The High Sheriff of Meath was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Meath, Ireland, from the conquest until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Meath 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 County Meath unless stated otherwise.
High Sheriffs of County Meath 1299 Rythery Fitzjohn 1340: Michael Stokes 1345: Roger Dardis or Dardiz 1346: Sir Walter de la Hyde (murdered that year?)Patent Roll 20 Edward III 1368: John FitzRichard 1373: William Dalton (killed by the Cenal-Fiachaidh) 1384 Walter ChaumbrePatent Roll 8 Richard II 1385: Richard Drake of Drakerath 1386: John Darcy 1401: Sir William Nugent of Balrath 1403: Sir Christopher Plunket 1404: Sir John D'Arcy 1405: Sir William Nugent of Balrath, second termPatent Roll 6 Henry IV 1406: Matthew Hussey of Moyle-Hussey 1408: Matthew Hussey of Moyle-Hussey, second term 1409: Sir Christopher Plunket, second term 1415: Sir John D'Arcy 1422 John Drake 1424: Richard Nugent, 2nd Baron Delvin 1425: Sir Christopher Plunket, third term 1435: John Barnewall 1451: Nicholas Ford of Fordstown 1470: Robert Bold, Baron Ratoath 1472: James Fleming, 7th Baron Slane 1482 Alexander Plunket
Henry VIII 1509–1547 1510: Christopher Cusack of Gerardstown 1520–1521: Nicholas Hussey, 10th Baron Galtrim 1542: James Everard 1543: Sir Thomas Cusack, Lord Chancellor of Ireland
Elizabeth I, 1558–1603 1598: Richard Brett
James I, 1603–1625 1610: Patrick Barnewall of Trim 1613: Patrick Barnewall of Trim 1622: Patrick Barnewall of Trim
Charles I, 1625–1649 1627 Patrick Segrave
Commonwealth, 1649–1660 1658: William Cadogan
Charles II, 1660–1685
1661: Hercules Langford 1667: Richard Janns of Blackcastle 1669: Henry Wade of Clonabreany 1670: George Pepper of Ballygarth 1671: James Naper 1677: Sir Hercules Langford, 1st Baronet 1678: Charles Meredyth 1679: Arthur Meredyth 1682: Arthur Meredyth
James II, 1685–1688 1686: Launcelot Dowdall of Mounttown 1686: Donogh Mac Gillicuddy. 1688: John Browne.
William III, 1689–1702
1690: Sir Henry Langford, 3rd Baronet 1698: Joseph Pratt 1700: Henry Cadogan 1702: James Naper of Loughcrew
George I, 1714–1727 1720: Robert WallerA genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Ireland, 1912, Bernard Burke 1724: George Pepper of Ballygarth 1725: John Coddington
George II, 1727–1760 1727: 1728: 1729: 1730: James Garstin of Leragh Castle 1731: 1732: 1733: Benjamin Chapman of St Lucy's, County Westmeath 1734: Richard Wesley, 1st Baron Mornington 1735: Christopher Nicholson of Balrath Burry 1736: 1737: Clotworthy Sheilds Wade of Clonebrayney 1738: Hercules Langford Rowley of Summerhill House 1739: 1740: James Lenox Naper of Loughcrew 1741: 1742: James Fleming 1743: Sir Quaile Somerville, 2nd BaronetComplete Baronetage, p.358 1744: 1745: 1746: 1747: 1748: John Wade 1749: 1750: William Waller of Allenstown House 1751: 1752: 1753: John Graham 1754: Dixie Coddington of Oldbridge 1755: 1756: 1757: 1758: 1759:
George III, 1760–1820 1760: 1766: Richard Hamilton, 4th Viscount Boyne 1767: 1770: Hamilton Gorges of Kilbrew 1772: Robert Wade of ClonebraneyVisitation of Ireland 1774: Gustavus Hamilton, 5th Viscount Boyne 1775: 1778: Samuel Winter of Agher 1779: 1781: Michael Tisdall (1755–1794) of Charles Fort near Kells 1782: Thomas Ash of Ashfield 1783: Sir John Meredyth, 1st Baronet, Kt of CarlandstownComplete Baronetage, p.436 1784: Richard Chaloner of King's Fort 1785: Henry Coddington 1786: Thomas Taylour, Marquess of Headfort 1787: 1788: Michael Tisdall of Charlesfort 1789: 1791: Christopher Armytage Nicholson of Balrath Burry 1792: 1794: Thomas Rothwell of Rockfield 1795: Thomas Everard 1796: Hon. Clotworthy Taylour, later Rowley (cr. Baron Langford of Summerhill, County Meath in 1800; Surname legally changed to Rowley, 26 April 1796) 1798: Nicholas Coddington 1800: Charles Drake Dillon 1802: Thomas Pepper of Ballygarth Castle 1803: James O'Reilly of Baltrasna 1804: William BattersbyPapers by Command-Great Britain, Parliament, House of Commons-Volume 6 1805: Thomas Taylor Rowley 1806: John Pratt Winter of Agher 1807: Thomas Barnes 1808: Henry Woodward 1809: Arthur Hill Cornwallis Pollock of Mountainstown 1810: Claudius Cole Hamilton 1811: Charles Arthur Tisdall of Charlesfort 1812: William Blaney Wade 1813: George Pepper of Ballygarth Castle 1814: Caleb Barnes 1815: Thomas Lowther Allen 1816: James Somerville 1817: Ferdinand Meath M'Veagh 1818: John Gerrard 1819: Henry Jeremiah Smith 1820: William Henry Waller
