Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire facts for kids
A Lord Lieutenant is a special person chosen by the King or Queen to represent them in a county. Think of them as the King's local helper and main representative! They are usually important people who have done a lot for their community.
This page lists the people who have served as the Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire. Since 1735, all Lords Lieutenant have also been the Custos Rotulorum of Northamptonshire. This means they were also in charge of keeping the county's important records and documents.
Northamptonshire's area used to include the Soke of Peterborough until 1965. After that, the Lord Lieutenant for Huntingdonshire took over the Soke. Later, in 1974, this area joined with Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely, forming the larger area that the current Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire looks after.
Who Were the Lord Lieutenants of Northamptonshire?
Here is a list of the people who have held the important role of Lord Lieutenant in Northamptonshire over the years:
- William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton, 1549 –
- Sir Christopher Hatton, 1586 – 20 November 1591
- vacant (no one held the role)
- Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter, 8 September 1603 – 8 February 1623
- William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter, 27 February 1623 – 6 July 1640
- John Mordaunt, 1st Earl of Peterborough, 16 July 1640 – 18 June 1643
- Interregnum (a period when there was no King or Queen, so the role was not filled)
- John Cecil, 4th Earl of Exeter, 31 July 1660 – 8 August 1673 (served at the same time as)
- Mildmay Fane, 2nd Earl of Westmorland, 31 July 1660 – 12 February 1666 (and also)
- Henry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of Peterborough, 21 May 1666 – 8 August 1673
- From 8 August 1673 to 20 February 1678, the role was split into East and West Northamptonshire:
- John Cecil, 4th Earl of Exeter, (East Northamptonshire)
- Henry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of Peterborough, (West Northamptonshire)
- Henry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of Peterborough, 20 February 1678 – 30 May 1689
- Charles Mordaunt, 1st Earl of Monmouth, 30 May 1689 – 21 July 1715
- John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu, 21 July 1715 – 5 July 1749
- George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, 2 October 1749 – 8 June 1771
- Spencer Compton, 8th Earl of Northampton, 6 July 1771 – 7 April 1796
- Charles Compton, 1st Marquess of Northampton, 11 June 1796 – 24 May 1828
- John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland, 5 July 1828 – 15 December 1841
- Brownlow Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Exeter, 22 January 1842 – 16 January 1867
- Charles FitzRoy, 3rd Baron Southampton, 22 February 1867 – 16 July 1872
- John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer, 12 August 1872 – 27 October 1908
- Charles Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer, 27 October 1908 – 26 September 1922
- William Cecil, 5th Marquess of Exeter, 14 December 1922 – 11 March 1952
- Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer, 11 March 1952 – 31 July 1967
- Lt. Col. John Chandos-Pole, 31 July 1967 – 5 March 1984
- Sir John Luke Lowther, 5 March 1984 – 18 November 1998
- Lady Juliet Townsend, 18 November 1998 – 16 June 2014
- David Eric Laing, 17 June 2014 –
- James Saunders Watson, 30 March 2020 – present
What Are Deputy Lieutenants?
Deputy Lieutenants are people who help and support the Lord-Lieutenant. A county can have several Deputy Lieutenants at one time, depending on how many people live there. They are chosen to help the Lord-Lieutenant with their duties and represent them when needed.
Deputy Lieutenants usually serve for a long time. Their appointment does not end when a new Lord-Lieutenant is chosen. However, they often retire from their role when they reach 75 years old.
See also
- High Sheriff of Northamptonshire
