High Sheriff of Belfast explained

Post:High Sheriff
Body:Belfast
Insigniasize:200
Insigniacaption:Belfast City Coat of Arms
Incumbent:Sammy Douglas
Incumbentsince:January 2024
Style:High Sheriff[1]
Appointer:Secretary of State
(on the advice of the Council)
Termlength:One year
Inaugural:Sir James Henderson
Formation:1900

The High Sheriff of Belfast is a title and position which was created in 1900 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, with Sir James Henderson the first holder. Like other high sheriff positions, it is largely a ceremonial post today. The current high sheriff is Councillor Sammy Douglas, who took office in 2024.

The high sheriff is theoretically the judicial representative of the King in the city, while the Lord Lieutenant of Belfast is the Sovereign's personal representative. Today, the office is now largely symbolic with few formal duties other than deputising for the Lord Mayor of Belfast at official events. Irish Nationalists and Republican council members generally do not allow their names to go forward for the nomination as the post is seen as a reflection of the city's imperialist past.

Appointments are made on an annual basis by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, who asks the outgoing high sheriff and Belfast City Council to suggest the names of three people who are deemed suitable to hold the position. In recent years the council has suggested only one candidate, who is normally a member of the council.[2] The high sheriff's term of office runs from January to December, which is distinct from the term of office for the lord mayor and deputy lord mayor who take up office in May or June each year.[3]

Prior to 1900, sheriffs were elected by the city council.

