High Sheriff of Armagh facts for kids
The High Sheriff of Armagh is a special representative of the King or Queen in County Armagh. Think of them as a very old and important helper for the monarch in legal matters. This role used to be for life, but since 1258, a new High Sheriff is chosen every year. Besides helping with legal things, they also have ceremonial duties and help carry out important court orders.
Contents
- History of the High Sheriff Role
- High Sheriffs Through the Years
- High Sheriffs During James I's Reign (1603–1625)
- High Sheriffs During Charles I's Reign (1625–1649)
- High Sheriffs During the English Interregnum (1649–1660)
- High Sheriffs During Charles II's Reign (1660–1685)
- High Sheriffs During James II's Reign (1685–1688)
- High Sheriffs During William III's Reign (1689–1702)
- High Sheriffs During Anne's Reign (1702–1714)
- High Sheriffs During George I's Reign (1714–1727)
- High Sheriffs During George II's Reign (1727–1760)
- High Sheriffs During George III's Reign (1760–1820)
- High Sheriffs During George IV's Reign (1820–1830)
- High Sheriffs During William IV's Reign (1830–1837)
- High Sheriffs During Victoria's Reign (1837–1901)
- High Sheriffs During Edward VII's Reign (1901–1910)
- High Sheriffs During George V's Reign (1910–1936)
- High Sheriffs During George VI's Reign (1936–1952)
- High Sheriffs During Elizabeth II's Reign (1952–2022)
- High Sheriffs During Charles III's Reign (2022–present)
History of the High Sheriff Role
The job of a High Sheriff is very old! It started even before the Norman Conquest in 1066, way back in Saxon times. In 1908, a new rule was made that changed things a bit. The Lord-Lieutenant became the main representative of the King or Queen in a county. This meant the High Sheriff's role became less important in some ways. However, they still kept the important job of making sure law and order were kept in the county.
The role of High Sheriff stopped existing in the counties that became the Irish Free State in 1922. But it is still an active role in the counties of Northern Ireland, like Armagh.
High Sheriffs Through the Years
Many people have served as High Sheriff of Armagh over the centuries. Here are some of the individuals who held this important position during different periods.
High Sheriffs During James I's Reign (1603–1625)
- 1603: Sir Marmaduke Whitchurch
- 1613: Charles Poyntz
- 1623: Sir William Brownlow
Many other individuals also served during this time.
High Sheriffs During Charles I's Reign (1625–1649)
Several people held the office of High Sheriff during the reign of King Charles I.
High Sheriffs During the English Interregnum (1649–1660)
- 1655: Sir George Acheson, 3rd Bt
- 1656: Sir George Acheson, 3rd Bt
Other High Sheriffs also served during this period when England was without a monarch.
High Sheriffs During Charles II's Reign (1660–1685)
- 1665: Edward Richardson of Legacorry
- 1668: Arthur Brownlow
- 1669: Arthur Brownlow
- 1678: Godfrey Walker
- 1684: George Blacker
Many more individuals served as High Sheriff during this long reign.
High Sheriffs During James II's Reign (1685–1688)
- 1686: Marcus Clerk
- 1688: Hamlett Obins
Other High Sheriffs also served during this shorter period.
High Sheriffs During William III's Reign (1689–1702)
- 1690: William Richardson of Legacorry
- 1695: Sir Nicholas Acheson, 4th Bt
- 1697: Arthur Brownlow
Many others held the role during King William III's time.
High Sheriffs During Anne's Reign (1702–1714)
- 1702: Roger Hall
Several other High Sheriffs served during Queen Anne's reign.
High Sheriffs During George I's Reign (1714–1727)
- 1714: Edward Bond
- 1715: John Richardson
- 1716: James Maison
- 1717: Oliver St John
- 1718: John Maxwell
- 1719: John Bolton
- 1720: Henry Richardson
- 1721: Sir William Johnston
- 1722: Joshua Johnston
- 1723: Thomas Tipping
- 1724: Thomas Clarke
- 1725: Anthony Madden
- 1726: Francis Obre
High Sheriffs During George II's Reign (1727–1760)
- 1727: William Jones
- 1728: Sir Arthur Acheson, 5th Bt
- 1734: William Blacker of Carrickblacker and Brookend
- 1737: William Richardson of Richhill Castle
- 1744: Sir Capel Molyneux, 3rd Bt
- 1750: William Brownlow
- 1751: Sir Archibald Acheson, 6th Bt
Many other individuals served as High Sheriff during this long period.
High Sheriffs During George III's Reign (1760–1820)
- 1762: Richard Magenis
- 1764: Michael Obins of Castle Obins
- 1771: Richard Johnston
- 1777: William Richardson of Richhill Castle
- 1781: James Alexander, 1st Earl of Caledon
- 1783: Sir Walter Synnot of Ballymoyer House
- 1787: William Brownlow
- 1797: Robert Bernard Sparrow
- 1801: Du Pre Alexander, Viscount Alexander
- 1810: Hon. Jerome de Salis
- 1818: Maxwell Close of Drumbanagher
Many other High Sheriffs served during the reign of King George III.
High Sheriffs During George IV's Reign (1820–1830)
- 1822: William Verner
- 1829: Hunt Walsh Chambre of Hawthorn Hill
Several others also held the position during this time.
High Sheriffs During William IV's Reign (1830–1837)
- 1830: Marcus Synnot of Ballymoyer House
- 1834: Charles Brownlow
- 1836: James Alexander, Viscount Alexander
Other High Sheriffs served during King William IV's reign.
