High Sheriff of Durham


This is a list of the high sheriffs of County Durham, England.
In most counties the high sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. In the Palatinate of Durham the officeholder was appointed by and was accountable to the Bishop of Durham until 1836 when the Crown claimed authority. The High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions are now largely ceremonial. The High Sheriff changes every March.

High Sheriffs of County Durham

  • Gilbert
  • Philip fil. Haimonis
  • c. 1100–1146: Osbert
  • c. 1152–1153: Gilbert Haget
  • c. 1153–1180: Ralph Haget
  • c. 1180: William
  • c. 1180–1195: Philip son of Hamo
  • c. 1196–1197: Raynold Ganaunt
  • c. 1198–1200: Leo de Heriz

13th century

  • c. 1200: Reynold le Veneur
  • c. 1200: Geoffrey Sarescut
  • c. 1237–1242: William Grat
  • c. 1250: John Haldan
  • c. 1260: John Gylet, of Egglescliff
  • c. 1261: Alexander de Bydyck
  • c. 1273: Laurence de Lyntz
  • c. 1275–1280: John de Malton
  • c. 1282: Walter Savage
  • c. 1290: Guichard de Charon
  • c. 1291–1299: Ralph de Warsop

14th Century

Source:
  • 1303: John de Skyrelock
  • 1309: Ralph de Warsop
  • 1310: Richard de Stanlaw
  • Adam de Bowes
  • 1320: Nicholas de Sutton
  • John de Hamby
  • John de Eggisclive
  • William Browere
  • 1333: Simon de Esh
  • 1339: John de Meynvyle
  • William de Mordon
  • 1343: William de Blakyston
  • 1345: William de Mordon
  • 1355: Robert de Bowes
  • 1356: William de Walworth
  • 1357: John de Byrland
  • 1381: Robert de Laton, Knt.
  • 1385: Thomas de Boynton
  • 1386: William de Bowes, Knt.
  • 1388: William de Bowes, Knt.
  • Thomas D'Umframville
  • 1390: Marmaduke de Lomley, Knt.

15th century

  • 18 January 1401: Sir Robert Conyers
  • 24 August 1406: Sir Percival de Lyndeley
  • 2 June 1414: Sir William Claxton
  • 2 January 1420: Robert Eure
  • 6 May 1436: Sir William Bowes
  • 4 October 1437: Robert Ogle
  • 1 October 1438: William Pudsay
  • 5 December 1441: Geoffrey Midleton
  • 28 December 1461: John de Aderton
  • 8 December 1462: Geoffrey Midleton
  • 7 March 1467: William Claxton
  • 6 August 1469: Henry Radclyff
  • 14 August 1470: Sir George Lumley
  • 20 November 1476: Robert Tempest
  • 4 October 1482 – 1502: Sir Ralph Bowes

