The High Sheriff of Louth was the Crown's representative for

County Louth County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of County Meath, M ...

, 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 Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second chil ...

, 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 responsibilit ...

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 PitchfordThe 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 History of County Louth