The Sheriff of Wigtown was historically the office responsible for enforcing law and order in

Wigtown Wigtown ( (both used locally); gd, Baile na h-Ùige) is a town and former royal burgh in Wigtownshire, of which it is the county town, within the Dumfries and Galloway region in Scotland. It lies east of Stranraer and south of Newton Stewart. I ...

, Scotland and bringing criminals to justice. 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. It became known as the Sheriff of Wigton & Kirkcudbright in 1860 and was dissolved and incorporated into the sheriffdom of Dumfries & Galloway in 1874. The Stewartry of Kirkcudbright was created in 1369, when the area between the Rivers Nith and

Cree The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada ...

was granted to

Archibald the Grim Archibald Douglas, Earl of Douglas and Wigtown, Lord of Galloway, Douglas and Bothwell (c. 1330 – c. 24 December 1400), called Archibald the Grim or Black Archibald, was a late medieval Scottish nobleman. Archibald was the bastard son of ...

. A steward was appointed by to administer the area which was known the "Stewartry".

Sheriffs of Wigtown

*Robert FitzTrute (c.1200) *

Alexander Comyn Alexander Comyn, 2nd Earl of Buchan (died 1289) was a Scoto-Norman magnate who was one of the most important figures in the 13th century Kingdom of Scotland. He was the son of William Comyn, jure uxoris Earl of Buchan, and Marjory, Countess o ...

(1263-1266) * John Comyn, Master of Buchan (1288) *Walter of Twynham (1296) * Domhnall mac Cailein c.1298 *

John Comyn, Earl of Buchan John Comyn, 3rd Earl of Buchan (circa 1260 – 1308) was a chief opponent of Robert the Bruce in the civil war that paralleled the War of Scottish Independence. He should not be confused with the better known John III Comyn, Lord of Badenoch ...

(1300) *

Thomas McCulloch Dr. Thomas McCulloch (1776 – September 9, 1843) was a Scottish-born, Presbyterian minister, author, educator, and education reformer. He was the founder and principal of Pictou Academy (pronounced ''pick-toe'') and the first principal of Dal ...

(1305) *William Douglas of Leawalt (1424) *Andrew Agnew (1456) *

Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran (died c. 1473) was a Scottish nobleman. Thomas was the son of Robert, 1st Lord Boyd, who was a regent during the minority of King James III of Scotland. His father was able to have Thomas created Earl of Arran and Ba ...

(1468) *Andrew Agnew (1468) * John Graham (1648) * Andrew Agnew (?-1747) ;Sheriffs-Depute * Alexander Boswell, 1748–1750 * Andrew Pringle, 1750–1751 (Sheriff of Selkirk, 1751) *Thomas Dundas, 1751– *Alexander Spalding Gordon, –1794 *John Busby Maitland, 1794–1818 *James Walker, 1818–c.1840 *Adam Urquhart 1843–1860

Stewards of Kirkcudbright

*Donald Maclellen of Gelston, 1456 *William Edmonstoune of Duntreath, 1462 *John Kennedy of Blairquhan, 1463 *

, 1468 *Humphrey Colquhoun, 1468 *

Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell (died 18 October 1508) was Lord High Admiral of Scotland. He rose to political prominence after supporting James IV against his father, and was proxy at the King's marriage. Career Patrick was the son of Adam ...

, 1489 *

Robert Maxwell, 5th Lord Maxwell Robert Maxwell, 5th Lord Maxwell (1493 – 9 July 1546) was a member of the Council of Regency (1536) of the Kingdom of Scotland, Regent of the Isle of Arran and like his father before him patriarch of the House of Maxwell/Clan Maxwell. A distingui ...

, 1526

Sheriffs of Kirkcudbright

Thomas Miller, Lord Glenlee Sir Thomas Miller, 1st Baronet FRSE (3 November 1717 – 27 September 1789), known as Lord Barskimming (1766–88) and Lord Glenlee (from 1788) during his judicial service, was a Scottish advocate, judge, politician and landowner. He was a foun ...

, 1748–1755 * David Ross, 1756–1763 *

Alexander Gordon, Lord Rockville Alexander Gordon, Lord Rockville (1739 – 13 March 1792) was a Scottish judge. Life Rockville was the youngest son of William Gordon, 2nd Earl of Aberdeen, by his third wife Lady Anne, daughter of Alexander Gordon, 2nd Duke of Gordon. He be ...

, 1764–1784 *Sir Alexander Gordon, 1784–1830 * Alexander Wood of Woodcote, 1830–1841 * Erskine Douglas Sandford, 1841–1860

Sheriffs of Wigton & Kirkcudbright (1860)

* Erskine Douglas Sandford, 1860–61 * David Hector, 1861-1874 *''For sheriffs after 1874 see

Sheriff of Dumfries and Galloway The Sheriff of Dumfries and Galloway, was historically the royal official responsible for enforcing law and order in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Prior to 1748 most sheriffdoms were held on a hereditary basis. From that date, following the J ...

References

Sheriff courts

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 ...

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Sheriffs of Wigtown

Stewards of Kirkcudbright

Sheriffs of Kirkcudbright

Sheriffs of Wigton & Kirkcudbright (1860)

See also

References