High Sheriff of Westmeath

The High Sheriff of Westmeath was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Westmeath, Ireland from its creation under The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543 until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Westmeath 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. The following is an incomplete list: all addresses are in County Westmeath unless stated otherwise. High Sheriffs of County Westmeath 1543: Robert Dillon 1557: Sir Oliver Nugent 1558: Sir Thomas le Strange 1572–1573: Thomas Nugent 1574: Thomas mac Riccard Tute of Sonnagh 1606–1612: Sir Edmund Fettiplace 1642: Edward Tuite, of Tuitestown (killed in battle, 1642) 1655: James Shaen 1661: Ridgeley Hatfield 1663: Charles Lyons 1677: Sir Edward Tyrrell 1692: Walter Pollard, jnr 1698: Ralph Elrington, of Killeenbrack Anne, 1702–1714 1703: Edward Bertles 1705: Thomas Magan, of Togherstown 1709: Richard Plummer George I, 1714–1727 1715: Thomas Judge, of Grangebegg 1718: Arthur Reynell, of Castle Reynell 1720: Richard Berry, of Wardenstown 1721: Arthur Judge, of Bishopstone and later of Mosstown 1727: Arthur Reynell, of Castle Reynell