The high sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the high sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions are now largely ceremonial. The high sheriff changes every April. The position of High Sheriff of

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...

has existed since the creation of the non-metropolitan and

ceremonial county The counties and areas for the purposes of the lieutenancies, also referred to as the lieutenancy areas of England and informally known as ceremonial counties, are areas of England to which lords-lieutenant are appointed. Legally, the areas i ...

of Cumbria in 1974 which saw the abolition of the former shrievalties of

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...

and

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref> is a historic county in North West England spanning the southern Lake District and the northern Dales. It had an ...

. As well as Cumberland and Westmorland Cumbria also includes former parts of

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

and the

West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...

. The non-metropolitan county of Cumbria was abolished on 1 April 2023 and replaced with two unitary authorities known as

and

Westmorland and Furness Westmorland and Furness is a future unitary authority area in north-west England, which will come into being on 1 April 2023 on the abolition of Cumbria County Council, together with Cumberland. The council will cover the areas currently served ...

. The two new unitary authorities continue to constitute a

named "Cumbria" for the purpose of lieutenancy and shrievalties, being presided over by a

Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria This is a list of those who have held the position of Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria. Cumbria was formed on 1 April 1974 by combining Cumberland and Westmorland and the area of Lancashire North of the Sands part of the Lonsdale Hundred. History The ...

and a High Sheriff of Cumbria.

List of high sheriffs

*1974: George Nigel Fancourt Wingate, of Bridge End House,

Cockermouth Cockermouth is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England, so named because it is at the confluence of the River Cocker as it flows into the River Derwent. The mid-2010 census estimates state that Cocke ...

*1975: Michael Charles Stanley, of Halecat,

Witherslack Witherslack is a small village and former civil parishes in England, civil parish, now in the parish of Witherslack, Meathop and Ulpha, in the south of Cumbria. It lies on the north eastern side of Morecambe Bay, England. The eastern side of the ...

, Grange-over-Sands *1976: Joseph Hugh Harris, of Brackenburgh, Calthwaite, Penrith *1977: Edward Hubert Fleming-Smith, of Hawksdale Hall,

Dalston Dalston () is an area of East London, in the London Borough of Hackney. It is northeast of Charing Cross. Dalston began as a hamlet on either side of Dalston Lane, and as the area urbanised the term also came to apply to surrounding areas includ ...

, Carlisle *1978: Richard Hugh Cavendish, of

Holker Hall Holker Hall (pronounced Hooker by some) is a privately owned country house located about 2 km to the southwest of the village of Cartmel in the ceremonial county of Cumbria and historic county of Lancashire, England. It is "the grandest ...

*1979: Stafford Vaughan Stepney Howard, of

Greystoke Castle Greystoke Castle is in the village of Greystoke west of Penrith in the county of Cumbria in northern England. (). Details In 1069, after the Norman conquest the English landlord Ligulf de Greystoke was re-granted his land and he built a woode ...

, Penrith *1980: Charles Henry Bagot, of

Levens Hall Levens Hall is a manor house in the Kent valley, near the village of Levens and south of Kendal in Cumbria, Northern England. History The first house on the site was a pele tower built by the Redman family in around 1350. Much of the prese ...

*1981: Timothy Ross Fetherstonhaugh, of The College, Kirkoswald, Penrith *1982: William John Montague Chaplin of Finsthwaite House,

Ulverston Ulverston is a market town and a civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 11,524, increasing at the 2011 census to 11,678. Historically in Lancashire, it lies a few mi ...

*1983: Peter Eric Fyers Crewdson of Summerhow,

Kendal Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, south-east of Windermere and north of Lancaster. Historically in Westmorland, it lies within the dale of th ...

*1984: Edward Peter Ecroyd, of Low House,

Armathwaite Armathwaite is a village in the English ceremonial county of Cumbria. Historically within the county of Cumberland, Armathwaite lies on the River Eden, forms part of Eden district and is served by Armathwaite railway station. The majority of t ...

, Carlisle *1985: Major Antony James Robinson Harrison, of Wreay Hall,

Wreay Wreay ( ) is a small English village that lies on the River Petteril in today's Cumbria. The M6 motorway, A6 trunk road and West Coast Main Line railway all skirt the village. Governance Wreay was once a civil parish, In 1931 it had a populat ...

, Carlisle *1986: Major Nigel James Clarkson Webb, of Buckstone House,

Burton-in-Kendal Burton-in-Kendal is a village and civil parish on the extreme southern edge of Cumbria, England. The parish contains around 660 houses and in the 2001 census had a population of 1,411, increasing at the 2011 census to 1,497. Historically with ...

