The High Sheriff of Cavan was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Cavan, Ireland from the 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Cavan 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 one of the nominees as his choice of 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 Cavan unless stated otherwise.
Contents
Elizabeth I, 1558–1603
1581: Eamon O'Reilly of Kilnacrott (later Lord of Bréifne O'Reilly 1596–1601)
1584: Sir Henry Duke
1585: Sir Henry Duke
1586: Sir Henry Duke
1587: Sir Henry Duke
1588: Sir Henry Duke
1589: Sir Edward Herbert
1590: Sir Edward Herbert
1591: Sir Edward Herbert
1592: Sir Edward Herbert
1593: Sir Edward Herbert
1594: Sir Edward Herbert
1595: Sir Edward Herbert
1596: Sir Edward Herbert
1597: Sir Edward Herbert
1598: Sir Edward Herbert
1599: Sir Edward Herbert
1600: Sir Edward Herbert
1601: Sir Edward Herbert
1602: Sir Edward Herbert
1603: Sir Edward Herbert
James I, 1603–1625
1604: Sir Edward Herbert
1605: Sir Edward Herbert
1606: Sir Edward Herbert
1607: Hugh Culme
1608: Sir Edward Herbert
1609: Sir Edward Herbert
1610: Sir Edward Herbert
1611: Hugh Culme
1612: Hugh Culme
1613: John Ridgeway
1614: John Butler
1615: James Craig
1616: John Fish
1617: Nicholas Lisle
1618: Hugh Culme
1619: Richard Lisle
1620: Robert Scurlock
1621: Robert Scurlock
1622: Sir Stephen Butler of Belturbet
Charles I, 1625–1649
1629: Philip O'Reilly
1630: Thomas Fleming
1634: John Fleming
1635: Thomas Fleming
1636: James Fleming of Ballyneagh
1638: Edward Gray
1639: William Lill
1640: Francis Lawrence Devall
1641: Myles (Mulmory) O'Reilly of Kevit Castle, Kilmore
1641: James Talbot of Ballyconnell Castle, Ballyconnell
(When the 1641 Rebellion broke out in Ireland in October 1641, the English government terminated Myles O'Reilly's reign as sheriff due to his involvement as one of the Irish Rebel leaders, but he continued in the role in those parts of Cavan which were under native Irish rule until the surrender of the Cavan rebels on 27 April 1653. James Talbot was appointed in October 1641 as the new High Sheriff by the Dublin Lord Justices but soon left Cavan in fear for his life so in effect there were two opposing High Sheriffs of Cavan for the period of the Rebellion. Before the Rebellion, Cavan High Sheriffs were mostly Catholics but after the Rebellion they were almost all Protestant landlords)
2 May 1642 The Dublin Government appointed Edward Philpott
Commonwealth, 1649–1660
Dec 1655: Charles Coote
12 Nov 1656: Robert Saunderson of Castle Saunderson, Belturbet
1 Dec 1658: Edward Philpott
Charles II, 1660–1685
1660: Humphrey Perrott of Drumhone
1661: Humphrey Perrott of Drumhone
1662: Thomas White of Redhills
26 Feb 1663: Richard Blayney
28 Nov 1663: Samuel Townley
31 Dec 1664: Thomas Couch
1666: Edward Philpott
1667: Robert Saunderson of Castle Saunderson, Belturbet
1668: Ambrose Bedell of Carn, Kildallan
4 Dec 1668: Thomas Gwyllym of Ballyconnell Castle, Ballyconnell
24 Nov 1669: Hugh Culme
1671: Abraham Clements of Rathkenny
22 Dec 1671: Richard Lewis of Lismore
12 Dec 1672: Nicholas Kempston of Dunmurray
22 Jan 1674: Daniel Clements of Rathkenny
17 Dec 1674: John Maxwell
9 Dec 1675: Thomas Newburgh
21 Dec 1676: Matthew French of Belturbet
22 Nov 1677: John Coyne
9 Jan 1679: James Sanderson
4 Dec 1679: Henry Palmer of Ballymagauran
James II, 1685–1688
(When King James II was crowned he began to appoint Cavan Catholics as High Sheriff but this ceased with his defeat by King William III, who then recommenced the appointment of Protestant landlords)
