The Sheriff of Perth was historically a royal official, appointed for life, who was responsible for enforcing justice in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, Scotland. Prior to 1748 most sheriffdoms were held on a hereditary basis. From that date, following the Jacobite uprising of 1745, the hereditary sheriffs were replaced by salaried sheriff-deputes, qualified advocates who were members of the Scottish Bar. Following consecutive reorganisations of the Scottish sheriffdoms the position became the Sheriff of Perthshire in 1747 and the Sheriff of Perth & Angus in 1934. The sheriffdom was dissolved in 1975 and replaced by that of

Tayside, Central and Fife The Sheriff Principal of Tayside, Central and Fife is the head of the judicial system of the sheriffdom of Tayside, Central and Fife, one of the six sheriffdoms covering the whole of Scotland. The sheriffdom employs a number of legally qualified ...

Sheriffs of Perth

*Kenneth (1164) *Roger de Mortimer of Aberdour (1209) *John de Moray (1210) * Geoffrey de Inverkunglas (1219) *John Hay of Naughton (1226-1228) *William Blund (1228) *Malcolm of Moray (1236) *Adam de Lochore *William de Munfichet (1245) *John Hay of Naughton (1246) *William de Lauder (1251) *David de Lochore (1255) * Gilbert de la Hay (1262) *John Cameron (1264) *George de Cambrun (1266) *Christian de l'Isle (1280) *

Nicholas de la Haye Sir Nicholas de la Haye, Baron of Errol was a 13th-14th century Scottish noble. Nicholas was the son of Gilbert de la Hay and Ideonea Comyn. He was Sheriff of Perth and Constable of Perth Castle by 1289 and was one of John Balliol's auditors in ...

(1289) *

Walter de Burghdon Sir Walter de Burghdon, also known as Walter de Burdon, acted as the Constable of Carstairs Castle, the Sheriff of Lanark during 1301-1303 and joint Justiciar of Galloway in 1305. Biography Walter was appointed keeper of Carstairs Castle in 1301 w ...

(1295) * John de Inchmartin (1305) *

Alexander de Abernethy Alexander de Abernethy (after 1271 – c. 1315) was a Scottish baron. He was a son of Hugh de Abernethy and Maria de Ergadia. Alexander was a descendant of abbots of Abernethy; his great-grandfather Laurence, great-grandson of Gillemichael, Ea ...

(1305) *John de Stirling (1334) *Andrew Buthirgask (1344) *John Denniston (1355) **Harry de Fotheringay (1357) *Hugh de Ros (1362) *Andrew Buthirgask (1365) *Robert Stewart of Innermeath (1369) *Alexander Abercrombie (1370) *Thomas de Wanchope (1373) *Walter Stewart of Ralston (1381) *

Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, Strathearn and Caithness (c. 1360 – 26 March 1437) was a Scottish nobleman, the son of Robert II of Scotland. Stewart advocated for the ransom and return to Scotland of the future king in exile, James I, in 1424. ...

(1433) **John Spence - 1433 - Deputy **Archibald Stewart - 1439 - Deputy *Patrick Charteris (1440) *John de Haddington (1441) *William Ruthven (1443) *Patrick Charteris (1446) *Patrick Graham, Lord Graham (1459) *William Graham (1465) * Laurence Oliphant, 1st Lord Oliphant (1470) *Robert Abercromby (1478) *

John Murray, 1st Duke of Atholl John Murray, 1st Duke of Atholl, KT, PC (24 February 166014 November 1724) was a Scottish nobleman, politician, and soldier. He served in numerous positions during his life, and fought in the Glorious Revolution for William III and Mary II. ...

(1695–1724) *

James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl (28 September 16908 January 1764), styled Marquess of Tullibardine between 1715 and 1746, was a Scottish peer, and Lord Privy Seal. Life Atholl was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and was the third son of John Mur ...

(1724-1748)

Sheriffs of Perthshire (1747)

Patrick Haldane Rev Patrick Haldane of Gleneagles MP (1683–1769) was a Scottish classicist, advocate, politician and judge. Life He was born the second son of John Haldane of Gleneagles, M.P., and the younger brother of Mungo Haldane. He was educated at ...

, 1747-1748 *

James Erskine James Erskine may refer to: *James Erskine, 6th Earl of Buchan (died 1640) *James Erskine, 7th Earl of Buchan (died 1664), Earl of Buchan *Sir James Erskine, 2nd Baronet (c. 1670–1693), of the Erskine baronets *James Erskine (Aberdeen MP) (born 1 ...

, 1748–1754 * John Swinton, 1754–1782 (died 1799) * William Nairne of Dunsinnan, 1783– * Archibald Colquhoun, 1793–1807 *

John Hay Forbes, Lord Medwyn John Hay Forbes, Lord Medwyn (19 September 1776 – 25 July 1854) was a British judge. Life Forbes was born in Edinburgh on 19 September 1776 the second son of Sir William Forbes, 6th Baronet, and his wife Elizabeth Hay. He studied law at Edinb ...

