Lord Lieutenant of Westmorland facts for kids

A Lord-Lieutenant is like the King or Queen's special representative in a county. They are chosen by the monarch to be their personal link to the area. For many years, Westmorland, a historic county in England, had its own Lord-Lieutenant. This important job involved looking after the county's affairs and representing the Crown. The office of Lord-Lieutenant for Westmorland ended on 31 March 1974. After that, the area became part of Cumbria, and a new role, the Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria, took over. From 1751 until 1974, the Lord-Lieutenant of Westmorland also held another important job called the Custos Rotulorum of Westmorland, which meant they were in charge of keeping the county's official records.

Westmorland's Lord-Lieutenants: A Royal Connection

What Did a Lord-Lieutenant Do?

The Lord-Lieutenant is a very old and respected role. Imagine someone who acts as the monarch's eyes and ears in a specific county. Their main job is to uphold the dignity of the Crown and promote a good community spirit. They often welcome members of the Royal Family when they visit, present awards like the King's Awards for Voluntary Service, and help with local events. It's a non-political role, meaning they don't get involved in everyday government decisions.

The History of the Role in Westmorland

The position of Lord-Lieutenant has existed for centuries. In Westmorland, these individuals were important figures in the county's history. They were often powerful landowners or nobles who were trusted by the monarch to manage local matters, especially during times when the King or Queen needed strong local leadership.

Sometimes, the role was held by more than one person at a time, known as "jointly with." This meant they shared the responsibilities. There were also times when the position was "vacant," meaning no one was officially appointed for a period. One interesting time was the "Interregnum," which was a period in English history (from 1649 to 1660) when England was a republic and didn't have a king. During this time, the traditional role of Lord-Lieutenant was not active.

Who Served as Lord-Lieutenant of Westmorland?

Here is a list of the people who held this important office in Westmorland:

• Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland 1553–1559
• Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon 20 August 1586 – 14 December 1595
• vacant?
• George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland 1603–1605
• vacant?
• Francis Clifford, 4th Earl of Cumberland 27 October 1607 – 4 January 1641 (jointly with others)
• George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar 27 October 1607 – 20 January 1611 (jointly with others)
• Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk 27 October 1607 – 31 August 1639 (jointly with others)
• Henry Clifford, 1st Baron Clifford 27 October 1607 – 1642 (jointly with others)
• Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland 13 November 1626 – 31 August 1639 (jointly with others)
• Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel 23 July 1632 – 31 August 1639 (jointly with others)
• Henry Howard, Lord Maltravers 23 July 1632 – 31 August 1639 (jointly with others)
• Interregnum (No King or Queen in England)
• Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Carlisle 1 October 1660 – 24 February 1685
• Thomas Tufton, 6th Earl of Thanet 3 March 1685 – 1687
• Richard Graham, 1st Viscount Preston 29 August 1687 – 1688
• Sir John Lowther, 2nd Baronet 8 April 1689 – 1694
• Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle 28 June 1694 – 1 May 1738
• Henry Lowther, 3rd Viscount Lonsdale 1 June 1738 – 7 March 1751
• vacant
• Sir William Lowther, 3rd Baronet 6 February 1753 – 15 April 1756
• Sir John Pennington, 3rd Baronet 29 April 1756 – 1758
• James Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale 13 December 1759 – 24 May 1802
• William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale 26 June 1802 – 19 March 1844
• William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale 3 May 1844 – 1868
• Henry Lowther, 3rd Earl of Lonsdale 14 December 1868 – 15 August 1876
• Sir Richard Musgrave, 11th Baronet 3 October 1876 – 13 February 1881
• Henry Tufton, 1st Baron Hothfield 15 March 1881 – 29 October 1926
• Lord Henry Cavendish-Bentinck 8 December 1926 – 6 October 1931
• Stanley Hughes le Fleming 7 December 1931 – 1939
• Anthony Lowther, Viscount Lowther 1 December 1939 – 1945
• James Winstanley Cropper 26 April 1945 – 10 November 1956
• Henry Hornyold-Strickland 6 May 1957 – 1965
• Lieutenant-Commander Paul Norman Wilson 12 November 1965 – 31 March 1974

The End of an Era

In 1974, local government in England was reorganized. This meant that the historic county of Westmorland became part of a larger area called Cumbria. Because of this change, the office of Lord-Lieutenant for Westmorland was officially ended. Its duties and responsibilities were then taken over by the new Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria, continuing the tradition of having a royal representative in the region.