High Sheriff of West Sussex

History

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.

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

Office

The current High Sheriff is Mr Colin Field JP.

The High Sheriff is appointed annually in March.

Previous High Sheriffs of West Sussex

*1974-1975: Wing Commander C H Briggs, DFC, DL
*1975-1976: Mr D D Scott
*1976-1977: Mr D S W Blacker, DL
*1977-1978: Mr G M Cresswell-Wall
*1978-1979: Mr P M Luttman-Johnson
*1979-1980: The Hon H E Boscawen
*1980-1981: Mr L Langmead
*1981-1982: Mr D I Bosanquet
*1982-1983: Mr P Langmead, OBE
*1983-1984: Mr E J F Green
*1984-1985: Major General John Cowley, CB, DL
*1985-1986: Major General Sir Philip Ward, KCVO, CBE, DL
*1986-1987: Mr J F Godman-Dorington
*1987-1988: Mr David Hopkinson, DL
*1988-1989: Mr Ronald C Langmead
*1989-1990: Mr J R B Morgan-Grenville, DL
*1990-1991: Mr David W Bowerman, JP, DL
*1991-1992: Mr M D Sugden, JP
*1992-1993: Mr J F E Smith, DL
*1993-1994: Mr R H Goring, DL
*1994-1995: Mr P Longley, OBE, DL
*1995-1996: Mr Hugh Wyatt, DL
*1996-1997: Mr J Knight, DL
*1997-1998: Col Sir Brian Barttelot, Bt., OBE, DL
*1998-1999: Mr B Trafford, DL
*1999-2000: Mrs Judith Buckland, MBE, DL
*2000-2001: Mr Robin R Loder
*2001-2002: Mr Graham G Ferguson, DL
*2002-2003: Mr Mark W Burrell
*2003-2004: Major Mark F H Scrase-Dickins CMG
*2004-2005: Mr Roger Reed
*2005-2006: Mr Gordon Tregear
*2006-2007: Charles Torquil de Montalt Fraser [LondonGazette|issue=57921|notarchive=yes|startpage=3375|endpage=3376|date=9 March 2006|accessdate=2007-11-30]
*2007–2008: Colin Peter John Field [LondonGazette|issue=58266|notarchive=yes|startpage=3313|endpage=3314|date=7 March 2007|accessdate=2007-11-30]

References