Return
to Maryland Government, Historical List
Initially, the Sheriff was elected to a three-year term and could not
hold the office again for four years after leaving. Under the Constitution
of 1851 [Art.
IV, Sect. 20], the Sheriff was elected to a two-year term and was prohibited
from running for reelection. This changed in 1915, when a constitutional
amendment provided for a four-year term and no restriction on reelection
[Laws
of 1914, Chap. 845]. If a sheriff resigns or dies in office, a replacement
is named by the governor to serve out the remaining term.
| Name | Dates Served | Source |
| John Kettlewell | 1845-1848 | MSA S108-15; Sun 10 Oct. 1845 |
| Charles F. Cloud | 1848-1851 | MSA S108-16; Sun 25 Jan. 1851 |
| John Hayes | 1851-1853 | Scharf |
| John Hyndes | 1853-1855 | Scharf |
| Samuel Gaskins | 1855-1857 | Scharf |
| Thomas Creamer | 1857-1859 | Scharf |
| George D. Hutton | 1859-1861 | Scharf |
| Edward R. Sparks | 1861-1863 | Scharf |
| John J. Daneker | 1863-1865 | Scharf |
| William Thompson | 1865-1867 | Scharf |
| Augustus Albert | 1867-1869 | Scharf |
| John W. Davis | 1869-1871 | Scharf |
| George P. Kane | 1871-1873 | Scharf |
| Augustus Albert | 1873-1875 | Scharf |
| Samuel S. Mills | 1875-1877 | Scharf |
| Philip Snowden | 1877-1879 | Scharf |
| Alfred E. Smyrk | 1879-1881 | Scharf |
| John F. Hunter | 1881-1883 | Sun, 9 Nov. 1881 |
| William F. Airey | 1883-1885 | Sun, 8 Nov. 1883; MM 1885, p. 50 |
| H. D. Fledderman | 1885-1887 | MSA S 108-85 |
| George May | 1887-1889 | Sun, 14 Nov. 1887 |
| George MacCaffray | 1889-1891 | Sun, 19 Nov. 1889 |
| Isaac S. Sanner | 1891-1893 | Sun 5 Nov. 1891 |
| Timothy Maloney | 1893-1895 | MSA S108-89 |
| Stephen R. Mason | 1895-1897 | MSA S108-90 |
| Edmund M. Hoffman | 1897-1899 | MM 1898, 131 |
| John B. Schwatka | 1899-1901 | MSA S63-3 |
| Samuel G. Davis | 1901-1903 | MSA S63-5 |
| William H. Green | 1903-1905 | MSA S63-7 |
| George W. Padgett | 1905-1907 | MM 1906-1907, 224 |
| Robert J. Padgett | 1907-1909 | MSA S63-9 |
| John J. Hanson | 1909-1911 | MSA S63-14 |
| Theodore P. Weis | 1911-1913 | MM 1912-1913, 165 |
| Thomas F. McNulty | 1913-1923 | MSA S63-21; MSA S63-37 |
| John E. Potee | 1923-1930 | MSA S63-49; MM 1924, 95 |
| Joseph C. Deegan 1 | 1930-1963 | MSA S63-65; Sun 11 Feb. 1963 |
| Frank J. Pelz 2 | 1963-1974 | Sun 20 Feb. 1963; MM 1973-1974, 545 |
| George W. Freeberger | 1974-1986 | MM 1975-1976, 230; MM 1983-1984, 511 |
| Shelton J. Stewart 3 | 1986-1989 | MM 1987-1988, 555; Sun 31 Aug. 1994 |
| John W. Anderson | 1989-2022 | MM online |
| Samuel Cogen | 2022-present | MM online |
Notes:
1. Died in office on February 10, 1963. Pelz was
appointed as his replacement.
2. Resigned on May 31, 1974. Freeberger was appointed
June 28, 1974.
3. Removed from office following felony conviction.
Anderson was appointed in 1989 to complete Stewart's term and was subsequently
elected to a full term in 1990.
Sources:
J. Thomas Scharf. History
of Baltimore City and County, 1881.
Maryland Manual,
1885-present.
The Sun (Baltimore).
Maryland State Archives GOVERNOR (Election Returns) 1838-1895, MSA
S108
Maryland State Archives BOARD OF STATE CANVASSERS (Election Returns),
1896-1976, MSA S63