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[ 3]
1403: Sir Christopher Plunket[ 4]
1404: Sir John D'Arcy[ 5]
1405: Sir William Nugent of Balrath, second term[ 3]
1406: Matthew Hussey of Moyle-Hussey[ 5]
1408: Matthew Hussey of Moyle-Hussey, second term
1409: Sir Christopher Plunket, second term
1415: Sir John D'Arcy[ 5]
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 [ 6]
1482 Alexander Plunket
1610: Patrick Barnewall of Trim
1613: Patrick Barnewall of Trim
1622: Patrick Barnewall of Trim
1686: Launcelot Dowdall of Mounttown[ 5]
1686: Donogh Mac Gillicuddy.
1688: John Browne.
1720: Robert Waller[ 5]
1724: George Pepper of Ballygarth[ 5]
1725: John Coddington
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 [ 8]
1739:
1740: James Lenox Naper of Loughcrew[ 5]
1741:
1742: James Fleming[ 4]
1743: Sir Quaile Somerville, 2nd Baronet[ 9]
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:
1821: John Payne Garnett of Arch Hall, Navan[ 8]
1822: James Lenox William Naper of Loughcrew[ 8]
1823: Francis Singleton[ 16]
1824: John Charles Preston, of Swainstown[ 18]
1825: John Thompson, of Rathnally, Trim
1827: John Armytage Nicholson of Balrath Burry, Kells[ 19]
1828: Robert George Bomford and Richard Bolton
1829: Anthony Blackburne of Parsonstown[ 5]
1838:
1839: Richard Rothwell, of Rockfield[ 22]
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 [ 23]
1846: George Annesley Pollock of Oatlands[ 5]
1847:
1848: Henry Barry Coddington of Old Bridge, Drogheda[ 24]
1849: William Martley Blackburne, of Tankardstown-Hall, Slane[ 25]
1850: Michael Thunder of Lagore, Dunshaughlin[ 26]
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[ 27]
1857: John Arthur Farrell of Moynalty[ 5]
1858: Samuel Garnett of Arch Hall, Navan[ 28]
1859: Hercules Langford Boyle Rowley of Marlay Grange, County Dublin[ 5]
1860: George Bomford of Oakley Park[ 5]
1861:
1862: Thomas Boylan, Hilltown, Drogheda.[ 29]
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 .[ 30]
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 .[ 31]
1879:
1880: William Newcombe Waller of Allenstown .[ 5]
1881: John Kearney[ 32]
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.[ 33]
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 .[ 34]
1892: Robert Bernard George Ashurst Gradwell[ 35]
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.
1910: Patrick James Kennedy of Rathcore House, Enfield .[ 34]
1911: William Lennox Naper of Loughcrew .[ 5]
1912: Reginald Dashwood Tandy.[ 36]
1913: John Francis Hevey Langan.
1922: Arthur Francis Coddington.
References
^ Patent Roll 20 Edward III ^ Patent Roll 8 Richard II
^ a b Patent Roll 6 Henry IV ^ a b c "Upward Mobility in Later Medieval Meath" . History of Ireland. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2019 .^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi A genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Ireland, 1912, Bernard Burke
^ a b c "The Tisdalls 1757–1968" . Ask about Ireland. Retrieved 18 April 2011 .^ "Napers leave Loughcrew" . Meath Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011 .^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Burkes Peerage & Baronetage . 2003.^ Complete Baronetage, p.358
^ "GORGES, Hamilton (1739–1802), of Kilbrew, co. Meath" . History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 13 July 2013 .^ a b Visitation of Ireland
^ "No. 12273" . The London Gazette ^ a b Complete Baronetage, p.436
^ "No. 12525" . The London Gazette ^ Butler, James. The statutes at large, passed in the Parliaments held in Ireland . p. 385. ^ a b c d e f g h Papers by Command-Great Britain, Parliament, House of Commons-Volume 6
^ Reports from Commissioners Volume 4 (Ireland) . 1824.^ "High Sheriffs, 1824" . The Connaught Journal . 1 March 1824. Retrieved 10 May 2011 .^ "New Sheriffs" . The Kilkenny Independent . Retrieved 28 April 2011 .^ "The Heraldic Calendar"
^ "Official Authorities, Meath, 1834" . Retrieved 4 August 2011 .^ Burke's genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Ireland . 1912.^ "New Irish Sheriffs" . The Armagh Guardian. Retrieved 28 April 2011 .^ "The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842 – 1954)" . Trove. Retrieved 3 August 2013 .^ "Co Cavan Newspaper Extracts" . Retrieved 29 July 2011 .^ "Ireland Old News" . Ballina Chronicle. Retrieved 26 April 2011 .^ "The Cork Examiner, 28 January 1856 HIGH SHERIFFS FOR 1856" . The Cork Examiner. Retrieved 28 September 2014 .^ "No. 6775" . The Edinburgh Gazette ^ "Ireland Old News" . Ballina Chronicle. Retrieved 26 April 2011 .^ "No. 8027" . The Edinburgh Gazette ^ "High Sheriffs for 1878" . Cavan weekly News. Retrieved 18 April 2011 .^ "Evening News (Sydney, NSW: 1869 – 1931) Saturday 20 August 1881" . Trove. Retrieved 5 August 2013 .^ "The County Families of the United Kingdom" . Retrieved 18 August 2012 .^ a b c Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes . 1916.^ The Catholic Who's Who
^ "Subscribe" . 2 November 2021.
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