28 Jan 1686: Samuel Townley of Drumrooske
17 Feb 1687: Lucas Reilly
10 Nov 1687: Edward Reilly
16 Nov 1688: Luke Reilly (until William III took power and appointed Henry Gwyllym of Ballyconnell sheriff)
William and Mary, 1689–1694
7 Aug 1690: Daniel French of Belturbet
10 Dec 1690: Francis White of Redhills
1691: Francis White of Redhills
1693: Arnold Cosby of Lismore
7 Dec 1693: Robert Clements of Rathkenny
20 Dec 1694: Thomas Coote
William III, 1694–1702
24 Dec 1695: James Kennedy
3 Dec 1696: Thomas Townley of Thomascourt, Drumrooske
12 Dec 1697: Charles Hampson of Aghacreevy
3 Feb 1699: William Blachford of Lisanover, Templeport
25 Nov 1699: John Kempson
22 Nov 1700: Edward Cosby of Skea
4 Dec 1701: Henry Joseph Pratt
Anne, 1702–1714
21 Nov 1702: Brinsley Butler
26 Nov 1703: Thomas Fleming Junior of Belville, Crossdoney
14 Dec 1704: Brockhill Newburgh of Ballyhaise
23 Nov 1705: William Fitzherbert
12 Nov 1706: Charles Townley
14 Nov 1707: Charles Mortimer of Lislin
25 Nov 1708: William Nesbitt
24 Nov 1709: Henry Grattan
3 Dec 1710: Edward Cosby
27 Dec 1711: Thomas White
16 Dec 1712: William Fitzherbert
1714: Alexander Saunderson
George I, 1714–1727
1715: Charles Hampson
19 Jan 1716: Samuel Madden
2 Dec 1716: James Moore
1718: Arnold Cosby of Lismore
1719: Henry Newburgh
7 Dec 1719: Charles Coote of Coote Hill
Nov 1720: Thomas Nesbitt of Lismore
16 Dec 1720: Charles Betty of Farranseer
11 Dec 1721: Mervyn Pratt of Cabra Castle, Kingscourt
24 Jan 1723: Arthur Galbraith
29 Nov 1723: William Berry
15 Nov 1724: Charles Coote
10 Dec 1725: Theophilus Clements of Rathkenny
14 Dec 1726: Humphrey Butler of Belturbet
George II, 1727–1760
24 Jan 1728: Thomas Burrowes of Stradone
14 Dec 1728: John Stephens of Ballinacargy
21 Jan 1730: John Jones Junior of Belturbet
15 Dec 1730: Nathaniel Clements
6 Jan 1732: James Saunderson of Drumcassidy, Cloverhill
20 Dec 1732: Thomas Davenport of Cullintragh
27 Jan 1733: Brockhill Perrott of Castle Bagshaw
31 Jan 1734: John Stanford of Carn, Kildallan
14 Feb 1735: Balthazar John Cramer
19 Feb 1736: Benjamin Copeland
21 Jan 1737: Galbraith Holmes
7 Mar 1738: John Enery of Bawnboy House
12 Jan 1739: John Maxwell of Farnham, Cavan
5 Mar 1740: Francis Saunderson
3 Feb 1741: Francis White of Redhills
4 Feb 1742: Thomas Newburgh of Ballyhaise
9 Mar 1743: Thomas Burrowes of Stradone House, Stradone
23 Feb 1744: Samuel Moore
15 Feb 1745: Simon Davenport of Cullintragh
13 Mar 1746: Josiah Veaitch of Drumurry
George III, 1760–1820
19 Feb 1761: Archibald Acheson, 1st Viscount Gosford of Market Hill, County Armagh
29 Jan 1762: Robert Nugent of Bobsgrove, Mountnugent
24 Feb 1763: David Jones of Belturbet
10 Feb 1764: Cosby Nesbitt of Lismore
8 Mar 1765: Thomas Cosby of Bailieborough
3 Mar 1766: Henry Theophilus Clements of Ashfield Lodge, Rathkenny, Cootehill
26 Feb 1767: James Young of Lahard
12 Feb 1768: Bedell Stanford of Carn, Kildallan
31 Dec 1768: Thomas Nesbitt of Lismore
15 Feb 1770: James Fleming of Belville, Crossdoney
28 Dec 1770: Thomas Fleming of Cavan
28 Jan 1772: Gore Ellis of Ballyheady
5 Feb 1773: Robert Burrowes of Stradone House, Stradone
17 Feb 1774: Wiliam Stanford of Bilberry Hill, Kildallan
21 Jun 1774: Henry Theophilus Clements of Ashfield
17 Feb 1775: Alexander Saunderson of Drumcassidy, Cloverhill
6 Feb 1776: John Baker of Ashgrove
2 Feb 1777: Humphrey Nixon of Nixon Lodge, Belturbet
