High Sheriff of West Sussex

The High Sheriff of West Sussex is annually appointed as the sovereign's representative in West Sussex county for all matters relating to the judiciary and the maintenance of law and order.

History of the office high sheriff

The oldest office under the crown, 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 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 for the whole of Sussex. The High Sheriff is appointed annually in March.

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 West Sussex

• 1974-1975: Wing Commander Geoffrey Harry Briggs, DFC, DL ^[1]
• 1975-1976: Donald D Scott
• 1976-1977: David S W Blacker, DL
• 1977-1978: Geoffrey M Cresswell-Wall
• 1978-1979: Peter M Luttman-Johnson
• 1979-1980: The Hon Henry Edward Boscawen
• 1980-1981: Leslie Langmead
• 1981-1982: David I Bosanquet
• 1982-1983: Peter Langmead, OBE ^[2]
• 1983-1984: Edward John Frederick Green ^[3]
• 1984-1985: Major General John Cowley, CB, DL
• 1985-1986: Major General Sir Philip Ward, KCVO, CBE, DL
• 1986-1987: James Frederick Godman-Dorington ^[4]
• 1987-1988: David Hopkinson, DL
• 1988-1989: Ronald C Langmead
• 1989-1990: John Richard Bine Morgan-Grenville, DL, of Upperton, Petworth ^[5]
• 1990-1991: David W Bowerman, JP, DL
• 1991-1992: Michael Desmond Sugden, JP ^[6]
• 1992-1993: Jeremy Fox Eric Smith, DL ^[7]
• 1993-1994: Richard Harry Goring, DL ^[8]
• 1994-1995: Peter Longley, OBE, DL
• 1995-1996: Hugh Wyatt, DL
• 1996-1997: John Knight, DL ^[9]
• 1997-1998: Col Sir Brian Walter de Stopham Barttelot, Bt., OBE, DL
• 1998-1999: Brian Trafford, DL
• 1999-2000: Judith Buckland, MBE, DL
• 2000-2001: Robin R Loder
• 2001-2002: Graham G Ferguson, DL
• 2002-2003: Mark W Burrell
• 2003-2004: Major Mark F H Scrase-Dickins CMG
• 2004-2005: Roger Reed
• 2005-2006: Gordon Tregear
• 2006-2007: Charles Torquil de Montalt Fraser^[10]
• 2007–2008: Colin Peter John Field ^[11]
• 2008-2009: Sir Richard Kleinwort ^[12]
• 2009-2010: Simon Fairfax Knight ^[13]
• 2010–2011: Elizabeth Bennett ^[12]
• 2011-2012: David H Tupper Esq DL of Petworth^[12]
• 2012-2013: Andrew John P Stephenson Clarke Esq ^[12]
• 2013-2014: D Patrick H Burgess MBE ^[12]
• 2014–2015: Jonathan Charles Lucas of Warnham Park, Horsham ^[12]
• 2015-2016: Mrs Denise Lesley Anne Patterson of Aldwick Bay, Bognor Regis^[14]

References

1. The London Gazette: no. 46249. p. 4007. 28 March 1974.
2. The London Gazette: no. 48919. p. 3496. 12 March 1982.
3. The London Gazette: no. 49294. p. 3830. 18 March 1983.
4. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 50472. p. 4374. 27 March 1986.
5. The London Gazette: no. 51678. p. 3358. 17 March 1989.
6. The London Gazette: no. 52484. p. 4710. 25 March 1991.
7. The London Gazette: no. 52868. p. 5026. 20 March 1992.
8. The London Gazette: no. 53247. p. 4679. 15 March 1993.
9. "LORDS, LADY AND PRESIDENT APPOINTED DEPUTY LIEUTENANTS". Retrieved 2011-03-30.
10. The London Gazette: no. 57921. pp. 3375–3376. 9 March 2006. Retrieved 2007-11-30.
11. The London Gazette: no. 58266. pp. 3313–3314. 7 March 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-30.
12. "West Sussex 2014/2015". High Sheriffs Association. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
13. The London Gazette: no. 54345. p. 4924. 10 March 2009.
14. "West Sussex 2015/2016". High Sheriffs Association. Retrieved 20 September 2015.