The High Sheriff of County Londonderry is King Charles III's judicial representative in County Londonderry. Initially an office for lifetime, assigned by the ruling monarch, the High Sheriff became annually appointed from the Provisions of Oxford in 1258.^[1] Besides his judicial importance, he has ceremonial and administrative functions and executes High Court Writs.^[2]

History

The first (High) Shrivalties were established before the Norman Conquest in 1066 and date back to Saxon times.^[3] In 1908, an Order in Council made the Lord-Lieutenant the Sovereign's prime representative in a county and reduced the High Sheriff's precedence.^[4] Despite however that the office retains his responsibilities for the preservation of law and order in a county.^[2]

While the office of High Sheriff is present in the counties of Northern Ireland, it ceased to exist in those Irish counties which formed the Irish Free State in 1922.

High Sheriffs

1696: Robert Harvey of Londonderry^[5]
1780: Mossom Boyd^[6] (also Sheriff of City of Londonderry)
1817: James Major and Richard Harvey^[7] (also Sheriffs of City of Londonderry)
1818: John Thompson and Richard Babington^[7] (also Sheriffs of City of Londonderry)
1819: Thomas Kennedy ^[8] (also Sheriff of City of Londonderry)
1821: Joshua Gillespie and Marcus Gage^[8] (also Sheriffs of City of Londonderry)
1828: William Lenox-Conyngham (also Sheriff of City of Londonderry)
1829:
1830:
1831:
1832:
1833: Anthony Babington of Creevagh (also Sheriff of City of Londonderry)
1834:
1835: Anthony Babington of Creevagh (also Sheriff of City of Londonderry)
1836: Henry Darcus and Archibald McCorkell of Glengalliagh (also Sheriff of City of Londonderry)
1842: Henry Richardson
1846: Henry Hervey Bruce
1846: John Barré Beresford, of Learmount
1848: John Stephenson of Fort William, Tobermore^[9] (also Sheriff of City of Londonderry)
1849: James Johnston Clark (also Sheriff of City of Londonderry)
1850: Robert Peel Dawson
1854: Robert Leslie Ogilby of Ardnargle^[10]
1857: William Edward Scott of Willsboro ^[5]
1858: Samuel Maxwell Alexander of Newtownlimavady^[11] (also Sheriff of City of Londonderry)
1859: William Fitzwilliam Lenox-Conyngham of Springhill House^[5]
1860: James Thomas Macky of Castlefin^[5]
1861: Rowley Miller of Moneymore^[12]
1862: John Adams of Ballydevitt^[5]
1863: George Skipton^{[citation needed]}
1866: Conolly Thomas McCausland of Drenagh ^[5]
1867: James R. Montgomery ^[13]
1868: Henry Kyle of Laurel Hill^[5]
1869: Sir John Hill, 4th Baronet, of St. Colombs^[14]
1870: Robert Jackson Alexander
1871:
1873: Alexander Shuldham of Flowerfield ^[5]
1875: James Jackson Clark of Largantogher ^[5]
1877: Robert Lyon Moore^[15]
1878: Bartholomew McCorkell of Richmond ^[5]
1880: George Cather of Carrickhugh, Limavady^[16]
1882: Adolphus John Spencer Churchill Chichester
1883:
1886: Andrew Alexander Watt of Thorn Hill ^[5]
1887: Robert Alexander Ogilby of Pellipar, Dungiven ^[5]
1888: Conolly William Lecky Browne-Lecky of Derry ^[5]
1889:
1894: Bartholomew H. McCorkell of Richmond ^[5]
1895: John Cooke ^[17]
1898: John Arthur Wellesley O'Niell Torrens of Somerset, Co Londonderry^[5]