George IV, 1820–1830
12 Feb 1820: William Young of Bailieborough Castle, Bailieborough
15 Feb 1821: Christopher Edmund Nugent of Bobsgrove, Mountnugent
6 Feb 1822: William Humphreys of Ballyhaise
4 Mar 1823: James Hamilton Storey of Ballyconnell House, Ballyconnell
6 Mar 1824: John Hassard of Bawnboy
7 Feb 1825: Bedell Stanford of Carn Cottage, Kildallan
8 Feb 1826: Ralph Bell Clarke of Drumkeel, Cavan
15 Feb 1827: Maxwell James Boyle of Tullyvin House, Cootehill
Feb 1828: Andrew Bell of Lossett, Cavan
3 Mar 1829: Theophilus Lucas Clements of Rathkenny, Cootehill
23 Feb 1830: Charles Car Morton of Kilnarook (Grandson of Doctor Charles Morton of The British Museum)
William IV, 1830–1837
8 Feb 1831: George Marshall Knipe of Erne Hill, Belturbet
17 Feb 1832: William Humphreys, Junior of Ballyhaise Castle
20 Jan 1833: Charles James Adams of Shinan House, Shercock
13 Feb 1834: William Rathborne of Kilcogy
1 Feb 1835: John Finlay of Brackley Lodge, Bawnboy
12 Feb 1836: Sir Thomas Finlay of Bawnboy House, Bawnboy
11 Feb 1837: Gerald Dease of Castlepollard, County Westmeath
Victoria, 1837–1901
3 Mar 1838: Robert Burrowes of Stradone House, Stradone
1 Feb 1839: Sir George Frederick John Hodson, 3rd Baronet of Hollybrook, Bray, County Wicklow
14 Feb 1840: John Nesbitt of Lismore Lodge, Crossdoney
7 Feb 1841: Mervyn Pratt of Cabra Castle, Kingscourt
11 Feb 1842: Robert Saunderson of Castle Saunderson, Belturbet
1 Feb 1843: William Hamilton Enery of Ballyconnell House, Ballyconnell
7 Feb 1844: Somerset Maxwell, 8th Baron Farnham of Arley Cottage, Mountnugent
31 Jan 1845: Anthony O'Reilly of Baltrasna, County Meath
3 Feb 1846: Thomas Taylour, 3rd Marquess of Headfort of Headford House, Kells, County Meath
30 Jan 1847: James Hamilton of Castle Hamilton, Killeshandra
8 Feb 1848: Richard Fox of White Park, Killeshandra
26 Jan 1849: Henry Theophilus Clements of Ashfield Lodge, Cootehill
1 Feb 1850: Henry Cavendish Butler of Lanesborough Lodge, Belturbet
4 Feb 1851: Henry Bevan Slator of White Hill, Edgeworthstown, County Longford
30 Jan 1852: Samuel Winter of Agher House, Summerhill, County Meath
Edward VII, 1901–1910
14 Jan 1902: Thomas James Burrowes of Stradone House, Stradone
16 Jan 1903: Austen Morgan Rotherham of Crossdrum, Oldcastle, County Meath
9 Jan 1904: Robert Cecil Richard Clifford of Carn Cottage, Kildallan
14 Jan 1905: Theophilus Edward Lucas Clements of Rathkenny, Cootehill
3 Jan 1906: Edward Beresford of Aubawn, Killeshandra
12 Jan 1907: Somerset Saunderson of Castle Saunderson, Belturbet
8 Jan 1908: Edmond O'Connor of Charleville, Dunleer, County Louth
5 Jan 1909: Robert Story of Mount Salus, Dalkey, County Dublin
22 Dec 1909: Henry Edward Maxwell of Arley, Mountnugent
George V 1910–1936
6 Jan 1911: Frederick Paul Smith of Kevitt Castle, Crossdoney.
31 Dec 1911: Edward William Fleming of 25 Grimston Avenue, Folkestone, England.
1 Jan 1913: Richard Jones Sankey of 63 Merrion Square, Dublin
1914: Joseph Maxwell Greene of Tullyvin House, Cootehill.
1915: Major John James Pardon of Cloverhill, Belturbet & Clondriss, Killucan, County Westmeath.
1916: Colonel Edward A.H. Roe of Ballyconnell House, Ballyconnell.
1917: Joseph Arnold Arthur Benison of Slieve Russell House, Ballyconnell.
1918: Thomas Cosby Burrowes of Lismore Lodge, Crossdoney.
1919: Thomas J. Burrowes of Stradone House, Cavan.
1920: Edward Patrick Dorman-Smith of Bellamont House, Cootehill.
1921: Major Mervyn Pratt of Cabra Castle, Kingscourt.