Sheriff of Perth explained

The Sheriff of Perth was historically a royal official, appointed for life, who was responsible for enforcing justice in Perth, Scotland. Prior to 1748 most sheriffdoms were held on a hereditary basis. From that date, following the Jacobite uprising of 1745, the hereditary sheriffs were replaced by salaried sheriff-deputes, qualified advocates who were members of the Scottish Bar.

Following consecutive reorganisations of the Scottish sheriffdoms the position became the Sheriff of Perthshire in 1747 and the Sheriff of Perth & Angus in 1934.^[1]

The sheriffdom was dissolved in 1975 and replaced by that of Tayside, Central and Fife.

Sheriffs of Perth

• Kenneth (1164)
• Roger de Mortimer of Aberdour (1209)
• John de Moray (1210)
• Geoffrey de Inverkunglas (1219)
• John Hay of Naughton (1226-1228)
• William Blund (1228)
• Malcolm of Moray (1236)
• Adam de Lochore
• William de Munfichet (1245)
• John Hay of Naughton (1246)
• William de Lauder (1251)
• David de Lochore (1255)
• Gilbert de la Hay (1262)
• John Cameron (1264)
• George de Cambrun (1266)
• Christian de l'Isle (1280)
• Nicholas de la Haye (1289)
• Walter de Burghdon (1295)
• John de Inchmartin (1305)
• Alexander de Abernethy (1305)
• John de Stirling (1334)
• Andrew Buthirgask (1344)
• John Denniston (1355)
  • Harry de Fotheringay (1357)
• Hugh de Ros (1362)
• Andrew Buthirgask (1365)
• Robert Stewart of Innermeath (1369)
• Alexander Abercrombie (1370)
• Thomas de Wanchope (1373)
• Walter Stewart of Ralston (1381)
• Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl (1433)
  • John Spence - 1433 - Deputy
  • Archibald Stewart - 1439 - Deputy
• Patrick Charteris (1440)
• John de Haddington (1441)
• William Ruthven (1443)
• Patrick Charteris (1446)
• Patrick Graham, Lord Graham (1459)
• William Graham (1465)
• Laurence Oliphant, 1st Lord Oliphant (1470)
• Robert Abercromby (1478)
• William Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven (at 1545)^[2]
• John Murray, 1st Duke of Atholl (1695–1724)
• James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl (1724-1748)

Sheriffs of Perthshire (1747)

• Patrick Haldane, 1747-1748 ^[3]
• James Erskine, 1748–1754 ^[4]
• John Swinton, 1754–1782 (died 1799)
• William Nairne of Dunsinnan, 1783– ^[5]
• Archibald Colquhoun, 1793–1807^[6]
• John Hay Forbes, Lord Medwyn, 1807–1824 ^[7]
• Duncan McNeill, 1st Baron Colonsay, 1824–1834 ^[8]
• Adam Anderson, 1835–1841 ^[9]
• Robert Whigham, 1841–1849 ^[10]
• James Craufurd, 1849–1853 ^[11]
• Edward Gordon, Baron Gordon of Drumearn, 1858–1866
• John Tait, 1866–1874 ^[12]
• James Adam, 1874–1876
• John Macdonald, Lord Kingsburgh, 1880–
• William Gloag, Lord Kincairney, 1885–1889 ^[13]
• Charles Pearson, 1889–1890^[14]
• Andrew Graham Murray, 1890–1891^[14]
• Andrew Jameson, Lord Ardwall, 1891–1905^[14]
• Christopher Nicholson Johnston, KC, 1905–1916
• John Wilson KC, 1917–1920^[15]
• James Condie Stewart Sandeman KC, 1920–

Sheriffs of Perth and Angus (1934)

• Daniel Patterson Blades, 1934-1945 (Solicitor General for Scotland, 1945)
• James Frederick Strachan, KC, 1945–1948
• Laurence Hill Watson, KC, 1948–1952
• Thomas Blantyre Simpson, QC, 1952–1954
• Christopher William Graham Guest, QC, 1954–1955
• Sir James Randall Philip, QC, 1955–1957
• Charles Shaw, Baron Kilbrandon, 1957–1958
• Hector McKechnie, QC, 1958–1963
• George Emslie, Baron Emslie, 1963–1966
• Ian MacDonald Robertson, QC, 1966–1966
• Margaret Henderson Kidd, QC, 1966–1974 ^[16]
• William Murray, 8th Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield, 1974–1975
• Sheriffdom replaced in 1975 by the sheriffdom of Tayside, Central and Fife.

See also

• Historical development of Scottish sheriffdoms

Notes and References

1. Sheriffdoms of Perth and Angus Order 1934 S.I. 1934/1299 (S.70)
2. Web site: Brown . Keith . Order: for payment of tax arrears, 4 October 1545 . The Records of the Parliament of Scotland to 1707 . University of St Andrews . 27 September 2024.
3. Web site: HALDANE, Patrick (c.1683-1769), of Bearcrofts, Stirling.. History of Parliament Online. 11 April 2018. 12 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180412082338/http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1715-1754/member/haldane-patrick-1683-1769. live.
4. Book: Milne, Hugh. Boswell's Edinburgh Journals: 1767-1786.
5. Web site: Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002. Royal Society of Edinburgh. 26 October 2017. 23 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170923000102/http://www.rse.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf. live.
6. Web site: Archibald Colquhoun was Campbell of Clathwick. UCL Department of History. 19 October 2017. 2 February 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170202210542/https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/2146642175. live.
7. Book: Brunton, George. An Historical Account of the Senators of the College of Justice. 551.
8. Web site: Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002. Royal Society of Edinburgh. 26 October 2017. 23 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170923000102/http://www.rse.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf. live.
9. Book: Accounts and Papers, Finance, Banks. Offices. Vol. XIII. 71.
10. Book: Parliamentary Papers, Volume 49. 597.
11. Web site: Moray Register. 10 April 2018. 10 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180410202144/http://www.electricscotland.com/history/records/russellsmorayshi1852elgi.pdf. live.
12. Web site: Annual Register. 7 April 2018. 8 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180408074028/http://digital.nls.uk/directories/browse/archive/89722979?mode=transcription. live.
13. Book: Sheriff Courts. The Scottish law review and Sheriff Court reports, Volume 22. 11.
14. Book: Sheriff Courts. The Scottish law review and Sheriff Court reports, Volume 22. 13.
15. Who Was Who 1929–1940, p. 40.
16. Book: Ewan, Elizabeth. The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women. 196.