chosen as Director of the Monmouth County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders and served for three years. Fields was appointed to the unexpired term of Freeholder Samuel M. Gifford, who had died in office, and served on the board until May 1, 1887. After leaving the Board of Chosen Freeholders, Fields was nominated as the 1887 Democratic candidate for sheriff, and was elected to a three-year term in the general election. While sheriff, Fields relocated to Freehold, the county seat. He is the father Houston Fields.
401891Ruliff P. SmockThis is his first term.
411893Matthias WoolleyHe served from 1893 to 1895. Matthias Woolley was the first Republican Sheriff of Monmouth County. He moved to Freehold, New Jersey and hired Houston Fields as his deputy sheriff and John A. Howland as his confidential clerk. He served as a member of the board of education of the Long Branch Public Schools for 16 years and was the district's treasurer for six years.
421896Houston FieldsHe served from 1896 to 1899. Fields was born on October 23, 1861 near Eatontown, New Jersey. He was educated in the Manasquan Public Schools, at the Freehold Institute, and in the Long Branch Public Schools. He was admitted to the bar in June 1894, and as a Master in Chancery in 1896. After working for five years for the Pennsylvania Railroad, Houston Fields was appointed in 1887 as Under Sheriff and warden of the county jail by his father, Sheriff Theodore Fields. He would continue to serve under sheriffs of both parties before being elected to a three-year term as sheriff in 1896. Houston Fields was active in many Masonic and fraternal organizations in Monmouth County.
431899Ruliff P. SmockThis is his second term.
441899Obadiah E. DavisThis was his first term.
441899Obadiah C. BogardusHe was a dentist in Keyport, New Jersey. He was elected sheriff of Monmouth County in 1902 and Mayor of Keyport, New Jersey from 1917 to 1920 and again in 1935.
1902 to 1905Obadiah E.DavisThis was his second term.
1905Charles Asa Francis
1905Charles E. Close
1908Clarence E. F. Hetrick
1911Wilbert A. Beecroft
1914Cornelius B. BarkalowThis was his first term.
1917Elmer Hendrickson GeranMember of the Democratic Party. He was born on October 24, 1875, he represented from 1923 to 1925. He died on January 12, 1954.
1918Cornelius B. BarkalowThis was his second term.
1920Elmer Hendrickson Geran
1920Walter H. Gravatt
1920John H. Van Mater
1921 to 1925
1926Narry N. Johnson
1929William R. O’Brien
1932Howard Height
1935George H. Robert
1938Morris J. Woodring
1941John T. Lawley
1941–1944Morris J. Woodring

State of New Jersey (post-1947 constitution)