
Sheriff of Hexham (died 793) was the Northumbrian Sheriff of Hexham during the 8th century AD. In 793 AD, he and 12 other men greeted Ragnarr Lodbrok's Vikings when they landed on English shores, mistaking them for traders and warmly greeting them. While Ragnarr was friendly and agreed to the Sheriff's request to be escorted to the royal villa nearby to discuss trade, his lieutenants did not trust the Saxons, fearing a trap. The Sheriff decided to assuage their fears by handing over his sheriff's necklace to Rollo Sigurdsson as an assurance, but the crazed Viking Hrafna-Floki Vilgertharson went on to take a Saxon soldier's crucifix necklace for himself as well, causing both sides to draw their swords. The Sheriff attempted to calm both sides, only for Rollo to cut him down with his axe.