Sheriff of Bute explained

The Sheriff of Bute was historically the office responsible for enforcing law and order on the Isle of Bute, Scotland and bringing criminals to justice.

Before the Jacobite uprising of 1745 and the abolition of hereditary jurisdictions in 1746, the office was hereditary until shifting to salaried sheriffs by 1748. The office was mostly held by the Stewarts of Bute. The most historically prominent Sheriff was John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute.

The sheriffdom was combined with Dumbarton in 1854 to form the sheriffdom of Dumbarton & Bute.^[1] In 1871 it was split and Bute was combined with Renfrew to form the sheriffdom of Renfrew & Bute.^[2] The sheriffdom was split again in 1946, when Bute was combined with Ayr to form the sheriffdom of Ayr & Bute.^[3]

Sheriffs of Bute

• John Stewart 1385^[4]
• James Stewart 1445-1449
• Ninian Stewart^[5]
• Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran 1468
• Ninian Stewart 1492
• Sir John Stuart of Bute
• John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, 1723-1746

Sheriffs-Depute

• William Macleod Bannatyne, 1776–1799 ^[6]
• John James Edmonstone, 1799–1818 ^[7]
• Samuel McCormick, 1818-34
• James Ivory, 1834-1838 ^[8]
• Robert Hunter, 1839–1854 ^[9]
• For sheriffs after 1854 see Sheriff of Dumbarton and Bute

See also

• Historical development of Scottish sheriffdoms

Notes and References

1. On the resignation of John Campbell Colquhoun, Sheriff of Dumbartonshire in 1854, Robert Hunter, Sheriff of Bute became Sheriff of Dumbarton and Bute News: Legal Appointment. Dundee Courier. 1 February 1854.
2. On the death of Robert Hunter, Sheriff of Dumbarton & Bute on 25 December 1871 Bute was joined with Renfrewshire and Dumbarton was joined with Stirlingshire. News: Epitome of the News. Leicester Mercury. 30 December 1871. 2.
3. Union of Sheriffdoms Order 1946 S.I.1946/1037 (S.40):On the Sheriffdom of Ross, Cromarty & Sutherland becoming vacant
   • Ross & Cromarty and Inverness Moray (formerly called Elgin) and Nairn united as the Sheriffdom of Inverness, Moray, Nairn & Ross & Cromarty
   • Sutherland united with Caithness, Orkney & Zetland to form Sheriffdom of Caithness, Sutherland, Orkney & Zetland

   On the Sheriffdom of Bute & Renfrew becoming vacant

   • The counties disunited
     • Bute united with Ayr to become the Sheriffdom of Ayr & Bute
     • Renfrew united with Argyll to become the Sheriffdom of Renfrew & Argyll (in effect 18 July 1946)
4. Web site: A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire . A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage. Burke . John Bernard . 1845 .
5. Web site: A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage . Burke . John Bernard . 1845 .
6. Web site: Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002. Royal Society of Edinburgh. 26 October 2017.
7. Book: Finance Accounts of Great Britain and Ireland. 236.
8. Web site: Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002. Royal Society of Edinburgh. 26 October 2017.
9. Web site: Moray Register. 10 April 2018.