, 1807–1824 *

Duncan McNeill, 1st Baron Colonsay Duncan McNeill, 1st Baron Colonsay FRSE (20 August 1793 – 31 January 1874) was a Scottish advocate, judge and Tory politician. He was Lord Justice General and Lord President of the Court of Session between 1852 and 1867. His younger brother w ...

, 1824–1834 * Adam Anderson, 1835–1841 *Robert Whigham, 1841–1849 * James Craufurd, 1849–1853 *

Edward Gordon, Baron Gordon of Drumearn Edward Strathearn Gordon, Baron Gordon of Drumearn, (10 April 1814 – 21 August 1879) was a Scottish judge and politician. Early life and education Gordon was born on 10 April 1814. He was educated at Inverness Royal Academy, Royal High Sc ...

, 1858–1866 *John Tait, 1866–1874 *James Adam, 1874–1876 *

John Macdonald, Lord Kingsburgh Sir John Hay Athole Macdonald, Lord Kingsburgh, KCB, PC, PRSSA, FRS, FRSE (27 December 1836 – 9 May 1919) was a Scottish Conservative Party politician and later a judge. Life Macdonald was born on 28 December 1836 at 29 Great King Stree ...

, 1880– *

William Gloag, Lord Kincairney William Ellis Gloag, Lord Kincairney (7 February 1828 – 8 October 1909) was a Scottish judge. Life Born in Perth on 7 February 1828, he was son of William Gloag, a banker in Perth, by his wife Jessie, daughter of John Burn, writer to the Signe ...

, 1885–1889 *

Charles Pearson Charles Pearson (4 October 1793 – 14 September 1862) was a British lawyer and politician. He was solicitor to the City of London, a reforming campaigner, and – briefly – Member of Parliament for Lambeth. He campaigned against corruption in ...

, 1889–1890 *

Andrew Graham Murray Andrew Graham Murray, 1st Viscount Dunedin, (21 November 1849 – 21 August 1942) was a Scottish politician and judge. He served as Secretary for Scotland between 1903 and 1905, as Lord Justice General and Lord President of the Court of Sessi ...

, 1890–1891 *

Andrew Jameson, Lord Ardwall Andrew Jameson, Lord Ardwall (5 July 1845 – 21 November 1911) was a Scottish Advocate and Judge. He is the subject of a 1913 biography by John Buchan. Life Born at Ayr on 5 July 1845, he was eldest son of Alexandra, daughter of Alexander C ...

, 1891–1905 *

Christopher Nicholson Johnston Sir Christopher Nicholson Johnston, Lord Sands FRSE (18 October 1857 – 26 February 1934) was a Unionist Party (Scotland) MP for Edinburgh and St Andrews universities between two by-elections in 1916 and 1917. He was an expert on Church Law and ...

, KC, 1905–1916 * John Wilson KC, 1917–1920 *

James Condie Stewart Sandeman James Condie Stewart Sandeman (1866–11 November 1933) was a Scottish advocate. Biography He was the son of Colonel Frank Stewart Sandeman of Stanley, Perthshire, by his wife Laura, daughter of James Condie WS, of Perth; Dr Laura Stewart Sande ...

KC, 1920–

Sheriffs of Perth and Angus (1934)

* Daniel Patterson Blades, 1934-1945 (

Solicitor General for Scotland , body = , insignia = Crest of the Kingdom of Scotland.svg , insigniasize = 110px , image = File:Official Portrait of Ruth Charteris QC.png , incumbent = Ruth Charteris KC , incumbentsince = 22 June 2021 , department = Crown Office and ...

, 1945) *

James Frederick Strachan James Frederick Strachan, Lord Strachan LLD (1894–1978) was a 20th-century Scottish law lord who served as a Senator of the College of Justice. Life He was born in 1894 the son of James Kelt Strachan of Errol (1860-1932) and his wife, Eli ...

, KC, 1945–1948 * Laurence Hill Watson, KC, 1948–1952 *Thomas Blantyre Simpson, QC, 1952–1954 * Christopher William Graham Guest, QC, 1954–1955 *Sir James Randall Philip, QC, 1955–1957 *

Charles Shaw, Baron Kilbrandon Charles James Dalrymple Shaw, Baron Kilbrandon, PC (15 August 1906 – 10 September 1989) was a Scottish judge and law lord. Family and education He was the son of James Edward Shaw and his wife Gladys Elizabeth Lester (the daughter of th ...

, 1957–1958 *Hector McKechnie, QC, 1958–1963 *

George Emslie, Baron Emslie George Carlyle Emslie, Baron Emslie, (6 December 1919 – 21 November 2002) was a Scottish judge. Educated at the High School of Glasgow and the University of Glasgow, he was commissioned in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and served in ...

, 1963–1966 *Ian MacDonald Robertson, QC, 1966–1966 * Margaret Henderson Kidd, QC, 1966–1974 * William Murray, 8th Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield, 1974–1975 *''Sheriffdom replaced in 1975 by the sheriffdom of

''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perth * History of Perth, Scotland

Sheriffs of Perth

Sheriffs of Perthshire (1747)

Sheriffs of Perth and Angus (1934)

See also

References