This is a list of the present unpaid ceremonial offices of
High Sheriffs in
England and Wales
England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is En ...
and in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...
, along with the more localised but equivalent Sheriffdoms of 16 towns/cities.
Historically a High Sheriff was appointed to each of the
historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are areas that were established for administration by the Normans, in many cases based on earlier kingdoms and shires created by the Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Celts and others. They are alternatively known as an ...
and
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
and those of
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
. The
Sheriffs Act 1887
The Sheriffs Act 1887 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It sets out the appointments and qualifications of sheriffs in England and Wales.
The Act gives sheriffs the right to arrest those resisting a warrant (''posse comitat ...
sets out the appointments and qualifications of sheriffs in England and Wales. The shrievalties were subsequently redefined in terms of the new administrative counties established by the
Local Government Act 1888
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
* Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administrat ...
and
Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. These were abolished in England and Wales in 1974 by the
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
, with shrievalties since then being defined in terms of the new local government areas created by that Act. As the structure of local government has changed since the introduction of unitary authorities from the 1990s onwards, the shrievalties in England and Wales are now defined as groups of local authorities, or parts of them, in a similar fashion to the Lieutenancies.
The shrieval counties and shrievalties contrast with different words and meaning in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
where the office of Sheriff has remained a judicial office. Sheriffs preside over
sheriff courts with one
Sheriff Principal
In Scotland a sheriff principal (''pl''. sheriffs principal) is a judge in charge of a sheriffdom with judicial, quasi-judicial, and administrative responsibilities. Sheriffs principal have been part of the judiciary of Scotland since the 11 ...
for each of the six
sheriffdom
A sheriffdom is a judicial district in Scotland, led by a sheriff principal. Since 1 January 1975, there have been six sheriffdoms. Each sheriffdom is divided into a series of sheriff court districts, and each sheriff court is presided over by a r ...
s in Scotland.
England
*
High Sheriff of Bedfordshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Bedfordshire.
Pre-Conquest
pre-1042: Aelfstan
1042-1066; Godric, Ralph Talgebose Bondi the staller
1066–1125
*1066-c.1084: Ansculf de Picquigny
* Ralph Taillebois
*c. 1080 Hugh de Beauchamp
*1124 Ri ...
*
High Sheriff of Berkshire
*
High Sheriff of Bristol
This is a list of Civic Sheriffs and High Sheriffs of the County of the City of Bristol, England.
The office of High Sheriff is over 1000 years old, with its establishment before the Norman Conquest. The High Sheriff remained first in precedence ...
*
High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire
*
High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire
This is a list of sheriffs and since 1974 high sheriffs of Cambridgeshire.
The Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the ...
*
High Sheriff of Cheshire
*
High Sheriff of Cornwall
Sheriffs and high sheriffs of Cornwall: a chronological list:
The right to choose high sheriffs each year is vested in the Duchy of Cornwall. The Privy Council, chaired by the sovereign, chooses the sheriffs of all other English counties, oth ...
*
High Sheriff of Cumbria
*
High Sheriff of Derbyshire
*
High Sheriff of Devon
*
High Sheriff of Dorset
*
High Sheriff of Durham
This is a list of the High Sheriffs of County Durham, England.
In most counties the High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. In the Palatinate of Durham the officeholder was appointed by and was accountable to the Bishop of D ...
*
High Sheriff of the East Riding of Yorkshire
*
High Sheriff of East Sussex
*
High Sheriff of Essex
*
High Sheriff of Gloucestershire
*
High Sheriff of Greater London
*
High Sheriff of Greater Manchester
*
High Sheriff of Hampshire
*
High Sheriff of Herefordshire
*
High Sheriff of Hertfordshire
*
High Sheriff of Humberside
The High Sheriff of Humberside was a High Sheriff title which was in existence from 1974 until 1996, covering the former county of Humberside, England.
The county of Humberside was formed from most of the East Riding of Yorkshire and parts of Li ...
*
High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight
*
High Sheriff of Kent
*
High Sheriff of Lancashire
The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales. The High Sheriff of Lanca ...
*
High Sheriff of Leicestershire
This is a list of Sheriffs and High Sheriffs of Leicestershire, United Kingdom. The 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 ...
*
High Sheriff of Lincolnshire
*
High Sheriff of Merseyside
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Merseyside. The High Sheriff is the Queen's judicial representative in Merseyside, serving a one year term starting on 25 March.
