Lord Lieutenant of Caithness facts for kids
The Lord Lieutenant of Caithness is a special person who represents the King or Queen in an area of Scotland called Caithness. Think of them as the monarch's personal helper and link to the community in that specific region.
Since 1975, the area they cover has been the local government district of Caithness. This definition was confirmed again in 1996. Before that, the area was known as the county of Caithness. The way local areas are managed in Scotland has changed over time. For example, the county of Caithness stopped being a local government area because of a law passed in 1973. Later, the Caithness district became part of a larger area called Highland region. Then, another law in 1994 changed the Highland region into a single, large council area.
Who are the Lord Lieutenants of Caithness?
Here is a list of the people who have held the important role of Lord Lieutenant for Caithness over the years:
- James Sinclair, 12th Earl of Caithness from March 17, 1794, to July 16, 1823
- Alexander Campbell Sinclair, 13th Earl of Caithness from August 19, 1823, to December 24, 1855
- James Sinclair, 14th Earl of Caithness from February 29, 1856, to March 28, 1881
- George Philips Alexander Sinclair, 15th Earl of Caithness from May 7, 1881, to May 28, 1889
- William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland from July 26, 1889, to 1919
- Archibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso from November 4, 1919, to 1964
- Brigadier Sir George David Keith Murray from August 12, 1964, to 1965
- John Sinclair from December 10, 1965, to 1973
- Robin Sinclair, 2nd Viscount Thurso from May 1, 1973, to April 29, 1995
- Major Graham Dunnett from February 16, 1996, to 2004
- Margaret Annie Geddes Dunnett from May 12, 2004, to June 25, 2017
- John Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso from August 17, 2017, to the present day
What are Deputy Lieutenants?
A deputy lieutenant of Caithness is someone chosen by the Lord Lieutenant of Caithness to help them with their duties. These deputies support the Lord Lieutenant in their work. There can be several deputy lieutenants at one time. The exact number depends on how many people live in the county.
When a new Lord Lieutenant is appointed, the deputy lieutenants do not lose their positions. However, they usually retire when they reach 75 years old.
Deputy Lieutenants in the 1800s
Here are some of the deputy lieutenants from the 19th century:
- April 2, 1839: John Sinclair
- April 2, 1839: Alexander Dunbar
- April 2, 1839: Captain Donald Macdonald
- April 2, 1839: Adam Duff
- April 2, 1839: Robert lnnes
- April 2, 1839: Major James Sinclair
- April 2, 1839: Colonel Robert Sutherland Sinclair
- March 17, 1848: James Sinclair, 14th Earl of Caithness
- March 17, 1848: David Henderson
- March 17, 1848: John Sinclair
- March 17, 1848: James Horne