High Sheriffs During Victoria's Reign (1837–1901)
- 1837: Sir George King Adlercron Molyneux, 6th Bt
- 1838: Leonard Dobbin
- 1843: Sir James Matthew Stronge, 3rd Baronet
- 1853: Hon. Peter John Fane de Salis
- 1854: Maxwell Charles Close of Drumbanagher House
- 1859: Edward James Saunderson
- 1863: William Kirk
- 1864: Sir Capel Molyneux, 7th Baronet of Castle Dillon
- 1872: Joshua Walter MacGeough Bond of Drumsill
- 1875: Henry Bruce Armstrong
- 1876: Mark Seton Synnot of Ballymoyer House
- 1885: Sir James Henry Stronge, 5th Bt
- 1887: George de la Poer Beresford of Awbawn
- 1891: James Rolston Lonsdale
- 1892: William Maynard Sinton
- 1895: John Brownlee Lonsdale
Many more individuals served during Queen Victoria's long reign.
High Sheriffs During Edward VII's Reign (1901–1910)
- 1901: Joseph Henry Gray
- 1905: Sir John Milne Barbour
- 1908: Maxwell Archibald Close of Drumbanagher House
- 1909: William McCrum
Other High Sheriffs also served during this period.
High Sheriffs During George V's Reign (1910–1936)
- 1914: Hunt Walsh Leech
- 1916: William Byers
- 1922: Thomas Bowen Johnston
- 1923: Thomas Trew Maclean
- 1924: James Edward Calvert
- 1925: Thomas Henry White
- 1926: John Charters Boyle
- 1927: Samuel Alexander Bell
- 1928: William M. Clow
- 1929: Charles Barclay Macpherson Chambré
- 1930: Thomas Grevilie Sinton
- 1931: Noel Stephen Smith
- 1932: Gilbert Evelyn Barcroft
- 1933: David Malcomson Barcroft
- 1934: Arthur Dawson Allen
- 1935: Hector Charles Chatterton Deane
- 1936: Richard Henry Stephens Richardson
Many others served during King George V's reign.
High Sheriffs During George VI's Reign (1936–1952)
- 1937: Arthur Delacherois Irwin
- 1938: William Edward Greeves
- 1939: George Valentine Crossley Irwin
- 1940: James Edwards Harden
- 1941: George Scott
- 1942: Thomas Averell Shillington
- 1943: Alfred William Cowdy
- 1944: Bunbury Archer Atkinson
- 1945: John Stephen Wakefield Richardson
- 1946: George Norman Proctor
- 1947: Robert McKean Cowdy
- 1948: Archibald Dunlap Gibson
- 1949: Alexander Reginald Wakefield Richardson
- 1950: George Fitzroy Gillespie
- 1951: Ynyr Alfred Burges
High Sheriffs During Elizabeth II's Reign (1952–2022)
- 1952: Walter Albert Nevill MacGeough-Bond
- 1953: Cecil Brown
- 1954: William Alexander Mullen
- 1955: Harold Brown
- 1956: James Nicholson Brown
- 1957: Edward Kennedy Walkington
- 1958: Alleyn Cardwell Moore
- 1959: Richard Graves Johnston
- 1960: James Robert Bargrave Armstrong
- 1961: Henry Alwyn White
- 1962: Francis Edward Nangle
- 1963: Acheson Harden Glendinning
- 1964: George Edwin McCaw
- 1965: Michael Henry Armstrong
- 1966: George Dougan
- 1967: James Matthew Stronge
- 1968: Thomas Carter Johnston
- 1969: Alexander Edmond Knight
- 1970: John Fitzroy Gillespie
- 1971: Geoffrey Alastair Nisbet Boyne
- 1972: Kenneth McCleery
- 1973: W. Bernard Cowdy
- 1974: Henry William Francis Reid
- 1975: Henry George Glendinning
- 1976: Alexander Hugh O'Brien Greer
- 1977: Donald Henry Stevenson
- 1978: Ronald McIlroy Wilson
- 1979: Frederick Michael Alexander Torrens-Spence
- 1980: John Reginald Miller
- 1981: Alexander Hugh Courtney
- 1982: Andrew Alwyn White
- 1983: J. H. H. Balmer
- 1984: W. H. Jordan
- 1985: E. B. Wilson
- 1991: John Daniel Thompson
- 1992: James Rochester Nelson
- 1993: J. N. Greenlee
- 1994: J. E. Lamb
- 1995: John C. K. Magowan
- 1996: Margaret Patton
- 1997: John Oliver Woods
- 1998: David Eric Dorman
- 1999: Anne E. Cullen
- 2000: Archibald Thomas Laughlan Gibson
- 2001: Patrick Stephen Kellett
- 2002: Mary Catherine Dixon
- 2003: Barbara Ann Gillespie
- 2004: Caroline Bridget Good
- 2005: Leslie Victor Johnston of Armagh
- 2006: Ralph Edward Cope Cowdy of Loughgall
- 2007: Colin Wallace Mathews
- 2008: Desmond Robert David Mitchell
- 2009: Gerard Patrick Millar
- 2010: John Niall Collen
- 2011: Dr Peter W.B. Colvin of Hockley
- 2012: Dr Edmund Peter Beckett of Armagh
- 2013: James Magowan of Loughgilly
- 2014: Paul Reaney of Armagh
- 2015: Anna Louise Shepherd of Tandragee
- 2016: James Arthur Crummie of Portadown
- 2017: Godfrey William McCartney of Killylea
- 2018: Catherine Mary Adams of Craigavon
- 2019: Ian James Chapman of Craigavon
- 2020: Michael Frederick Dickson of Armagh
- 2021: Dr Alan Manson Turtlem of Richhill
- 2022: Henry Gabriel McMullen of Armagh
High Sheriffs During Charles III's Reign (2022–present)
- 2023: Gary Myles Dickson, of Craigavon
