Sheriff of Renfrew and Argyll facts for kids

The Sheriff of Renfrew and Argyll was an important royal official in Renfrew and Argyll, Scotland. Their main job was to make sure laws were followed. They also helped bring people who broke the law to justice.

For a long time, before 1748, the job of a sheriff was often passed down in families. This meant it was a "hereditary" role. After a big event called the Jacobite uprising in 1745, things changed. The government decided to replace these family sheriffs. Instead, they hired "sheriff-deputes." These were lawyers, called "advocates," who were paid for their work. They were members of the Scottish Bar, which is like the group of qualified lawyers in Scotland.

The area a sheriff was in charge of was called a "sheriffdom." In 1871, the sheriffdom of Renfrew joined with the sheriffdom of Bute. This created a new job: the Sheriff of Bute and Renfrew. Later, in 1946, the Renfrew sheriffdom joined with the sheriffdom of Argyll instead. This created the job known as the Sheriff of Renfrew and Argyll. This role ended in 1975. It was replaced by the current sheriffdom of North Strathclyde.

Sheriffs of Renfrew

Here are some of the people who held the role of Sheriff of Renfrew:

• Sir William Semple, 1471–
• Thomas Sempill (died 1488)
• John Sempill, 1st Lord Sempill (started 1489, died 1513)
• William Sempill, 2nd Lord Sempill (started 1515, died 1552)
• Robert Sempill, 3rd Lord Sempill (died 1576)
• John Sempill, 1st of Beltrees (died 1579)
• James Sempill, 2nd of Beltrees (died 1626)
• Alexander, Earl of Eglinton, 1636- (died 1661)
• Francis Sempill
• Earls of Eglinton, –1748

Sheriffs-Depute of Renfrew

These are the paid lawyers who took on the role after 1748:

• Charles Macdonald of Crichen, 1748–
• Charles McDowall, around 1786
• Allan Maconochie, Lord Meadowbank of Kirknewton, 1788–1796
• John Connel, 1796–around 1814
• John Colin Dunlop, 1816–1842
• Hercules Robertson, 1842–1853
• Robert MacFarlane, 1853–1862
• Patrick Fraser, 1864–1871

Sheriffs of Renfrew and Bute (from 1871)

After Renfrew and Bute joined together, these people served as sheriff:

• Henry James Moncrieff, 1881–1888
• Sir Charles Pearson, 1888–1889 (later Sheriff of Perth, 1889–90)
• Sir John Cheyne, 1889–1907
• Neil John Downie Kennedy, 1907–1912
• John Wilson, 1912–1917
• Alastair Oswald Morison Mackenzie, January–July 1917 (later Sheriff of Lanark, 1917)
• David Anderson, 1917–1918
• Charles Murray, 1918–1918
• James Mercer Irvine, 1918–1945

Sheriffs of Renfrew and Argyll (from 1946)

After Renfrew and Argyll joined, these people held the position:

• Thomas Murray-Taylor, 1946–1948
• James Randall Philip, QC, 1948–1955 (later Sheriff of Perth and Angus, 1955)
• William Ross McLean, QC, 1955–1960 (later Sheriff of the Lothians and Peebles, 1960)
• Ian Shearer, Lord Avonside, QC, 1960–1962
• Alexander Thomson, 1962–1964
• William Robertson Grieve, Lord Grieve, QC, 1964–1972
• James Mackay, 1972–1974
• This sheriffdom ended in 1975. It was replaced by the current Sheriffdom of North Strathclyde.

See also

• Historical development of Scottish sheriffdoms