Sheriff of Kincardine explained

The Sheriff of Kincardine, also known as The Mearns, was historically a royal appointment, held at pleasure, which carried the responsibility for enforcing justice in Kincardine, Scotland. Prior to 1748 most sheriffdoms were held on a hereditary basis. From that date, following the Jacobite uprising of 1745, the hereditary sheriffs were replaced by salaried sheriff-deputes, qualified advocates who were members of the Scottish Bar.

Following a general merger of the sheriffdoms in 1870 the position became the Sheriff of Aberdeen and Kincardine.

Sheriffs

• Osbert Olifard (c. 1160)
• John de Hastinkes, Lord of Dun (1163-1178)
• Robert de Inverkeilor (c. 1198)
• Robert Senescald (1214-1225)
• Philip de Melville, Lord of Mondynes (1222-1240)
• John Wishart (1230)
• Reginald le Chen (1263)
• Robert le Chen (1263-1266)
• Reginald le Chen (1266)
• Reginald le Chen (1290)
• Alexander de Abernethy (1305)
• Richard de Dummor (1305)
• Alexander de Stratoun, Lord of Lauriston (1328)
• Alexander Fraser (1330)
• Simon Fraser (1337)
• Robert de Keith (1348-1358)
• William de Keith (1359-1391)
  • Robert Burnard - Deputy (1391)
• Robert de Keith, Lord of Troup (1406-1407)
• William Keith (1442)
  • Alexander Ogilvy of Inverquharity - Deputy (1443)
  • Patrick Barclay - Deputy (1448)
• John de Melville of Glenbervie (1420)
• William Keith, 1st Earl Marischal (1470)
• William Keith, 2nd Earl Marischal (1483)
• William Keith, 3rd Earl Marischal (1492)
• William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal (1525)
• William Keith, Lord Keith (1621)

Sheriffs-Depute

• Arthur Sheppard, 1728–1748? ^[1]
• Francis Garden, Lord Gardenstone, 1748–1760? ^[2]
• James Burnet, 1760–1767? ^[1]
• Walter Campbell of Shawfield, 1767–1777
• John Scott, 1777–1780? ^[1]
• John Ramsay, 1780–1783 ^[1]
• Alexander Gordon, 1784–1806? ^[3]
• Adam Gillies, 1806–1811 ^[4]
• George Douglas, 1812–1847? ^{[5] [6]}
• Archibald Davidson, 1847–1848 (Sheriff of Aberdeen, 1848) ^[1]
• John Cowan, 1848–1851 ^[7]
• John Montgomerie Bell, 1852–1862
• Alexander Burns Shand, 1862–1869 (Sheriff of Haddington and Berwick, 1869-1872}
• For sheriffs after 1870 see Sheriff of Aberdeen and Kincardine.

See also

• Historical development of Scottish sheriffdoms

Notes and References

1. Web site: Catalog Search. National Records of Scotland. 25 February 2021.
2. Web site: Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002. Royal Society of Edinburgh. 6 April 2018.
3. Book: Parliament, Great Britain. The Parliamentary Register. 539.
4. Book: Brunton, George. An Historical Account of the Senators of the College of Justice. 548.
5. Book: Transactions of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. 861.
6. Book: Accounts and Papers, Finance, Banks. Offices. Vol. XIII. 71.
7. Book: Lee, Thomas. Seekers of Truth: The Scottish Founders of Modern Public Accountancy. 163.