George IV, 1820–1830 1821: John Payne Garnett of Arch Hall, Navan 1822: James Lenox William Naper of Loughcrew 1823: Francis Singleton 1824: John Charles Preston, of Swainstown 1825: John Thompson, of Rathnally, Trim 1827: John Armytage Nicholson of Balrath Burry, Kells 1828: Robert George Bomford and Richard Bolton 1829: Anthony Blackburne of Parsonstown
William IV, 1830–1837 1831: The Honourable Edward Anthony John Preston of Gormanston Castle, Balbriggan"The Heraldic Calendar" 1832: Robert George Bomford 1834: Hon. Randle E. Plunket of Dunsany Castle, Dunshaughlin 1836: Henry Meredyth, later Sir Henry Meredyth, 4th Baronet of North Dublin 1837: Samuel Winter of Agher
Victoria, 1837–1901 1838: 1839: Richard Rothwell, of Rockfield 1840: Robert Craven Wade of Clonebraney 1841: John Tisdall of Charlesfort 1842: Henry Corbet Singleton of Aclare 1843: Henry Barry Coddington of Oldbridge 1843: John Farrell of Moynalty 1844: Thomas Taylour, 3rd Marquess of Headfort of Headfort House, Kells 1845: Lord Killeen, of Killeen Castle 1846: George Annesley Pollock of Oatlands 1847: 1848: Henry Barry Coddington of Old Bridge, Drogheda 1849: William Martley Blackburne, of Tankardstown-Hall, Slane 1850: Michael Thunder of Lagore, Dunshaughlin 1851: Hans Hamilton Woods of Whitestown House 1852: Edward Rotheram of Crossdrum 1853: James Lenox Naper of Loughcrew 1854: John Osborne George Pollock of Mountainstown 1855: Richard Chaloner of King's Fort 1856: Christopher A. Nicholson of Belrath, Kells 1857: John Arthur Farrell of Moynalty 1858: Samuel Garnett of Arch Hall, Navan 1859: Hercules Langford Boyle Rowley of Marlay Grange, County Dublin 1860: George Bomford of Oakley Park 1861: 1862: Thomas Boylan, Hilltown, Drogheda. 1863: Thomas Gerrard of Gibbstown and Boyne Hill. 1864: William Stawell Garnett of Williamston. 1865: 1867: Thomas Rockwell of Rockfield. 1868: 1870: The Hon Jenico W. J. Preston of Gormanstown Castle, Balbriggan. 1871: Robert Fowler 1872: James Sanderson Winter of Agher. 1873: Robert Caddell of Harbourstown. 1874: 1875: Mervyn Pratt. 1876: 1877: Henry Corbet Singleton of Aclare. 1878: George Augustus Rotheram of Kilbride Castle, Trim. 1879: 1880: William Newcombe Waller of Allenstown. 1881: John Kearney 1882: Robert Grimshaw Dunville 1883: Nugent Talbot Everard, Bt 1884: John Naper George Pollock of Mountainstown. 1885: Edward Rotheram of Crossdrum. 1886: 1887: Charles Pepper of Ballygarth Castle. 1888: Edward Hamilton Woods of Milverton Hall, County Dublin. 1889: Nathaniel Hone Dyas of Athboy House & Staholmack, County Meath. 1890: 1891: George Joseph Brooke McVeagh of Drewstown, Kells. 1892: Robert Bernard George Ashurst GradwellThe Catholic Who's Who 1893: Uvedale Corbet Singleton of Aclare. 1894: Thomas Boylan 1895: John Hampden Nicholson of Balrath Burry. 1896: William Thompson of Rathnally. 1897: Gustavus Villiers Briscoe of Bellinter House. 1898: Francis William Blackburne of Tankardstown. 1899: Robert Henry Fowler of Rahinston and Rathmolyon. 1900: 1901: Gustavus Francis William Lambart, 1st Baronet of Beau Parc.
Edward VII, 1901–1910 1902: Charles Henry Bulwer Caldwell of New Grange. 1904: Frederick Arthur Bligh of Brittas, Nobber. 1905: Fitzhenry Augustus Smith of Annesbrook, Duleek. 1906: Edward Rotheram of Crossdrum. 1907: John Edward Joseph Farrell of Moynalty. 1908: George Fitzgerald Murphy of the Grange, Dunsany.
George V, 1910–1936 1910: Patrick James Kennedy of Rathcore House, Enfield. 1911: William Lennox Naper of Loughcrew. 1912: Reginald Dashwood Tandy. 1913: John Francis Hevey Langan. 1922: Arthur Francis Coddington.
References