The High Sheriff of Louth was the Crown's representative for
County Louth
County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of Meath to the south, Monaghan to the west, Armagh to the north and Down to the ...
, a territory known as his
bailiwick
A bailiwick () is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and once also applied to territories in which a privately appointed bailiff exercised the sheriff's functions under a royal or imperial writ. The bailiwick is probably modelled on th ...
. Selected from three nominated people, he held his office for the duration of a year. He had judicial, ceremonial and administrative functions and executed High Court Writs.
History
The office of
High Sheriff is the oldest under the British crown. It was established in Louth in 1227 and remained first in precedence in the county until the reign of
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
, when an Order in Council in 1908 gave the
Lord-Lieutenant
A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...
the prime office under the Crown as the Sovereign's personal representative. In the United Kingdom, the High Sheriff remains the
Sovereign
''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'.
The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...
's county representative for all matters relating to the Judiciary and the maintenance of law and order. The office of High Sheriff of Louth was abolished in 1922 when the Irish Free State became largely independent.
High Sheriffs of County Louth
*1234: Ralph de Pitchford
[The English in Louth, 1170–1330]
*1270–1272: John de Pitchford
[
*1274: John de Baskervill][
*1275: Roger de Crumba][
*1281–1284: Nicholas de Netterville][
*1285–1291: William de Spineto
*1287: Nicholas de Netterville][
*1291: Thomas de Stanley][
*1293: Richard Taaffe][
*1297: William de Hatch][
*1310: William Dowdall][
*1311: Richard Gernon (murdered)
*1315: Richard Taaffe
*1329: Geoffrey de Brandwade][
*1331: John Gernon
*1346: James Audley
*1377: John Taaffe
*1381: Peter Peppard
*1385: Milo Haddesor
*1386: George Telyng
*1400: Thomas Talbot
*1401: Walter Plunkett
*1402: John Clynton of Keppock
*1403: Sir John Bedilowe, Kt
*1405: John Dowdall (killed)
*1407: John Cusack
*1408: John Cusack
*1410: Walter Plunkett (second term)
*1424: Sir James White
*1425: Sir John Bellew, Kt
*1426: John Bellew
*1427: John Bellew
*1440: Sir Nicholas Taaffe
*1496: Patrick Plunkett
*1497: Richard Plunkett
*1499: John Gernon of Killencoole
*1558: Edward Gernon of Gernonstown
*1562: Sir John Bellew
*1578: Roger Gernon or Garland
*1593: Thomas Gernon
*1594: Roger Gernon
*1595: Rice Jones
*1596: Rice Jones
]
17th century
18th century
19th century
20th century
References
High Sheriffs 1361–1918
{{DEFAULTSORT:High Sheriff Of County Louth
Louth Louth may refer to:
Australia
*Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia
* Louth, New South Wales, a town
* Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia
**Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality
Canada
* Louth, Ontario
Ireland
* Cou ...
History of County Louth