20th century

1901: Arthur David Ash Gaussen of Ballyronan ^[5]
1902: Major Henry John McCorkell of Glengallaugh ^[5]
1903: Hervey Juckes Lloyd Bruce
1905: John McFarland later Sir John McFarland, 1st Baronet^[18]
1906: Cecil Hamilton Browne-Lecky of Comber House^[5]
1907: Robert Peel Dawson Spencer Chichester of Moyola Park^[5]
1908: Maurice Marcus McCausland of Drenagh ^[5]
1909: William Arbuthnot Lenox-Conyngham of Springhill House^[5]
1910: Mervyn Challoner Tynte of Tynte Park^[5]
1911: Robert James Leslie Ogilby of Ardnargle, Limavady and Pellipar House, Dungiven ^[5]
1912: William Randal Hamilton Beresford-Ash ^[19]
1912: Henry Joseph Cooke
1913:
1916: Robert Lee Hogg^[20]
1917:
1922: Alexander Wallis Clark
1923: John Russell Scott of Willsboro^[21]
1924: Ralph Henry Barre de la Poer Beresford of Learmount Castle, Park^[22]
1925: Sir Dudley Evelyn Bruce McCorkell of Ballyarnett, Londonderry.^[23]
1926: George Francis Gilliland of Brook Hall,^[24]
1927: William Maxwell Scott Moore of Molenan^[25]
1928: Henry Jackson Clark of Ardtara, Upperlands^[26]
1929: Commander James Lenox Chichester-Clark of Moyola Park, Castledawson^[27]
1930: Hiram Parkes Wilkinson of Moneyshanere and Drumballyhagan, Tobermore^[28]
1931: Major George Dominic Heyland of Ballintemple, Garvagh^[29]
1932: Samuel Hanna, Barrister-at-Law of Drumachose, Limavady^[30]
1933: John Alexander Clark^[31]
1934: Sir Charles Norman Lockhart Stronge, 8th Baronet
1935: William Lowry Lenox-Conyngham of Springhill House, Moneymore^[32]
1936: Alexander William Maxwell Clark
1937: Conolly Robert McCausland of Cumber House, Gaudy,^[33]
1938: William Moore Wallis Clark
1939: Hugh Ranken Morrison of Wigmore, Aghadowey^[34]
1940: Sir Henry Hewey Francis Macdonald-Tyler of The Umbra, Magilligan^[35]
1941: Captain Hugh Lecky of Beardeville, Cloyfin, County Antrim.^[36]
1942: John Michael Cromie Montague of Cromore, Portstewart^[37]
1943: Daniel Hall Christie^[38]
1944: Mervyn Henry Dawson Archdale of Castle Archdale, Irvinestown^[39]
1945: Arthur Harold Noble of Rossett, Denbighshire, Wales and Victoria Road, Londonderry^[40]
1946: Captain Cyril Anthony de Lacy Nicholson, K.C. of Beech Hill, Co. Londonderry^[41]
1947: Major-General Robert Knox Hezlet of, Bovagh, Agliadowey, Co. Londonderry.^[42]
1948: Robert Maxwell Lyon Moore of Molenan, Londonderry^[43]
1949: Thomas Fitzpatrick Cooke
1950: Major Douglas Beresford-Ash of Ashbrook^[44]
1951: Thomas Jackson Clark
1952: Colonel Sir Basil Alexander Talbot McFarland, 2nd Baronet of Aberfoyle,^[45] (also High Sheriff of Londonderry City)
1953: Major Daniel Jackson Christie of Bannfield, Coleraine^[46]
1954: Lieut.-Colonel Kenneth Bulstrode Lloyd Davidson of The Manor House, Eglinton.^[47]
1955: Major James Fitzgerald Desmond of Ballyarton House, Killaloo^[48]
1956: Colonel John Andrew Crawford of Ardmore House, Drumahoe^[49]
1957: Major Henry Francis Clark of Rockwood, Upperlands, Londonderry^[50]
1958: John Talbot McFarland, Drumleery, Shantallow, Culmore Road, Londonderry^[51]
1959: Lieut.-Colonel Richard Gowland Gaskell Harvey of Milltown House, Londonderry^[52]
1960: Major John Loewenthan Kinnaird of The Old Rectory, Culmore^[53]
1961: Colonel Sir Michael McCorkell of Ballyarnett
1962: Air Marshal Sir George Robert Beamish of Rocklea, Castlerock^[54]
1963: John Bullick, Esq., Farmhill, Coleraine^[55]
1964: Brigadier Leonard Ferguson Heard of The Ferns, Magilligan^[56]
1965: Charles Brian Clark of Clonmore, Upperlands^[57]
1966: Captain John Averell Lecky of Castleroe, Coleraine^[58]
1967: Marcus Edgecumbe McCausland of Shell Hill, Strieve, Limavady^[59]
1968: Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur Richard Hezlet of Bovagh House, Aghadowey.^[60]
1969: Henry Wallace Stuart Clark of Gorteade Cottage, Upperlands.^[61]
1970: Major Patrick Evelyn McCorkell of Drumlerry, Shantallow,^[62]
1971: W. Bristow Stevenson of Knockan, Feeny.^[63]
1972: J. Michael A. Nicholson of Beech Hill, Ardmore^[64]
1973: William John Moore Clarke of Gorteade House, Upperlands,^[65]
1974: Dennis F. Desmond of Claudy,^[66]
1975: Dr. Robert Wilbur Temple of Holme Lea, Castlerock Road, Coleraine,^[67]
1976: John Randal Beresford-Ash of Ashbrook,^[68]
1977: Daniel Monro Christie of Ballybogey House, Ballybogey, Ballymoney,^[69]
1978: Edward Arthur Harry Boyle of Ardnargle, Limavady.^[70]
1979: William Aubrey Craig of Bridge House, Kilrea, Colerame.^[71]
1980: Dr. Ian Robert Oscar Gordon of Old Rectory, Banagher, Denychrier, Dungiven^[72]
1981: Robert Gordon Clark of Upperlands^[73]
1982: James T. Eaton of Londonderry^[74]
1983: A.B. Johnston of Culmore Point^[75]
1984: G.A. McIlwrath of Coleraine^[76]
1985: R.M. Harvey of Drumahoe^[77]
1986: John Barry Ernest McCorkell of Dromore
1991: R.S. McCullough of Coleraine^[78]
1992: W.R.L. Moore of Londonderry ^[79]
1993: K.H. Cheevers of Coleraine^[80]
1994: William Stephen Patrick Clark^[81]
1995: John W. Moore of Portstewart ^[82]
1996: Terence C. Boyd of Portrush^[83]
1997: Thomas McMullan Mcllwaine of Cloughmills^[84]
1998: Peter Miles Welsh of Limavady^[85]
1999: Mrs Doris Hutchieson of Ballymoney, Co. Antrim^[86]

