High Bailiff Explained

The High Bailiff (Manx: Ard-Vaylee) is a legal position held within the Isle of Man. The High Bailiff is the head stipendiary magistrate.

The current High Bailiff is Her Worship Jayne Hughes, who took office on 11 March 2019.^[1]

The High Bailiff and their deputy are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor. The High Bailiff and Deputy High Bailiff are ex officio judicial officers of the High Court of Justice of the Isle of Man^[2] and coroners of inquests.^[3]

Originally there was a High Bailiff of each of the four towns of the island: Castletown, Ramsey, Peel and Douglas. In 1911 the offices of High Bailiff of Castletown and Douglas, and the offices of High Bailiff of Peel and Ramsey, were merged. Those offices were merged in turn in 1933 to form a single office of High Bailiff of the Isle of Man.

Lists of High Bailiffs!Castletown!!Douglas!!Peel!!Ramsey

William Callow, 1777-? Robert Kelly, 1811–? John Kelly, 1832–1854 James Gell, 1854–1865 John Moore Jeffcott, 1865–1892 James Stowell Gell, 1892–1911	John Cosnahan, 1777–1808 Norris Moore, 1808–1816 John McHutchin, 1816–1819 James Quirk, 1820–1841 John Courtney Bluett, ?-1855 Senhouse Wilson, 1855–1864 Samuel Harris, 1864–1905 James Stowell Gell, 1905–1911	Robert Farrant, 1777–1794 Captain George Savage, 1794–1802 Thomas Clark, 1802–1807 Hugh Clucas, 1808–1817 James Quirk, 1817–1820 John Llewellyn, 1820–1840 Richard Harrison, 1840–1853 Robert John Moore, 1853–1884 A.N. Laughton, 1884–1911	John Frissell Crellin, 1777–1794 James Wilks, 1794–1805 Thomas Gawne, 1805–1812 Ewan Gill, 1812–1821 Thomas Arthur Corlett, 1821–1828 John Caesar Gelling, 1828–1832 Frederick Tellett, 1832–1873 Sir Alured Dumbell, 1873–1880 John Corlet LaMothe, 1880–1898 James Murray Cruikshank, 1898–1911
Douglas and Castletown		Ramsey and Peel
James Stowell Gell, 1911–1918 Reginald Douglas Farrant, 1919–1925 William Lay, 1925–1933	James Murray Cruikshank, 1911–1916 F. M. LaMothe, 1916–1921 William Lay, 1921–1925 William Percy Cowley, 1925–1933
Isle of Man
William Lay, 1933–1937 Henry Percy Kelly, 1937–1938^[4] Ramsey Gelling Johnson, 1938–1947^[5] Howard Deighton Lay, 1947–1961 Robert Kinley Eason, 1961–1969 Henry Callow, 1969–1988 Weldon Williams, 1988–1995 Andrew Williamson, 1995–2002 Michael Moyle, 2002–2010 John Needham, 2010 Jayne Hughes, 2019

Deputy High Bailiffs

• Unknown, 1933–1977
• Weldon Williams, 1977–1988
• Andrew Williamson, 1988–1995
• Michael Moyle, 1995–2002
• Alastair Montgomerie, 2002–2011
• Jayne Hughes, 2011
• Christopher Arrowsmith, 2019
• James Brooks, 2021

See also

• Bailiff
• Bailiff (Channel Islands)
• Manx Judiciary

References

Notes and References

1. Web site: Jayne Hughes' speech at her swearing-in as High Bailiff of the Isle of Man.
2. High Court Act 1991 s.3C
3. [Coroner]
4. MLR 1921–51
5. MLR 1921–51