List of high sheriffs

20th century

21st century

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: High Sheriff . . 8 August 2022.
  2. Web site: Minutes of Monday, 1st November, 2010 . Belfast City Council . https://web.archive.org/web/20111006144747/http://minutes.belfastcity.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=277&MID=9748#AI11028 . dead . 6 October 2011 . 31 May 2011 .
  3. Web site: High Sheriff . Belfast City Council . 31 May 2011 . 30 May 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110530042137/http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/lordmayor/HIGHSHERIFF.asp . dead .
  4. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=169&letter=I JewishEncyclopedia.com – IRELAND
  5. Web site: Mount Vernon Community. 14 August 2012.
  6. Web site: City and County Borough of Belfast. Lennon Wylie. 14 August 2012.
  7. "City High Sheriffs", Weekly Irish Times, 7 February 1903
  8. "City High Sheriffs", Weekly Irish Times, 13 February 1904
  9. "New High Sheriff of Belfast", Irish Times, 3 February 1905
  10. Anthony C. Hepburn, A Past Apart
  11. "City High Sheriffs", Irish Times, 29 January 1908
  12. "City High Sheriffs", Irish Times, 30 January 1909
  13. "Judges leave Belfast", Irish Times, 28 March 1910
  14. http://www.election.demon.co.uk/stormont/biographies.html Biographies of Members of the Northern Ireland House of Commons
  15. "The High Sheriff List", Irish Times, 27 January 1912
  16. "City High Sheriffs", Weekly Irish Times, 8 February 1913
  17. "City High Sheriffs", Irish Times, 31 January 1914
  18. "City High Sheriffs in Ireland", Weekly Irish Times, 6 February 1915
  19. "City High Sheriffs in Ireland", Weekly Irish Times, 5 February 1916
  20. "Irish City High Sheriffs", Irish Times, 31 January 1917
  21. "Viceroy in Belfast", Irish Times, 7 August 1918
  22. "Irish City High Sheriffs", Irish Times, 1 February 1919
  23. Who was who (1967)
  24. "High Sheriff's luncheon", Irish Times, 21 July 1921
  25. "Mr. Alexander McKeag, Belfast", Irish Times, 8 July 1924
  26. 3 March 1922 . The Lord Lieutenant . . 34 . 326.
  27. 2 February 1923 . His Grace the Governor . . 83 . 35.
  28. "Civic day in Belfast", Irish Times, 23 July 1924
  29. 1 February 1924 . Ministry of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland . . 136 . 610.
  30. News: Lord Mayor's Luncheon (Royal Visit) . 8 January 2022 . Northern Whig . 23 July 1924.
  31. "Shrievalty of Belfast", Weekly Irish Times, 31 January 1925
  32. 6 February 1925 . Ministry of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland . . 189 . 43.
  33. "Four times Lord Mayor", Irish Times, 25 January 1926
  34. 5 February 1926 . Ministry of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland . . 241 . 53.
  35. "Northern Ireland", Irish Times, 24 February 1927
  36. "Civic affairs in Belfast", Irish Times, 21 January 1930
  37. "Naval officers' visit to Belfast", Irish Times, 19 June 1931
  38. "Belfast Lord Mayoralty", Irish Times, 23 January 1932
  39. Belfast Gazette, 10 February 1933
  40. Belfast Gazette, 2 February 1934, p.1
  41. Belfast Gazette, 7 June 1935
  42. Belfast Gazette, 10 June 1938
  43. Belfast Gazette, 9 June 1939
  44. Belfast Gazette, 6 June 1941
  45. Belfast Gazette, 4 June 1943
  46. Belfast Gazette, 2 June 1944, p.118
  47. "Tributes paid to ex-Lord Mayor; Obituary", Belfast News Letter, 7 January 2003
  48. Belfast Gazette, 31 May 1946
  49. Belfast Gazette, 13 June 1947
  50. Belfast Gazette, 11 June 1948
  51. Belfast Gazette, 16 June 1950
  52. Belfast Gazette, 15 June 1951, p.1
  53. Belfast Gazette, 13 June 1952
  54. Belfast Gazette, 19 June 1953
  55. Water and Water Engineering, Vol.64, p.84
  56. Belfast Gazette, 15 June 1956
  57. Belfast Gazette, 14 June 1957
  58. Belfast Gazette, 27 June 1958
  59. Belfast Gazette, 12 June 1959
  60. Belfast Gazette, 17 June 1960
  61. Belfast Gazette, 16 June 1961
  62. Belfast Gazette, 15 June 1962
  63. Belfast Gazette, 14 June 1963
  64. Web site: Bethany Congregation. 14 August 2012.
  65. Belfast Gazette, 18 June 1965
  66. Belfast Gazette, 17 June 1966
  67. Belfast Gazette, 16 June 1967
  68. 14 June 1968 . Appointments . . 2489 . 216.
  69. "Former Lord Mayor Sir Myles dies at 72", Belfast Telegraph, 23 February 1998
  70. 26 June 1970 . Appointments . . 2634 . 251.
  71. 25 June 1971 . Appointments . . 2715 . 321 .
  72. "Queen petitioned to keep governor", Irish Times, 23 June 1973
  73. 30 June 1972 . Appointments . . 2794 . 245 .
  74. 29 June 1973 . Ministry of Home Affairs . . 2898 . 416 .
  75. Fionnuala O'Connor, "Man at the door without much hope", Irish Times, 20 November 1975
  76. Belfast Gazette, 9 January 1976
  77. Irish Times, 22 February 1977, p.4
  78. "South-east SF group in Shankill tour", Irish Times, 12 October 1978
  79. "Belfast woman elected mayor", Irish Times, 2 June 1981
  80. "Come shopping, appeals Belfast", Irish Times, 2 December 1980
  81. 11 January 1980 . Northern Ireland Office . . 3767 . 13.
  82. "Woman installed as High Sheriff of Belfast", Irish Times, 7 February 1981
  83. "Catholic voted sheriff", Irish Times, 2 November 1982
  84. "New Belfast High Sheriff", Irish Times, 4 February 1984
  85. 6 January 1984 . Northern Ireland Office . . 4355 . 1 .
  86. Belfast Gazette, 28 December 1984
  87. Belfast Gazette, 26 July 1985
  88. "Paisley reaffirms council boycott", Irish Times, 26 November 1986
  89. "Belfast council set to end ban", Irish Times, 23 February 1991
  90. Web site: My Belfast Summer 2007 . 1 December 2008 . 10 October 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071010195058/http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/citymatters/pdf/summer07.pdf . dead .
  91. "Death of former Mayor of Belfast", Irish Times, 21 October 1993
  92. Belfast Gazette, 8 January 1993
  93. Belfast Gazette, 7 January 1994
  94. "New High Sheriff for Belfast", Irish Times, 27 February 1996
  95. http://www.dup.org.uk/NelsonMcCausland.asp Nelson McCausland
  96. Gary Grattan, "High Sheriff of Belfast sworn in", Belfast Telegraph, 22 January 2003
  97. http://archive.nics.gov.uk/rd/050708g-rd.htm Belfast Harbour Commissioners' Board Appointments
  98. http://www.allianceparty.org/pages/people-CAMPBELL-Tom.html Tom Campbell
  99. http://archive.nics.gov.uk/hss/011011g-hss.htm Appointments of Members to Health and Social Services Councils
  100. Web site: City Matters Summer 2005 . 1 December 2008 . 11 October 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071011222226/http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/citymatters/docs/summer05.doc . dead .
  101. Web site: City Matters Spring/Summer 2003 . 1 December 2008 . 11 October 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071011162010/http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/citymatters/pdf/summer03.pdf . dead .
  102. http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/news/news.asp?id=353 New Lord Mayor of Belfast elected
  103. http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/lordmayor/lordmayordeputybiog.asp Deputy Lord Mayor David Browne
  104. http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/news/news.asp?id=713 New High Sheriff of Belfast to be sworn in
  105. http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/news/news.asp?id=1140 New High Sheriff of Belfast sworn in
  106. http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/lordmayor/highsheriff.asp?menuitem=sheriff High Sheriff Frank McCoubrey
  107. Web site: Youngest High Sheriff is sworn in at Belfast City Hall - Local & Nati… . https://archive.today/20120903213825/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/youngest-high-sheriff-is-sworn-in-at-belfast-city-hall-14640324.html . 3 September 2012 . dead.
  108. http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/lordmayor/highsheriff.asp High Sheriff
  109. http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/news/news.asp?id=2903 New High Sheriff sworn in
  110. http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/news/news.asp?id=3316 New High Sheriff sworn in
  111. Web site: High Sheriff.
  112. 8 January 2021 . Appointment of Sheriffs . . 8329 . 10.
  113. Web site: Councillor Sammy Douglas appointed High Sheriff of Belfast .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "High Sheriff of Belfast".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.