16th century

17th century

18th century

19th century

20th century

  • 1901: George Fenwick Boyd of Moorhouse, Leamside
  • 1902: Sir William Henry Edward Chaytor, Bt., of Croft, Darlington
  • 1903: John Ewer Jefferson Hogg of 59 Elm Park Gardens, SW London
  • 1904: Sir Hedworth Williamson, Bt., of Whitburn Hall, near Sunderland
  • 1905: John Edwin Rogerson of Mount Oswald, Durham
  • 1906: Frank Stobart of Biddick Hall
  • 1907: Rowland Burdon of The Castle, Castle Eden
  • 1908: Slingsby Duncombe Shafto of Beamish Park
  • 1909: William Cresswell Gray of Tunstall Manor, West Hartlepool
  • 1910: Hon. James Arthur Joicey of Longhurst, Morpeth
  • 1911: Lieut-Colonel John Henry Ropner, of Ragworth, Norton, Stockton-on-Tees
  • 1912: Frederick Stirling Newall, of Castle Hill, Wylam-on-Tyne
  • 1913: James Westell, of The Cloisters, Sunderland
  • 1914: Francis Priestman, of Shotley Park, Shotley Bridge
  • 1915: Sir Alfred Molyneux Palmer, of Walworth Castle, Darlington
  • 1916: William Hustler Hustler, of Acklam Hall, Middlesbrough
  • 1917: The Honourable Cyril Arthur Liddell, of Ravensworth Castle, Gateshead
  • 1918: Brodrick Dale, of Apperley Dene, Stocksfield
  • 1919: John Wood, of Coxhoe Hall, Coxhoe
  • 1920: Arthur Francis Pease, of Middleton Lodge, Middleton Tyas
  • 1921: Col. Maurice Bell, 3rd Baronet|Maurice Bell] of Rounton Grange, Northallerton
  • 1922: Sir John Storey Barwick, of Ashbrook Grange, Sunderland
  • 1923: Capt. Rowland Burdon Webster, of Wolviston Hall, Stockton-on-Tees
  • 1924: Sir Frank Brown, of Norton Priory, Stockton-on-Tees
  • 1925: Lieut.-Col. George Herbert Stobart, of Harperley Park, Harperley
  • 1926: Sir Thomas Garmondsway Wrightson, Bt., of The Manor House, Eryholme, near Darlington
  • 1927: Brigadier-General Herbert Conyers Surtees, of Mainsforth Hall, Ferryhill
  • 1928: John Henry Bacon Forster, of Whitworth House, Spennymoor
  • 1929: Major Henry Siward Balliol Surtees, of Redworth Hall, Darlington
  • 1930: John Stapylton Grey Pemberton, of Ramside, Durham
  • 1931: Capt. Geoffrey Stirling Newall, of Shepherds Dene, Riding Mill, Northumberland
  • 1932: Henry Peile, of Broomshiels Hall, Satley, Tow Law, Co. Durham
  • 1933: Sir Arthur Nicholas Lindsay Wood, of The Hermitage, Chester-le-Street
  • 1934: Standish Robert Gage Prendergast Vereker of Hamsterley Hall
  • 1935: Col Frank Robert Simpson of Bradley Hall, Wylam
  • 1936: Major Jonathan Lee Priestman of Shotley Park
  • 1937: Leonard Ropner, of Preston Hall, Stockton-on-Tees
  • 1938: Sir William Gray, of Tunstall Manor, West Hartlepool
  • 1939: Frank Nicholson, of Southill Hall, near Chester-le-Street
  • 1940: Colonel Sir Robert Chapman, of Undercliff, Cleadon, Sunderland
  • 1941: Col. Harold Edward Kitching, of Elmwood, Hartburn, Stockton-on-Tees
  • 1942: Col. Sir Thomas Andrews Bradford, of Aden Cottage, Durham
  • 1943: Col. Hereward Sprot, of St. John's Hall, Wolsingham
  • 1944: Captain Edward Ramsden, of Sands Hall, Sedgefield
  • 1945: Colonel Charles Edwin Vickery, of Whorlton Grange, Whorlton, Barnard Castle
  • 1946: Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Laurence Stapylton Pemberton, of Hawthorn Tower, Seaham
  • 1947: Edward John Westgarth Hildyard, of Horsley Hall, Eastgate
  • 1948: Major Frank Douglas Nicholson, of Quarry Hill, Brancepeth
  • 1949: Captn Sydney Riley Lord of Newbus Grange, Neasham
  • 1950: Lt Col. Robert Appleby Bartram of Broomshiels Hall, near Bishop Auckland
  • 1951: Colonel Thomas George Greenwell, of Thornley Cottage, Tow Law, Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham
  • 1952: Philip Ivan Pease, of Sledwick, Barnard Castle