21st century

2000: William Francis Graham Hunter of Bond's Glen Road, Killaloo ^[87]
2001: Florence M. M. Sloan, of Feeny Road, Feeny ^[88]
2002: Professor James Scott Brown of Mountsandel Road, Coleraine ^[89]
2003: Patrick Joseph Heron, Edenreagh Road, Eglinton ^[90]
2004: Lorna Anne Moore Dane, Mountsandel Road, Coleraine ^[91]
2005: Rosemary O'Donnell of Eglinton^[92]
2006: William Hugh McKeown ^[93]
2007: Sharyn Gail Griffith, Mountsandel Road, Coleraine,^[94]
2008: Patrick Thaddeus McGinnis, Clooney Road, Gortgare, Greysteel^[95]
2009: David George Henderson of Magherafelt Road, Tobermore^[96]
2010: Trevor Kenneth Alastair Magee
2011: John Burns ^[97]
2012: Jean Davidson of Eglington ^[98]
2013: Philip Gilliland ^[99]
2014: John O'Niell of Coleraine ^[100]
2015: Helen Mark of Limavady
2016: Damian John Heron of Magherafelt^[101]
2017: Jean Thompson Caulfield of Coleraine ^[102]
2018: Anna Mary Clyde of Garvagh ^[103]
2019: Samuel David Graham Mawhinney of Magherafelt^[98]
2020: Ross Wilson ^[104]
2023: Peter Arnold Wilson, of Coleraine^[105]

References

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High shrievalties

England

Current

Former

Ireland
(pre-partition)

County	Carlow Cavan Clare Cork Donegal Dublin Galway Kerry Kildare Kilkenny King's County Leitrim Limerick Longford Louth Mayo Meath Monaghan Queen's County Roscommon Sligo Tipperary Waterford Westmeath Wexford Wicklow
City and town	Carrickfergus Cork Drogheda Dublin Galway Kilkenny Limerick Waterford

Northern Ireland

County	Antrim Armagh Down Fermanagh Londonderry Tyrone
City	Belfast Londonderry

Wales

Current	Clwyd Dyfed Gwent Gwynedd Mid Glamorgan Powys South Glamorgan West Glamorgan
Former	Anglesey Brecknockshire Caernarvonshire Cardiganshire Carmarthenshire Denbighshire Flintshire Glamorgan Merionethshire Monmouthshire Montgomeryshire Pembrokeshire Radnorshire