GEREFA

In Saxon law. Greve, reve, or reeve; a ministerial oflicer of high antiquity in England; answering to the grave or graf (grafio) of the early continental nations. The term was applied to various grades of officers, from the scyre-gerefa, shire-grefe, or shire-reve, who had charge of the county, (and whose title and office have been perpetuated in the modern “sheriff,”) down to the tun-gerefa, or town-reeve, and lower. Burrill.