Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire facts for kids

The Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire is a special person chosen by the King or Queen to represent them in the county of Herefordshire, England. It's a bit like being the King's local ambassador!

Before a big conflict called the English Civil War (which happened in the 1600s), the person in charge of Herefordshire was usually also the Lord Lieutenant of Wales. But after the King returned to power in England (this was called the English Restoration), Herefordshire got its own separate Lord Lieutenant.

Since 1714, every Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire has also been the Custos Rotulorum of Herefordshire. This fancy Latin name means they are the "keeper of the rolls" or the chief justice of the peace for the county. It means they were in charge of keeping important records and making sure local laws were followed.

Lord Lieutenants of Herefordshire (Before 1974)

For a long time, the Lord Lieutenant's role was very important in local government. They were responsible for organizing the local militia (a group of citizens who could be called upon to defend the area) and keeping law and order.

• If you want to know about the Lord Lieutenants before the English Civil War, you can look up the Lord Lieutenant of Wales.
• Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex (chosen by Parliament during the Civil War) 1642 – 14 September 1646
• Interregnum (This means a period when England didn't have a king, between 1649 and 1660)
• Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort 30 July 1660 – 22 March 1689
• Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield 22 March 1689 – 31 May 1694
• Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury 31 May 1694 – 15 June 1704
• Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent 15 June 1704 – 18 November 1714
• Thomas Coningsby, 1st Earl Coningsby 18 November 1714 – 11 September 1721
• James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos 11 September 1721 – 16 July 1741
• Charles Hanbury Williams 16 July 1741 – 5 June 1747
• John Bateman, 2nd Viscount Bateman 5 June 1747 – 2 March 1802
• George Capell-Coningsby, 5th Earl of Essex 20 March 1802 – 28 October 1817
• John Somers Cocks, 1st Earl Somers 28 October 1817 – 5 January 1841
• William Bateman, 1st Baron Bateman 29 January 1841 – 22 July 1845
• John Somers Somers-Cocks, 2nd Earl Somers 6 August 1845 – 5 October 1852
• William Bateman Bateman-Hanbury, 2nd Baron Bateman 11 November 1852 – 30 November 1901
• John Hungerford Arkwright 27 January 1902 – 5 December 1904
• Sir John Cotterell, 4th Baronet 5 December 1904 – 27 July 1933
• Arthur Somers-Cocks, 6th Baron Somers 27 July 1933 – 14 July 1944
• Sir Richard Cotterell, 5th Baronet 28 February 1945 – 12 July 1957
• James Thomas, 1st Viscount Cilcennin 9 September 1957 – 13 July 1960
• John Francis Maclean 18 October 1960 – 31 March 1974 †

On 31 March 1974, most of Worcestershire joined with Herefordshire. They formed a new, bigger county called Hereford and Worcester. Because of this, the role of Lord Lieutenant for Herefordshire changed. You can find more about this in the article about the Lord Lieutenant of Hereford and Worcester.

† John Francis Maclean became the Lord Lieutenant of the new Hereford and Worcester county on 1 April 1974.

Lord Lieutenants of Herefordshire (1998–Present)

The county of Hereford and Worcester only lasted for 24 years. In 1998, it was decided that Herefordshire and Worcestershire should become separate counties again. This meant that Herefordshire once again needed its own Lord Lieutenant.

• Sir Thomas Dunne 1 April 1998 – 24 October 2008
• Susan Bligh, Countess of Darnley 24 October 2008 - 2020
• Edward Harley 15 April 2020

Deputy Lieutenants

A deputy lieutenant of Herefordshire is someone who helps the Lord Lieutenant. They are chosen by the Lord Lieutenant themselves. There can be several deputy lieutenants at one time, and the number depends on how many people live in the county.

Deputy lieutenants keep their role even if a new Lord Lieutenant is appointed. However, they usually retire when they turn 75 years old. They play an important part in supporting the Lord Lieutenant's duties and representing the King or Queen in the community.

Deputy Lieutenants in the 19th Century

Many people served as deputy lieutenants in the 1800s. Here are some examples of those appointed on specific dates:

• 21 July 1803: William Hanbury, Major William Bateman-Hanbury, 1st Baron Bateman, Captain Thomas Foley, 3rd Baron Foley, Sir Thomas Winnington, 4th Baronet, Captain R. Bowyear, William Parry, Francis Edwards, John Ireland.
• 6 March 1846: Sir Velters Cornevall, Admiral Sir Thomas Hastings, George Strong, James Davies, John Hopton, Joseph Stinton, William Henry Cooke, Benjamin Boddington, Thomas Evans, John Heming St. John (Clerk), Archer Clive (Clerk), William Parsons Hopton (Clerk), Edward Higgins (Clerk), William Edwards (Clerk).