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This is a list of sheriffs of Essex County, Massachusetts. In the earliest days of the county the office of sheriff was called the marshall. Since 1692 the office has been called the sheriff. The Sheriff originally was an appointed office, it has been an elected position since 1856. The sheriff is elected to serve a six-year term.
The current Essex County Sheriff is Kevin Coppinger.
| Sheriff | Picture | Term | Party | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Corwin | 1692–1696 | |||
| William Gedney | 1696–1702 | |||
| Thomas Wainwright | 1702 | |||
| William Gedney | ||||
| Daniel Denison | 1708–1710 | |||
| William Gedney | 1710–1715 | |||
| John Denison | 1715–1722 | |||
| John Denison | July 3, 1722 – December 12, 1728 | Joint Sheriff of Essex County with Benjamin Marston from July 3, 1722, to December 12, 1728. | ||
| Benjamin Marston | July 3, 1722, – December 12, 1728 | Joint Sheriff of Essex County with John Denison from July 3, 1722, to December 12, 1728. | ||
| Benjamin Marston | December 12, 1728 – January 24, 1745-6 | Joint Sheriff of Essex County with John Denison from July 3, 1722, to December 12, 1728. | ||
| Robert Hale | 1746–1766 | |||
| Richard Saltonstall | 1766–1779 | |||
| Michael Farley | 1779–1792 | |||
| Bailey Bartlett | 1792–1831 | |||
| Joseph E. Sprague | 1831–1852 | |||
| Frederick Robinson | 1852–1854 | Republican | ||
| Thomas E. Payson | 1854–1856 | Whig | ||
| James Cary | 1856–1866 | |||
| Horatio G. Herrick | 1866–1893 | Republican | ||
| Samuel A. Johnson | 1893–1919 | Republican | Died in office. | |
| Patrick F. Tierney | 1919–1921 | |||
| Arthur G. Wells | 1921–1932 | Republican | Died in office. | |
| Frank E. Raymond | 1932–1953 | Republican | ||
| Earl Wells | 1953–1964 | Republican | Died in office. Succeeded by his son. | |
| Roger E. Wells | 1964 | Republican | Acting | |
| William J. Casey | 
|
1964–1965 | Democratic | Appointed by Gov. Endicott Peabody |
| Roger E. Wells | 1964–1975 | Republican | ||
| Robert Ellis Cahill | 1975–1978 | Democratic | Resigned after he suffered a heart attack and stroke. | |
| Charles Reardon | 1978–1996 | Democratic | Resigned after pleading guilty to corruption charges. | |
| Frank G. Cousins, Jr | 
|
1996–2017 | Republican | Appointed in 1996 by Massachusetts Governor William Weld. |
| Kevin Coppinger | 2017–present | Democratic |
- ^ Hurd, Duane Hamilton (1888), History of Essex County, Massachusetts: With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Volume I., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: J. W. Lewis & Company, p. xi
- Guiley, Rosemary (2011). Haunted Salem: Strange Phenomena in the Witch City: Strange Phenomena in the Witch City. Stackpole Books. ISBN 9780811744218.
- Lorant, Richard (September 18, 1996). "Essex County sheriff resigns in corruption". SouthCoastToday.com. Retrieved November 20, 2013.