High Sheriff of Belfast

High Sheriff of Belfast
Incumbent Alderman Jim Rodgers since 21 January 2016
Style	High Sheriff[1]
Appointer	Secretary of State (on the advice of the Council)
Term length	One year
Inaugural holder	Sir James Henderson
Formation	1900

The High Sheriff of Belfast is a title and position which was created in 1900 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, with Sir James Henderson the first holder. Like other high sheriff positions, it is largely a ceremonial post today. The current High Sheriff is Alderman Gareth McKee who took office in January 2015

The High Sheriff is theoretically the judicial representative of the sovereign (the Queen) in the city, while the Lord Lieutenant of Belfast is the Sovereign's personal representative. Today, the office is now largely symbolic with few formal duties other than deputising for the Lord Mayor of Belfast at official events.

Appointments are made on annual basis by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, who asks the outgoing High Sheriff and Belfast City Council to suggest the names of three people who are deemed suitable to hold the position. In recent years the Council has suggested only one candidate, who is normally a member of the Council.^[2] The High Sheriff's term of office runs from January to December, which is distinct from the term of office for the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor who take up office in May or June each year.^[3]

Prior to 1900 sheriffs were elected by the city council.

List of High Sheriffs

20th century

• 1900: Sir James Henderson^[2]
• 1901: Otto Jaffe^[4]
• 1902: Samuel Lawther^[5][6]
• 1903: Robert Anderson^[7]
• 1904: Henry Hutton^[8]
• 1905: Henry O'Neill^[9]
• 1906: William Frederick Coates^[10]
• 1907: Peter O'Connell^[11]
• 1908: John McCaughey^[12]
• 1909: Francis Curley^[13]
• 1910: George Doran^[14]
• 1911: Crawford McCullagh^[15]
• 1912: James Johnston^[16]
• 1913: Frank Workman^[17]
• 1914: John Tyrrell^[18]
• 1915: John Campbell White^[19]
• 1916: Robert Dunlop^[20]
• 1917: William Tougher^[21]
• 1918: Cllr Robert M Gaffikin JP^[22]
• 1919: Samuel Mercier^[23]
• 1920: William George Turner^[24]
• 1921: Joseph Davison^[25]
• 1922: Councillor Henry McKeag^[26][27]
• 1923: Alderman James Augustine Duff, M.P., J.P.^[15][28]
• 1924: Hugh McLaurin^[29]
• 1925: W. Macartney^[30]
• 1926: Oswald Jamison (Nationalist)^[31]
• 1927: Samuel Cheyne^[32]
• 1928: Julia McMordie^[15]
• 1929: Samuel Hall-Thompson^[15]
• 1930: James McKinney^[33]
• 1931: C. Lindsay^[34]
• 1932: F. J. Holland^[35]
• 1933: Richard Milligan Harcourt^[36]
• 1934: James Dunlop Williamson^[37]
• 1935: George Ruddell Black^[38]
• 1936: Thomas Edward McConnell
• 1937: Thomas Loftus Cole?^[15]
• 1938: Thomas Loftus Cole^[39]
• 1939: Samuel Boyd Thompson^[40]
• 1940: William Dowling^[15]
• 1941: Percival Brown^[41]
• 1942: Tommy Henderson^[15]
• 1943: Frederick William Kennedy^[42]
• 1944: Alfred Hinds^[43]
• 1945: Robert Brown Alexander^[15]
• 1946: Cecil McKee^[44][45]
• 1947: W. E. G. Johnston^[46]
• 1948: James Henry Norritt^[47]
• 1949: Robert Harcourt^[15]
• 1950: Stuart Knox Henry^[48]
• 1951: William Harpur^[49]
• 1952: Andrew Scott^[50]
• 1953: Robert Pierce^[51]
• 1954: William Frederick Neill^[52]
• 1955?: Robert Kinahan^[15]
• 1956: Walter H. Cooper^[53]
• 1957: Herbert Jefferson^[54]
• 1958: Florence Elizabeth Breakie^[55]
• 1959: Martin Kelso Wallace^[56]
• 1960: William Duncan Geddis^[57]
• 1961: William Jenkins^[58]
• 1962: William John McCracken^[59]
• 1963: Joseph Foster Cairns^[60]
• 1964: William Christie^[61]
• 1965: John Abbott Lewis^[62]
• 1966: Matthew Thomas Orr^[63]
• 1967: Thomas Rea^[64]
• 1968: Hugh Robert Brown^[65]
• June 1969-June 1970: Councillor Myles Humphreys^[66]
• June 1970-June 1971: Councillor John William Kennedy, O.B.E, J.P., M.P.^[67]
• June 1971-June 1972: Francis Wills Watson^[68]
• June 1972-June 1973: Alderman Walter Shannon^[69][70]
• June 1973–June 1974: Alderman Alfred Walker Shaw^[71]
• 1975: Councillor James Stewart^[72]
• 1976: Councillor William Cecil Corry^[73]
• 1977: Councillor John Allen^[74]
• 1978: Councillor John Carson^[75]
• 1979: Councillor Grace Bannister^[76]
• 1980: Alderman Michael Brown^[77][78]
• 1981: Councillor Muriel Pritchard^[79]
• 1982: Councillor Alfie Ferguson^[80]
• 1983: Councillor Donnell Deeny^[80]
• 1984: Councillor Pauline Whitley^[81][82]
• 1985: Councillor Andrew Cairns^[83]
• 1985–1986: Councillor Herbert Ditty^[84][85]
• 1987–1989: Post vacant^[86]
• 1990: Councillor Jim Kirkpatrick^[87]
• 1991: Councillor Joe Coggle^[88]
• 1992: Councillor Thomas Patton^[89]
• 1993: Councillor Jim Walker^[90]
• 1994: Councillor Mary Margaret Crooks^[91]
• 1995: Councillor John Parkes^[88]
• 1995: Councillor Joe Coggle^[88]
• 1996: Councillor Steve McBride^[92]
• 1997: Councillor Nelson McCausland^[93]
• 1998: Councillor Jim Clarke^[94]
• 1999: Councillor Robin Newton^[95]

