A bailiff was an estate manager for the lord of the manor in feudal England, beginning in the 11th century. Towards the end of the [[Middle Ages]], the bailiff's duties shifted to become an assistant the sheriff, because lords were often renting their manors to farmers and did not need estate managers anymore. | A bailiff was an estate manager for the lord of the manor in feudal England, beginning in the 11th century. Towards the end of the [[Middle Ages]], the bailiff's duties shifted to become an assistant the sheriff, because lords were often renting their manors to farmers and did not need estate managers anymore. |