*1974–1975: Kenneth Maxwell Stoddart, JP, DL, of 6 The Knowe, Willaston, ...
*
High Sheriff of Norfolk
*
High Sheriff of Northamptonshire
*
High Sheriff of North Yorkshire
*
High Sheriff of Northumberland
*
High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire
*
High Sheriff of Oxfordshire
The High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'.
The title of High Sheriff is therefore much olde ...
*
High Sheriff of Rutland
*
High Sheriff of Shropshire
This is a list of sheriffs and high sheriffs of Shropshire
The 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 responsibi ...
*
High Sheriff of Somerset
The office of High Sheriff of Somerset is an ancient shrievalty which has been in existence since the 11th century. Originally known as the "Sheriff of Somerset", the role was retitled on 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Government ...
*
High Sheriff of South Yorkshire
*
High Sheriff of Staffordshire
*
High Sheriff of Suffolk
This is a list of Sheriffs and High Sheriffs of Suffolk.
The Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown and is appointed annually (in March) by the Crown. The Sheriff was originally the principal law enforcement officer in the county a ...
*
High Sheriff of Surrey
*
High Sheriff of Tyne and Wear
*
High Sheriff of Warwickshire
*
High Sheriff of the West Midlands
The Office of High Sheriff of the West Midlands is the ceremonial position of High Sheriff appointed to the West Midlands, a metropolitan county in central England. The appointment is made by the British monarch by Pricking the Lists. Created in ...
*
High Sheriff of West Sussex
*
High Sheriff of West Yorkshire
The High Sheriff of West Yorkshire is a current High Sheriff title which has existed since 1974, the holder is changed annually every March. For around 1,000 years the entire area of Yorkshire was covered by a single Sheriff of Yorkshire. After ...
*
High Sheriff of Wiltshire
*
High Sheriff of Worcestershire
*
High Sheriff of Yorkshire
Town sheriffs
Town sheriffs are maintained in some of the historic
counties corporate.
*
Sheriff of Berwick-upon-Tweed
*
Sheriff of Canterbury
The Sheriff of Canterbury is a shrievalty in the city of Canterbury, England. The office was first held in 1461 by Richard Carpenter, when a charter of king Edward IV granted the city the perpetual status of a county independent of Kent itself. ...
*
Sheriff of Chester
*
Sheriff of Gloucester
*
Sheriff of Lichfield
*
Sheriff of Lincoln
*
Sheriffs of the City of London
Two sheriffs are elected annually for the City of London by the Liverymen of the City livery companies. Today's sheriffs have only nominal duties, but the historical officeholders had important judicial responsibilities. They have attended the ju ...
*
Sheriff of Newcastle upon Tyne
The office of Sheriff of Newcastle upon Tyne existed from until local government reorganisation in , and was reintroduced in as a title held additionally by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne. The city has a sheriff because it was h ...
*
Sheriff of Nottingham
*
Sheriff of Norwich
*
Sheriff of Oxford
*
Sheriff of Poole
*
Sheriff of Southampton
*
Sheriff of York
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 transl ...
Wales
*
High Sheriff of Clwyd
*
High Sheriff of Dyfed
*
High Sheriff of Gwent
*
High Sheriff of Gwynedd
*
High Sheriff of Mid Glamorgan
*
High Sheriff of Powys
*
High Sheriff of South Glamorgan
*
High Sheriff of West Glamorgan
Town sheriffs
*
Sheriff of Carmarthen
*
Sheriff of Haverfordwest
Northern Ireland
*
High Sheriff of County Armagh
*
High Sheriff of County Antrim
*
High Sheriff of County Down
*
High Sheriff of County Fermanagh
*
High Sheriff of County Londonderry
*
High Sheriff of County Tyrone
*
High Sheriff of Belfast
The High Sheriff of Belfast is a title and position which was created in 1900 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, with Sir James Henderson the first holder. Like other high sheriff positions, it is largely a ceremonial post today. The ...
(City)
*
High Sheriff of Londonderry City
The High Sheriff of Londonderry City, or High Sheriff of Derry, is the sovereign's judicial representative in the city of Derry. High Sheriff of Londonderry is a title and position which was created in 1900 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act ...
References
External links
The Association of High SheriffsThe National Association of City and Town Sheriffs of England and Wales
{{Administrative geography of the United Kingdom
*
Local government in the United Kingdom