High Sheriff of Kildare explained
The High Sheriff of Kildare was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Kildare, Ireland from the 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Kildare County Sheriff. The High 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 serve his full term due to death or another event, and another sheriff was then appointed for the remainder of the year. The dates given in this article are the dates of appointment.
In Ireland, the County Sheriffs were selected or "pricked" by the Lord Lieutenant. All addresses are in County Kildare unless stated otherwise.
List of High Sheriffs of County Kildare
Pre-17th century
Source: Kildare Archaeological Society
- 1299 : William Alysaundre[1]
- 1303 Sir Waleran de Wellesley (or John de Wellesley), knight, killed in battle with the Irish, October 1303, aged 70. Son of Waleran de Wellesley (died c.1276), justice in eyre, ancestor of the Duke of Wellington;[3]
- 1306: Sir Hugh Canoun, or Canon.
- 1310–1314: David le Maryner (or Mazener)
- 1355: Richard Penkiston (also Escheator for Kildare)
- 1368: William De Wellesley (first term) u
- 1372: William de Wellesley (second term)
- 1373: William Ballymore
- 1374: Walter fitz John le Faunt
- 1375: John Creef
- 1376: Adam de Lyt
- 1378: Robert FitzEustace (? of Cradockstown).
- 1384 William De Wellesley
- 1386: Sir Maurice FitzEustace
- 1391: William de Wellesley
- 1392: John Fitz Maurice
- 1394: Patrick Flatesbury
- 1403: William de Wellesley
- 1414: Sir Richard FitzEustace
- 1415–16: Sir Richard De Wellesley of Dangan, County Meath and of Pollardstown, County Kildare
- 1419: Sir Richard De Wellesley (second term)
- 1421: Sir Richard De Wellesley of Dangan, County Meath and of Pollardstown, County Kildare (third term)
- 1422: Sir Richard De Wellesley (fourth term)
- 1423: Sir Edward FitzEustace, Knt.
- 1424: Robert Griffin
- 1428: Sir Edward FitzEustace, Knt.
- 1446: Robert Flatesbury (killed 1448)
- 1452: Christopher De Wellesley of Alasty
- 1456: Robert FitzEustace of Ballycutland (Coghlanstown)
- 1465: Christopher Flatesbury of Osbertown
- 1472: Philip Eustace of Newland
- 1484: Lawrence Sutton of Barbystown
- 1493: Richard Eustace of Eilgon (?Eilgowan)
- 1494: Bartholomew Aylmer of Lyons
- 1495: Bartholomew Aylmer
- 1496: Sir William De Wellesley
- 1498: Laurence Sutton of Tipper
- 1499: Maurice Eustace of Ballyoutland (Coghlanstown)
- 1502: Sir William Wogan of Rathcoffey
- 1507: William Eustace of Newland
- 1508: Laurence Sutton of Tipper
- 1509: William Eustace of Cradockstown
- 1523: Thomas Eustace, 1st Viscount Baltinglass of Henryston (Harristown)
- 1527: Thomas Netterfeld, snr.
- 1535: John Eustace of Harriston
- 1536: James FitzGerald of Osberdiston (Osberstown).
- 1537–38: Philip fitzMaurice FitzGerald, of Allen.
- 1540: William Birmingham of Dunfert.
- 1541: James FitzGerald of Ballysonnane (Ballyshannon).
- 1542: Nicholas Wogan of Rathcoffey
- 1543: Richard Aylmer of Lyons
- 1544: William Eustace of Mone (? Moone)
- 1556: Nicholas Eustace of Cradockston
- 1557: Patrick Sarsfield of Castledillon
- 1558: Redmund Fitzgeralde of Rathangan
- 1558–1560: Francis Cosby of Even [now Monasterevin]
- 1560: Maurice FitzGerald of "Gerardston"
- 1567: John Eustace of Castlemartin
- 1571: Robert Pypho
- 1573: Piers Fitz-Gerald of Ballysonan
- 1576: John Eustace of Castle Marten
- 1578: Peter Fitz-Gerald of Ballysonan
- 1580: John Eustace of Castle Marten
- 1581: Piers Fitz-Gerald of Ballysonan
- 1583: Redmond Bermingham of the Grange
- 158n: Thomas Fitz-Gerald of Timahoe, County Kildare
- 158n: William Eustace
- 1592: Maurice Eustace
- 1593: Sir Richard Fitzgerald
- 1594: John Sarsfield
- 1595: Sarsfield
- 1596: John Fitz-Gerald
- 1597: Sir Henry Duke
- 1598: James Fitz-Gerald
20th century
- 1900: George Wolfe of Forenaghts and Bishopsland
- 1901: William Trench Kirkpatrick of Donacomper, Celbridge[4]
- 1902: Sir Kildare Dixon Borrowes, 10th Baronet of Barretstown Castle, Ballymore Eustace, Naas
- 1903: James Laurence Carew[5]
- 1903: Bertram Francis Barton of Straffan House
- 1904:
- 1906: Nicholas Joseph Synnott.[6]
- 1906: Henry Eliardo de Courcy-Wheeler of Robertstown House.
- 1907: Sir William Goulding, 1st Baronet of Millicent, Sallins.
- 1908: Bertram Hugh Barton of Straffan House.
- 1909: Hugh Arthur Henry of Firmount, Sallins.
- 1910: Joseph Henry Greer of Grange, Moy, County Tyrone.
- 1911: Hugh Wyndham Montgomery of Ballymore.
- 1912:
- 1916: Capt Rt Hon Herbert Dixon, OBE, Ballyalloy, near Comber, County Down.
Notes and References
- Web site: Castle tied up in colonial power. 3 December 2021. 3 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211203165424/https://www.independent.ie/regionals/wicklowpeople/news/castle-tied-up-in-colonial-power-27862454.html. live.
- Ball, F. Elrington The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921 London John Murray 1926
- 1301: Albert de Kenley[1]
- , F Elrington The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921 London John Murray 1926 pp.46-7
- Book: Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes. 1888. 1916. 25 November 2013.
- Web site: Kalgoorlie Western Argus (WA: 1896 – 1916) Tuesday 27 October 1903. Trove. 5 August 2013. 18 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211218102327/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32735514. live.
- Book: Burnard, Francis. The Catholic who's who.
