History

The office of High Sheriff

High Sheriff

A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...

 is over 1000 years old, with its establishment before the Norman Conquest. The Office of High Sheriff remained first in precedence in the counties until the reign of Edward VII

Edward VII of the United Kingdom

Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...

 when an Order in Council in 1908 gave the Lord-Lieutenant the prime office under the Crown as the Sovereign's personal representative. The High Sheriff remains the Sovereign's representative in the County for all matters relating to the Judiciary and the maintenance of law and order.

Prior to 1974, there was one High Sheriff

High Sheriff of Sussex

-History:The office of High Sheriff is over 1000 years old, with its establishment before the Norman Conquest. The Office of High Sheriff remained first in precedence in the counties until the reign of Edward VII when an Order in Council in 1908 gave the Lord-Lieutenant the prime office under the...

 for the whole of Sussex

Sussex

Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...

.

Roles and responsibilities

• High Sheriffs are responsible in the Counties of England and Wales for duties conferred by the Crown through Warrant from the Privy Council, including:
• Attendance at Royal visits to the County
• The wellbeing and protection of Her Majesty's High Court Judges when on Circuit in the County and attending them in Court during the legal terms.
• The execution of High Court Writs and Orders (which is mainly achieved through the Under Sheriff)
• Acting as the Returning Officer for Parliamentary Elections in County constituencies
• Responsibility for the proclamation of the accession of a new Sovereign
• The maintenance of the loyalty of subjects to the Crown

High Sheriffs of East Sussex

• 1974–1975: Joseph Rank, of Hartfield
• 1975–1976: Thomas Egerton, of Robertsbridge
• 1976–1977: Lawrence Hardy, of Dane Hill
• 1977–1978: Arthur Sturge MC, of Wadhurst
• 1978–1979: Reginald Edwardes-Jones, of Wadhurst
• 1979–1980: Christopher Bridge, of Firle
• 1980-1981: Thomas Halliday Baskerville Mynors, of Moseham House
• 1981-1982: Major Michael Reid, of Wadhurst
• 1982-1983: Hon. Oliver Piers St. Aubin MC, of Woodside House, barcombe, Lewes
• 1983-1984: Lieutenant-Colonel Rodney Onslow Dennys
  Rodney Dennys
  Lieutenant-Colonel Rodney Onslow Dennys, CVO, OBE, FSA was a British foreign service operative and long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. During World War II he served in the Intelligence Corps of the British Army.Dennys joined the Foreign Service in 1937, serving in...
  
   CVO
  Royal Victorian Order
  The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
  
   OBE
• 1984-1985: Capt Samuel Lombard-Hobson CVO OBE , of Laughton
• 1985-1986: Michael Toynbee, of Wadhurst
• 1986-1987: Rupert Cyster OBE, of Rye
• 1987-1988: Timothy Jones, of berwick
• 1988-1989: Edward Hardcastle TD, of Wadhurst
• 1989-1990: David Baker JP, of Laughton
• 1990-1991: Peter Dunn JP, of Rushlake Green
• 1991-1992: Roderick Petley, of Heathfield
• 1992-1993: Ian Cox, of Brightling
• 1993-1994: Andrew Stewart-Roberts of Offham
• 1994-1995: Lady (Jane) Lloyd of Berwick
• 1995-1996: Alan Mayes-Smith
• 1996-1997: John Fooks
• 1997-1998: John Whitmore
• 1998-1999: Gillian Evelyn Schluter, Viscountess Brentford OBE
• 1999-2000: Keith Miller
• 2000-2001: William de Salis
• 2001-2002: Richard Carden
• 2002-2003: David Pennock
• 2003-2004: Alastair Ainslie
• 2004-2005: Julian Avery
• 2005-2006: David Tate OBE
• 2006-2007: Amanda Caroline Hamblin
• 2007-2008: Caroline Anne Mayhew
• 2008-2009: Hugh Thomas Burnett OBE
• 2009–2010: William Thomas Cornelius Shelford
  William Thomas Cornelius Shelford
  William Thomas Cornelius Shelford was the 2009/2010 High Sheriff of East Sussex. He was previously the Senior Partner of CMS Cameron McKenna and before that he was a specialist in Property Law. He is Chairman of Chailey Heritage School....
  
  
• 2010–2011: Deborah Clare Melanie Bedford
• 2011-2012: Mrs Kathy A Gore