, via Carnforth, Lancs. *1987: William Victor Gubbins, of Eden Lacy,

Lazonby Lazonby is a village and civil parish in the Lower Eden Valley of Cumbria; it is located about north north-east of Penrith and 24 miles (38 km) south of the Scottish Borders. The total population of the ward of Lazonby, which also includ ...

, Penrith *1988: Roger Brockbank, of Common Head,

Staveley Staveley may refer to: Places * Staveley, Cumbria, village in the former county of Westmorland and now in Cumbria, England ** Staveley railway station * Staveley-in-Cartmel, village formerly in Lancashire, now in Cumbria, England * Staveley, D ...

, Kendal *1989: Major Timothy Richard Riley, of Burbank House, Blencowe, Penrith *1990: Thomas Peter Naylor, of The Clock House,

Far Sawrey Near Sawrey and Far Sawrey are two neighbouring villages in the Furness area of Cumbria, England. They are located in the Lake District between the village of Hawkshead and the lake of Windermere. The two lie on the B5285, which runs from Hawk ...

, Ambleside *1991: Ian Cufaude Carr, of Brown Hill, Walton,

Brampton Brampton ( or ) is a city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Brampton is a city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a List of municipalities in Ontario#Lower-tier municipalities, lower-tier municipalit ...

*1992: Myles Christopher Ross Sandys, of Graythwaite Hall,

*1993: Margaret Washington *1994: Frederick John Richard Boddy, of Curwen Woods, Burton *1995: Hugh William Lawson, of Croplands, Heads Nook,

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...

*1996: Henry Charles Fraser Bowring, of Whelprigg House,

Barbon Barbon is a village and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 263, reducing to 236 at the 2011 Census. The church is dedicated to St Bartholomew. The village is abou ...

*1997: John Henry Fryer-Spedding, Mirehouse, Keswick *1998: Simon Philip Pease, Underley Grange,

Kirkby Lonsdale Kirkby Lonsdale () is a town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, on the River Lune. Historically in Westmorland, it lies south-east of Kendal on the A65. The parish recorded a population of 1,771 in the 2001 ...

, Carnforth *1999: Arthur Ian Bullough, of Friars Garth, Walton,

*2000: Lady Hothfield, Drybeck Hall, Appleby *2001: Robert Bryce Hasell-McCosh of

Dalemain Dalemain is a country house around 5 miles south-west of Penrith in Cumbria, England. It is a Grade I listed building. Dalemain is part of the Lake District UNESCO World Heritage Site. History There is evidence of a settlement at Dalemain in Sa ...

, Pooley Bridge, Penrith *2002: David William Trimble, of Deepdale,

, Carlisle *2003: Antony Richard Leeming of Skirsgill Park, Penrith *2004: Frederick Charles Theodore Markham, Morland House, Morland, Penrith *2005: Dr Adam Charles Illingworth Naylor *2006: Robert Lawie Frederick Burgess *2007: Claire Theresa Hensman *2008: Graham William Lamont *2009: Elizabeth Honor Susan Thornely *2010: James Ronald Carr of Warwick-on-Eden *2011: Iona A Frost-Pennington of

Ravenglass Ravenglass is a coastal village in the Copeland District in Cumbria, England. It is between Barrow-in-Furness and Whitehaven. Historically in Cumberland, it is the only coastal village in the Lake District National Park. It is located at the es ...

*2012: Juliet Deirdre Jean Westoll, of Longtown. *2013: Diana Ruth Matthews of

Windermere Windermere (sometimes tautology (language), tautologically called Windermere Lake to distinguish it from the nearby town of Windermere, Cumbria (town), Windermere) is the largest natural lake in England. More than 11 miles (18 km) in leng ...

. *2014: Martyn Peter Telford Hart of Bankhead, Newby East,

. *2015: Samuel Miles Alan Rayner of Murley Hill, Oxenholme Road,

. *2016: (Group Captain) (Thomas) Richard Lee (RAF rtd) of Egremont *2017: Alistair George Milne Wannop of

Linstock A linstock (also called a lintstock) is a staff with a fork at one end to hold a lighted slow match. The name was adapted from the Dutch ''lontstok'', "match stick". Linstocks were used for discharging cannons in the early days of artillery; the ...

. *2018: Simon Frederick Michael Berry of

. *2019: Marcia Elaine Reid Fotheringham, of

. *2020: Julie Elizabeth Barton of

. *2021: David George Beeby of

*2022: Alan McViety *2023: Samantha Scott

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cumbria, High Sheriff of

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

High Sheriffs of Cumbria