  • 1953: Major Sir (Lawrence) Andrew Common, of Hunter House, Shotley Bridge
  • 1953: Thomas Hawksley Summerson, of Hall Garth, Coatham Mundeville, Darlington
  • 1954: Brigadier Leslie Harrison McRobert, of Meadowcroft, West Hartlepool
  • 1955: Major Sir Basil Robert James Simpson, of Bradley Hall, Wylam
  • 1956: Maurice Oliver Pease, of Eldon House, Heighington, Darlington
  • 1957: Major Aubone Bryce Surtees, of Hurworth Hall West, Hurworth-on-Tees, Darlington
  • 1958: John Raymond Ropner, of Middleton Lodge, Middleton Tyas, Richmond, Yorks
  • 1959: Sir John Gamrondsway Wrightson, of Neasham Hall, Darlington
  • 1960: Lieut-Colonel Robert Macgowan Chapman of Cherry Tree House, Cleadon, near Sunderland
  • 1961: Richard Boys-Stones, of Kyo Close, Wylam-on-Tyne
  • 1962: Roger Trelawny Backhouse, of The East House, Great Smeaton, Northallerton, Yorkshire
  • 1963: Commander Shannan Stevenson, of White Hall, Haughton-le-Skerne, Darlington
  • 1964: John Charles Hedley Booth, of Meadow Bank, Castle Eden
  • 1965: Christopher William Drewett Chaytor, of Croft Hall, Croft, near Darlington
  • 1966: James Kenneth Hope, of West Park, Lanchester
  • 1967: Colonel James Wadham Grant, of Northolme, Moor Lane, Whitburn
  • 1968: Peter Guy Edwards, of Low Walworth Hall, near Darlington
  • 1969: Norman Carse Marr, of Belle Vue, East Boldon, County Durham
  • 1970: Ralph Meredyth Turton, of The Hall, Kildale, Yorkshire
  • 1971: William Talbot Gray, of Eggleston Hall, Barnard Castle
  • 1972: Sir James Steel, of Fawnlees Hall, Wolsingham
  • 1973: Colonel Hugh Kirton, of Plawsworth House, Plawsworth, Chester-le-Street
  • 1974: Elizabeth Scylla Riley Lord, of Low Dinsdale Old Rectory, Neasham, near Darlington
  • 1975: Thomas Richard Featherstone Fenwick, of Bishop Oak, Wolsingham, Bishop Auckland
  • 1976: Lieut.-Colonel Michael Radcliffe Kerens, of The Old Vicarage, Bolam, Darlington
  • 1977: Major William Kemp Trotter, of The Deanery, Staindrop, near Darlington
  • 1978: Colonel Sir William Allison Lee, of The Woodlands, Woodland Road, Darlington
  • 1979: Captain Gerard Maurice Salvin, of Croxdale Hall, Durham
  • 1980: Paul Douglas Nicholson, of Quarry Hill, Brancepeth, Durham
  • 1981: Lieut-Colonel Robert Benjamin Humphreys, of Peppermires Cottage, Brancepeth, Durham
  • 1982: George Christopher Bartram, of Eldon House, Heighington Village, Newton Aycliffe
  • 1983: Frederick Guy Beadon, of Little Newsham Hall, Winston, Darlington
  • 1984: John Wood Snowdon, of The Old Rectory, Brandsby, York
  • 1985: David James Grant, of Aden Cottage, Whitesmocks, Durham
  • 1986: Rosemarie Hume Gray, of Eggleston Hall, Eggleston, Barnard Castle
  • 1987: Ian George Bonas, of Bedburn Hall, Hamsterley
  • 1988: Robert Patrick Thompson, of The Old Rectory, Wycliffe, Whorlton, Barnard Castle
  • 1989: James Tyrell Brockbank, of The Orange Tree, Shincliffe, Durham City
  • 1990: Captain John Hubert McBain, of Westholme Hall, Winston, Darlington
  • 1991: Sir Anthony Frederick Milbank, of Barningham Park, Richmond, North Yorkshire
  • 1992: Elizabeth Ann Jennings, of Broomshiels Home Farm, Saitley, Bishop Auckland
  • 1993: Desmond Walker
  • 1994: Nicholas David Barclay Straker, of Sough Hill, Caldwell, Darlington
  • 1995: Robert Sale, of Eryholme Grange, Hurworth, Darlington
  • 1996: James Allan Marr, of Brancepeth
  • 1997: Michael Philip Weston, Prebends Gate, 3 Quarryheads Lane, Durham City
  • 1998: Sir William Gray, Eggleston Hall, Eggleston, Barnard Castle
  • 1999: Frank Nicholson, Cocken House, Chester-le-Street
  • 2000: Elizabeth Ann Smyth, Greenbank, Heighington, Darlington