High Sheriff of King's County
Encyclopedia
The High Sheriff of King's County was the British Crown’s judicial representative in King's County (now County Offaly), Ireland from the 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Offaly 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 King's County (County Offaly) unless stated otherwise.
High Sheriffs of King's County
- 1657: George Blundell, 2nd Baronet
- 1662: Philip Bigoe
- 1663: Charles Lyons, of River Lyons
- 1667: Thomas Wakely
- 1674: Jonathan Darby of Leap Castle
- 1680: Edward Bagot
- 1693: Geoffrey Lyons, of River Lyons
- 169n: James Sterling
- 1701: Richard Warburton
- 1704: Geoffrey Lyons, of River Lyons
- 1715: Colley Lyons, MP, of River Lyons
- 1726: Thomas Wakely of Ballyburly
- 1730: Edmund Armstrong
- 1738: Warenford Armstrong
- 1751: Andrew Armstrong
- 1755: Francis Lumm, later Sir Francis Lumm, 1st Baronet of Lummville
- 1759: John O'Connor of Mount Pleasant
George III, 1760–1820
- 1763: John Wakely of Ballyburly
- 1768: John Minchin
- 1772: Owen Moony of Lackaghbeg
- 1777: Andrew Armstrong of Castle Armstrong
- 1780: John Drought
- 1782: Benjamin Frend of Clooneen
- 1783: Maurice Nugent O'Connor
- 1786: John Warburton
- 1787: Jonathan Darby
- 1790: William Carroll Moony of New Lawn, County Tipperary
- 1794: Robert James Enragh-Moony of The Doon
- 1796: John Wakely of Ballyburly
- 1799: Henry Verney Lovett Darby of Annvilla
- 1803: Jackson Wray Atkinson
- 1806: Maunsell Andrews
- 1811: Sir Andrew Armstrong, 1st Baronet
- 1816: Henry Peisley l'Estrange of Moystown
- 1818: Edmund Armstrong
George IV, 1820–1830
- 1820: Francis Moony Enragh-Moony of the Doon
- 1824: George Minchin, of Bushertown
- 1825: Charles William Bury, 2nd Earl of Charleville
- 1826: Sir Robert Waller, 2nd Baronet of Newport
- 1827: William H. Magan, Clocarl, Philipstown
- 1828: George Minchin
William IV, 1830–1837
- 1832: Francis Longworth-Dames of Greenhill
- 1834: John Tibeaudo, of Portnahinch, Portarlington
- 1835: Hector John Graham Toler, 3rd Earl of Norbury of Durrow Abbey
- 1834: Sir Michael Cusac Smith of Newtown, Tullamore
- 1836: Sir Andrew Armstrong, 1st Baronet
Victoria, 1837–1901
- 1840: Henry Sandford Palmer of Ballinlough
- 1841: Garrett O'Moore of Cloghan Castle, Kinnity
- 1845: Richard Warburton, of Garryhinch.
- 1846: Guy Atkinson of Cangort
- 1849: Thomas Homan Muleck, of Bellaire, Ballycottier.
- 1850: Edward John Corr, of Ballinolan, Ederderry
- 1852: John Gilbert King of Ballylinn, Ferbane
- 1854: Francis Valentine Bennett
- 1855: Robert James Enraght Moony
- 1859: Thomas Seymour, of Ballymore Castle, Galway
- 1860: Edward John Briscoe
- 1861: Alfred Bury, 5th Earl of Charleville
- 1862: Arthur Henry Nicholas Kemmis
- 1863: John Craven Westenra
- 1868: Captain Maxwell Fox of Annaghmore
- 1870: George John Minchin
- 1872: Richard Warburton of Garryhinch
- 1873: Captain Ambrose Clement Wolseley Cox
- 1877: Arthur Burdett
- 1880: William Grogan Graves of Cloghan Castle, Banagher
- 1882: Henry Vincent Jackson, of Inane
- 1884: Jonathan Charles Darby of Leap castle, Roscrea
- 1885: William Thomas Trench
- 1886: William Kennedy Marshall, of Baronne Court, Lower Ormond
- 1887: Captain Caulfeild French of Castletehin, Roscommon and Castlebernard, Kinnetty,
- 1888: Arthur Frederick Churchhill Tollemache of Ballincur
- 1889: Capt. Thomas Armstrong Drought of Letty Brook, Kennetty
- 1893: Hector Robert Graham Toler
- 1895: William Bury Homanmulock off Bellair
- 1896: Arthur Hugo Florian de Burdet Burdett
George V, 1910–1936
- 1911: Otway Scarlett Graham-Toler
- 1914: Andrew Harvey Armstrong, 3rd Baronet
- 1920: Georges Meares Stopford Enright-Moony
- 1921: Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury