# Sheriff of Perth

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.
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)
* John Murray, 1st Duke of Atholl (1695–1724)
* James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl (1724-1748)

## Sheriffs of Perthshire (1747)

* Patrick Haldane, 1747-1748
* James Erskine, 1748–1754
* John Swinton, 1754–1782 (died 1799)
* William Nairne of Dunsinnan, 1783–
* Archibald Colquhoun, 1793–1807
* John Hay Forbes, Lord Medwyn, 1807–1824
* Duncan McNeill, 1st Baron Colonsay, 1824–1834
* Adam Anderson, 1835–1841
* Robert Whigham, 1841–1849
* James Craufurd, 1849–1853
* Edward Gordon, Baron Gordon of Drumearn, 1858–1866
* John Tait, 1866–1874
* James Adam, 1874–1876
* John Macdonald, Lord Kingsburgh, 1880–
* William Gloag, Lord Kincairney, 1885–1889
* Charles Pearson, 1889–1890
* Andrew Graham Murray, 1890–1891
* Andrew Jameson, Lord Ardwall, 1891–1905
* Christopher Nicholson Johnston, KC, 1905–1916
* John Wilson KC, 1917–1920
* 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
* William Murray, 8th Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield, 1974–1975
* Sheriffdom replaced in 1975 by the sheriffdom of Tayside, Central and Fife.