21st century

• 2000: Councillor Tom Campbell^[96]
• 2001: Councillor Alan Crowe^[97]
• 2002: Councillor Wallace Browne^[98]
• 2003: Councillor Margaret Clarke^[99]
• 2004: Councillor Ruth Patterson^[100]
• 2005: Councillor David Browne^[101]
• 2006: Councillor William Humphrey^[87]
• 2007: Councillor Jim Kirkpatrick^[87]
• 2008: Councillor Margaret McKenzie^[102]
• 2009: Councillor Frank McCoubrey^[103]
• 2010: Councillor Christopher Stalford^[104]
• 2011: Councillor Ian Adamson^[105]
• 2012: Alderman May Campbell^[106]
• 2013: Councillor Brian Kingston^[107]
• 2014: Councillor Lydia Patterson^[108]
• 2015: Councillor Gareth McKee^[108]
• 2016: Alderman Jim Rodgers^[108]

See also

• Members of Belfast City Council

References

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3. "High Sheriff". Belfast City Council. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
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15. Biographies of Members of the Northern Ireland House of Commons
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71. "Ministry of Home Affairs". Belfast Gazette (2898): 416. 29 June 1973.
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74. Irish Times, 22 February 1977, p.4
75. "South-east SF group in Shankill tour", Irish Times, 12 October 1978
76. "Belfast woman elected mayor", Irish Times, 2 June 1981
77. "Come shopping, appeals Belfast", Irish Times, 2 December 1980
78. "Northern Ireland Office". Belfast Gazette (3767): 13. 11 January 1980.
79. "Woman installed as High Sheriff of Belfast", Irish Times, 7 February 1981
80. "Catholic voted sheriff", Irish Times, 2 November 1982
81. "New Belfast High Sheriff", Irish Times, 4 February 1984
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84. Belfast Gazette, 26 July 1985
85. "Paisley reaffirms council boycott", Irish Times, 26 November 1986
86. "Belfast council set to end ban", Irish Times, 23 February 1991
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88. My Belfast Summer 2007
89. "Death of former Mayor of Belfast", Irish Times, 21 October 1993
90. Belfast Gazette, 8 January 1993
91. Belfast Gazette, 7 January 1994
92. "New High Sheriff for Belfast", Irish Times, 27 February 1996
93. Nelson McCausland, Democratic Unionist Party
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96. Tom Campbell, Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
97. Appointments of Members to Health and Social Services Councils, Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
98. City Matters Summer 2005
99. City Matters Spring/Summer 2003
100. New Lord Mayor of Belfast elected, Belfast City Council
101. Deputy Lord Mayor David Browne, Belfast City Council
102. New High Sheriff of Belfast sworn in, Belfast City Council
103. High Sheriff Frank McCoubrey
105. High Sheriff, Belfast City Council
106. New High Sheriff sworn in, Belfast City Council, 12 January 2012
107. New High Sheriff sworn in, Belfast City Council, 21 January 2013