High Sheriff of Meath explained
The High Sheriff of Meath was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Meath, Ireland, from the conquest until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Meath County Sheriff.
The sheriff had judicial, electoral, ceremonial and administrative functions and executed high court writs. 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. However, the sheriff retained his responsibilities for the preservation of law and order in the county. The usual procedure for appointing the sheriff from 1660 onwards was that three persons were nominated at the beginning of each year from the county and the Lord Lieutenant then appointed his choice as High Sheriff for the remainder of the year. Often the other nominees were appointed as under-sheriffs.
Sometimes a sheriff did not fulfil his entire term through death or other event and another sheriff was then appointed for the remainder of the year. The dates given hereunder are the dates of appointment. All addresses are in County Meath unless stated otherwise.
High Sheriffs of County Meath
- 1299 Rythery Fitzjohn
- 1340: Michael Stokes
- 1345: Roger Dardis or Dardiz
- 1346: Sir Walter de la Hyde (murdered that year?)[1]
- 1368: John FitzRichard
- 1373: William Dalton (killed by the Cenal-Fiachaidh)
- 1384 Walter Chaumbre[2]
- 1385: Richard Drake of Drakerath
- 1386: John Darcy
- 1401: Sir William Nugent of Balrath
- 1403: Sir Christopher Plunket
- 1404: Sir John D'Arcy
- 1405: Sir William Nugent of Balrath, second term[3]
- 1406: Matthew Hussey of Moyle-Hussey
- 1408: Matthew Hussey of Moyle-Hussey, second term
- 1409: Sir Christopher Plunket, second term
- 1415: Sir John D'Arcy
- 1422 John Drake
- 1424: Richard Nugent, 2nd Baron Delvin
- 1425: Sir Christopher Plunket, third term
- 1435: John Barnewall
- 1451: Nicholas Ford of Fordstown
- 1470: Robert Bold, Baron Ratoath
- 1472: James Fleming, 7th Baron Slane
- 1482 Alexander Plunket
Henry VIII 1509–1547
Elizabeth I, 1558–1603
James I, 1603–1625
- 1610: Patrick Barnewall of Trim
- 1613: Patrick Barnewall of Trim
- 1622: Patrick Barnewall of Trim
Charles I, 1625–1649
Commonwealth, 1649–1660
Charles II, 1660–1685
James II, 1685–1688
- 1686: Launcelot Dowdall of Mounttown
- 1686: Donogh Mac Gillicuddy.
- 1688: John Browne.
William III, 1689–1702
George I, 1714–1727
- 1720: Robert Waller[5]
- 1724: George Pepper of Ballygarth[5]
- 1725: John Coddington
George II, 1727–1760
- 1727:
- 1728:
- 1729:
- 1730: James Garstin of Leragh Castle[5]
- 1731:
- 1732:
- 1733: Benjamin Chapman of St Lucy's, County Westmeath
- 1734: Richard Wesley, 1st Baron Mornington
- 1735: Christopher Nicholson of Balrath Burry[5]
- 1736:
- 1737: Clotworthy Sheilds Wade of Clonebrayney[5]
- 1738: Hercules Langford Rowley of Summerhill House[6]
- 1739:
- 1740: James Lenox Naper of Loughcrew[5]
- 1741:
- 1742: James Fleming[7]
- 1743: Sir Quaile Somerville, 2nd Baronet[8]
- 1744:
- 1745:
- 1746:
- 1747:
- 1748: John Wade
- 1749:
- 1750: William Waller of Allenstown House[5]
- 1751:
- 1752:
- 1753: John Graham
- 1754: Dixie Coddington of Oldbridge
- 1755:
- 1756:
- 1757:
- 1758:
- 1759:
George III, 1760–1820
George IV, 1820–1830
- 1821: John Payne Garnett of Arch Hall, Navan[6]
- 1822: James Lenox William Naper of Loughcrew[6]
- 1823: Francis Singleton[14]
- 1824: John Charles Preston, of Swainstown[16]
- 1825: John Thompson, of Rathnally, Trim
- 1827: John Armytage Nicholson of Balrath Burry, Kells[17]
- 1828: Robert George Bomford and Richard Bolton
- 1829: Anthony Blackburne of Parsonstown[5]
William IV, 1830–1837
Victoria, 1837–1901
- 1838:
- 1839: Richard Rothwell, of Rockfield[20]
- 1840: Robert Craven Wade of Clonebraney[5]
- 1841: John Tisdall of Charlesfort[5]
- 1842: Henry Corbet Singleton of Aclare[5]
- 1843: Henry Barry Coddington of Oldbridge[5]
- 1843: John Farrell of Moynalty[5]
- 1844: Thomas Taylour, 3rd Marquess of Headfort of Headfort House, Kells
- 1845: Lord Killeen, of Killeen Castle[21]
- 1846: George Annesley Pollock of Oatlands[5]
- 1847:
- 1848: Henry Barry Coddington of Old Bridge, Drogheda[22]
- 1849: William Martley Blackburne, of Tankardstown-Hall, Slane[23]
- 1850: Michael Thunder of Lagore, Dunshaughlin[24]
- 1851: Hans Hamilton Woods of Whitestown House[5]
- 1852: Edward Rotheram of Crossdrum[5]
- 1853: James Lenox Naper of Loughcrew[5]
- 1854: John Osborne George Pollock of Mountainstown[5]
- 1855: Richard Chaloner of King's Fort[5]
- 1856: Christopher A. Nicholson of Belrath, Kells[25]
- 1857: John Arthur Farrell of Moynalty[5]
- 1858: Samuel Garnett of Arch Hall, Navan
- 1859: Hercules Langford Boyle Rowley of Marlay Grange, County Dublin[5]
- 1860: George Bomford of Oakley Park[5]
- 1861:
- 1862: Thomas Boylan, Hilltown, Drogheda.[26]
- 1863: Thomas Gerrard of Gibbstown and Boyne Hill.[5]
- 1864: William Stawell Garnett of Williamston.[5]
- 1865:
- 1867: Thomas Rockwell of Rockfield.[5]
- 1868:
- 1870: The Hon Jenico W. J. Preston of Gormanstown Castle, Balbriggan.
- 1871: Robert Fowler
- 1872: James Sanderson Winter of Agher.[5]
- 1873: Robert Caddell of Harbourstown.[5]
- 1874:
- 1875: Mervyn Pratt.[5]
- 1876:
- 1877: Henry Corbet Singleton of Aclare.[5]
- 1878: George Augustus Rotheram of Kilbride Castle, Trim.[27]
- 1879:
- 1880: William Newcombe Waller of Allenstown.[5]
- 1881: John Kearney[28]
- 1882: Robert Grimshaw Dunville[5]
- 1883: Nugent Talbot Everard, Bt
- 1884: John Naper George Pollock of Mountainstown.[5]
- 1885: Edward Rotheram of Crossdrum.[5]
- 1886:
- 1887: Charles Pepper of Ballygarth Castle.[29]
- 1888: Edward Hamilton Woods of Milverton Hall, County Dublin.[5]
- 1889: Nathaniel Hone Dyas of Athboy House & Staholmack, County Meath.
- 1890:
- 1891: George Joseph Brooke McVeagh of Drewstown, Kells.[30]
- 1892: Robert Bernard George Ashurst Gradwell[31]
- 1893: Uvedale Corbet Singleton of Aclare.[5]
- 1894: Thomas Boylan
- 1895: John Hampden Nicholson of Balrath Burry.[5]
- 1896: William Thompson of Rathnally.[5]
- 1897: Gustavus Villiers Briscoe of Bellinter House.[5]
- 1898: Francis William Blackburne of Tankardstown.[5]
- 1899: Robert Henry Fowler of Rahinston and Rathmolyon.[5]
- 1900:
- 1901: Gustavus Francis William Lambart, 1st Baronet of Beau Parc.
Edward VII, 1901–1910
- 1902: Charles Henry Bulwer Caldwell of New Grange.[5]
- 1904: Frederick Arthur Bligh of Brittas, Nobber.[5]
- 1905: Fitzhenry Augustus Smith of Annesbrook, Duleek.[5]
- 1906: Edward Rotheram of Crossdrum.[5]
- 1907: John Edward Joseph Farrell of Moynalty.[5]
- 1908: George Fitzgerald Murphy of the Grange, Dunsany.[30]
George V, 1910–1936
- 1910: Patrick James Kennedy of Rathcore House, Enfield.[30]
- 1911: William Lennox Naper of Loughcrew.[5]
- 1912: Reginald Dashwood Tandy.[32]
- 1913: John Francis Hevey Langan.
- 1922: Arthur Francis Coddington.
Notes and References
- Patent Roll 20 Edward III
- Patent Roll 8 Richard II
- Patent Roll 6 Henry IV
- Web site: Napers leave Loughcrew. Meath Chronicle. 18 April 2011. 2 October 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111002095824/http://www.meathchronicle.ie/news/roundup/articles/2008/04/26/24082. dead.
- A genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Ireland, 1912, Bernard Burke
- Book: Burkes Peerage & Baronetage . 2003.
- Web site: Upward Mobility in Later Medieval Meath. 28 January 2013. History of Ireland. 6 October 2019.
- Complete Baronetage, p.358
- Web site: GORGES, Hamilton (1739–1802), of Kilbrew, co. Meath.. History of Parliament Online. 13 July 2013.
- Visitation of Ireland
- Web site: The Tisdalls 1757–1968 . Ask about Ireland. 18 April 2011.
- Complete Baronetage,p.436
- Book: Butler, James. The statutes at large, passed in the Parliaments held in Ireland. 385.
- Papers by Command-Great Britain, Parliament, House of Commons-Volume 6
- Book: Reports from Commissioners Volume 4 (Ireland). 1824.
- News: High Sheriffs, 1824 . The Connaught Journal . 1 March 1824 . 10 May 2011.
- Web site: New Sheriffs. The Kilkenny Independent. 28 April 2011.
- "The Heraldic Calendar"
- Web site: Official Authorities, Meath, 1834. 4 August 2011.
- Book: Burke's genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Ireland . 1912.
- Web site: New Irish Sheriffs . The Armagh Guardian. 28 April 2011.
- Web site: The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842 – 1954). Trove. 3 August 2013.
- Web site: Co Cavan Newspaper Extracts. 29 July 2011.
- Web site: Ireland Old News. Ballina Chronicle. 26 April 2011.
- Web site: The Cork Examiner, 28 January 1856 HIGH SHERIFFS FOR 1856. The Cork Examiner. 28 September 2014.
- Web site: Ireland Old News. Ballina Chronicle. 26 April 2011.
- Web site: High Sheriffs for 1878. Cavan weekly News . 18 April 2011.
- Web site: Evening News (Sydney, NSW: 1869 – 1931) Saturday 20 August 1881. Trove. 5 August 2013.
- Web site: The County Families of the United Kingdom. 18 August 2012.
- Book: Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes. 1916.
- The Catholic Who's Who
- Web site: Subscribe . 2 November 2021 .
